A Notary Public is an attorney who has been admitted and authorized by the South African High Court to witness signatures, create and attest contracts and statements, and authenticate the legality of certain documents.
Is a Notary Public a lawyer?
Yes, a Notary Public is an acknowledged attorney who has completed the practical examination on notary practice, functions, and duties.
Who or what qualifies someone to be a Notary Public?
On application to the High Court of South Africa, an admitted attorney who has passed the practical notarial test may be admitted and enrolled as a Notary Public.
What exactly is an international notary public?
An international notary is a public servant who has been admitted as a Notary Public in a foreign country and normally works as a solicitor or attorney in that country.
What are the notarial document signature requirements?
The criteria for signing documents may differ based on the target country. It may be necessary to sign it merely in front of a Notary Public, or it may be necessary to have one or more witnesses present in addition to the Notary Public. Depending on the type of document and the destination country, the document may need to be apostilled, authenticated, or legalised by the High Court of South Africa, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), or other government offices after being notarised by the Notary Public.
What is the witnessing requirement for notarial documents?
A Notary Public may not enable a witness to sign a notarial document without first seeing the signers, unless the signers have confirmed their signatures in the witness’ presence.
What is the distinction between a notarised and a certified copy?
Certified copy: Any Commissioner of Oaths in South Africa can certify a copy of an original document by endorsing it with a Commissioner of Oaths stamp. This signifies that the document is a genuine copy of the original.
Notarised copy: A Notary Public can authenticate a copy of an original document to verify that it is a true copy of the original by endorsing the document with a Notary Public stamp or seal.
The procedure of document authentication requires the Notary Public to verify both the original and the copy to confirm that the copy is a true copy of the original and that no alterations or adjustments have been made. After notarizing the document, the Notary Public issues a collation certificate.
How long is a notarized document good for?
Everything is dependent on the authority requesting the notarized document.
What does it mean to notarize a document?
A notarised copy of a document is an exact replica of the original.
