By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Vijay printed his power of attorney, formatted for foolscap, onto A4 paper the night before his appointment. When he arrived, the bottom lines of two pages were missing and the page breaks fell in the wrong places.
A few avoidable problems account for most of the appointments we can't complete. Let's go through them so yours goes ahead.
It's always a shame when clients come to our office but we're not able to help them and have to turn them away. If you read this article and realise this applies to you, then maybe you can save yourself an appointment with our office.1. Incorrect Documents or Unsatisfied Document Requirements.
One of the biggest reasons why we can't help people with notarising their documents is because they bring the wrong documents, or the documents have been printed wrong or typed wrong. Generally, we can't check your documents. If your documents have been prepared by a lawyer, then you should check with the lawyer BEFORE you make your appointment. If you prepared your own documents, then you need to check it yourself and/or send it to a lawyer in India to check for you.In India, many of the legal documents are written on foolscap paper, or stamped/bonded paper or 'green' legal paper. None of those exist in Australia and generally, it's totally acceptable to print your documents on normal white A4 paper, but not only should you check, but you also need to make sure that your formatting is correct. There have been too many times that people have printed foolscap formatted documents onto an A4 page only to have parts missing from the bottom or the top or the page breaks are all in the wrong places. If you need to have stamped/bonded paper, then that's not available in Australia - only in India. Using an Australia Post postal stamp is NOT the same thing (despite what some clients believe).
You should also know whether your document needs a photograph or a thumbprint, or whether you need to have witnesses other than the notary public. If you've checked and you've been told that they're important by your lawyer in India, then pre-arrange these things, come prepared or otherwise ask us when you're making your appointment.
SUMMARY: Check your requirements with your lawyer in India and bring the right documents to your appointment.
2. Incorrect Identification Documents
Being able to identify yourself is one of the most important aspects of the notary public service. If you can't identify yourself, then generally we're not going to be able to help you. How you identify yourself really depends on what you're doing and the document that you need to have notarised. Australia-recognised photograph identification is a minimum requirement. This includes a passport and/or an Australian drivers licence, photograph identification card or another form of Australian government-issued photograph identification document (ie, this would not include the Medicare card as it doesn't have a photograph). Without that primary identification document, we can't accept any other document even if it's been issued overseas or has your photograph. For example, you cannot use your Indian Drivers Licence or your PAN card as proof of your identity in Australia.Sometimes if a document that you're signing refers to a specific identification document (ie, passport number) then you need to bring that identification document with you to prove your identity for that purpose. In these cases, you may also then need to produce your PAN card or other foreign identification document otherwise it may not be possible for us to witness your document IF we're required to witness your signature and verify your identity accord to that identification document. If in doubt or if you're not sure, bring all identification documents to your appointment.
SUMMARY: Bring your photograph ID document, especially any document referred to in the document that you need to have notarised.
No appointment
Are appointments essential? No, they're not - but they're helpful. Our office is generally open during the normal working week, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. However, despite being open our notary public is not always available due to other commitments or appointments in and out of the office. Of course, if you come without an appointment and we're able to assist, we'll assist you. But if we can't, then we can't as well. The only way to be sure is to make an appointment, otherwise you're risking either a long wait or a wasted trip.If you need the power of attorney and the photographs and fingerprints to be sealed separately as two different documents, then additional costs will apply.
SUMMARY: Make an appointment and be on time.
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.Example: the solution
Vijay rebooked after his lawyer in India sent a corrected A4 version and he checked every page. At the second appointment our notary public witnessed his signature and notarised the document without delay.
About Us
This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.
As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.
Phang Legal — Parramatta6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote
About the author
Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public
This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.
Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.
Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.
Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.
