VFS checklist for document attestation
Have you noticed that many of the requirements for VFS have changed, especially for people living in New South Wales? Previously, copies of documents submitted to VFS could be attested or certified by a justice of the peace. That rule no longer applies for people living in New South Wales. If you live in New South Wales, copies of your original documents (such as passports) now must be attested and certified by a notary public (ie, notarised).
As a leading provider of notary public services, we're often asked to help people with attesting their passports. In many cases, clients need to submit a certified and notarised copy of their passports with their applications to have documents like a general power of attorney or special power of attorney attested by VFS. In some cases, the attested copy of their passport is required when applying for new passports, or applying for police checks, or applying for the OCI for them or their children.
How do I get my passport attested?
The process is simple. You just need to bring your original passport to our office, and we'll take care of the rest! It's actually a really quick process with some clients (especially if they've made an appointment) in and out within 5 minutes. It's that quick. It's that simple.
Do I have to make an appointment to attest my passport?
It's always recommended to make an appointment because this ensures that we're able to help you at the time you want to be helped. You could always just come to our office at your convenience, but that doesn't necessarily mean we can help you at that time as we're normally booked with other appointments to help other people. If you're happy to take your chances and to possibly wait, then an appointment is not necessary - but still recommended.
How do I make an appointment to have my passport attested?
Just contact us. It's best to make an appointment by calling us, but you can also contact us by email or by Facebook Messenger - through our website. Calling us ensures that the booking can be made in the fastest and easiest way, especially because most people call and so appointment times can be taken quickly and a lot faster than if you're trying to make a booking by email or Messenger.
Do I need to come in person for my passport to be notarised?
No, if we're just certifying or attesting a copy of the original passport, and we're not required to verify your identity or provide confirmation that you're the person in the passport, then you don't have to come to our office in person. You can send someone else as long as they bring your original passport with them. You could always send the original passport to us by mail, but we don't recommend doing this and we wouldn't return your original passport by mail either - it would only be by courier.
Can I bring someone else's passport to be attested
Yes, as long as you have the original passport then we can still copy and attest that passport even if the person who holds that passport is not present. If you're bringing someone elses passport to our office, our office will still need you to bring your own photograph identification (which could include your own passport) as proof of who you are for our records.
Do I need to make and bring my own copies of my passport?
If you need to have coloured copies of your passport, then you need to bring your own copies. Otherwse, and in most cases, our office will make our own copies of your passport - but it will be a black and white copy.
Will you attest all pages of my passport?
We'll attest whatever you need to have attested. In most cases, our clients only require the front and back page of the passport, if they carry an Indian Passport. Otherwise, if you have any other passport then generally it's only the front page. If you need to attest all pages of your passport, that's not a problem but be aware that our normally low cost fixed fee may change with the increasing number of pages that you need to have attested.
Will you attest the visa page in my passport?
These days, Australian visas no longer appears as a label in the passport. The only way to obtain evidence of the Australian visa is through the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system. The requirement to attest the visa label in some VFS checklists may be outdated, or written with references to or based on other country requirements - not Australia. If you are concerned about satisfying this requirement, you should contact VFS directly to clarify. We can attest your VEVO or visa grant documents, however the cost associated with attesting this document is separate to and more expensive than attesting the passport.
Will you attest an expired passport?
If the expired passport is clearly an original passport, despite being expired, we'll still attest it. Attestation is simply confirmation that the document being attested is the copy of the original document regardless of its current status or validity. Whether you should be relying on an expired passport or should be using some other document is another question and you should check with VFS (or your lawyer handling whatever transaction you're involved in) before spending the money to have your expired passport attested.
Can I get my passport attested for free?
If you see a justice of the peace to certify a copy of your passport, then their service is free. If you are sending a copy of your passport overseas, cerification by a justice of the peace may not be acceptable. Generally, documents sent overseas (including copies of passports) need to be notarised by a notary public in order to be accepted. If you are sending your documents to VFS first, then make sure you follow the relevant VFS checklist which should detail whether your passport can be certified by a justice of peace (for free) or whether it needs to be attested by a notary public and essentially notarised. If your document must be notarised, there's usually a notary fee involved.
How much does it cost to attest my passport?
Fortunately, we have low cost fixed fees to attest copies of passports. Pricing will change from time to time and so it's always best to call and obtain a quote before you book an appointment, or you can visit our website and use our quoting tool. We try to maintain a notary fee that's lower than the recommended notary fees just to offer you that little bit extra in savings, especially for simple notary services like notarising copies of passports. We promise you won't be disappointed.
What next?
To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/notary-fees/.
Acknowledgements
This blog is supported and maintained by Phang Legal. Phang Legal is a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney. With offices conveniently located in Parramatta, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
For more information regarding notary public services for documents going to India, view our notary publications at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/jurisdiction/india-notary/.
Frequently asked questions regarding our notary public services can also be found at https://www.notary-parramatta.com.au/faqs/.
For Hindi to English translation services by NAATI accredited translators, see https://hindi-naati-translation.blogspot.com.au/.
Ern Phang
Notary Public
Ern Phang is the solicitor director of Phang Legal and a notary public. Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public, including the kinds of problems and solutions that his clients face when sending documents to India.
IMPORTANT: the information in this article is correct at the time of publication, however the law constantly changes. This means you should always refer to the most recent articles because we try to update this blog on a regular basis with the most current information.
