Fee for service - what were you expecting?

Do you have to pay for a notary public in Australia?

Notary public services generally are NOT free services.

In Australia, a notary public is a senior lawyer who has obtained further qualifications to provide services of a notary public.

As a professional service, many notary publics will charge a fee that is similar to what they would otherwise charge as a lawyer for their legal services. Some notary publics will charge a fee according to the recommended scale fees for notary public services - but this is not a requirement.

Our notary public fees are generally less than the recommended scale fees depending on the requested services. In most cases, we provide specific notary public services intended for documents used in India including documents that must be submitted to VFS for attestation.

What next?

To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.

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Get a quote to notarise
your Indian documents

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 — Parramatta
6/83 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.

A free notary public in Sydney?

By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.

Example: the situation

Harsh searches online for a free notary public to witness his affidavit for India. The results lead him to notary fee pages, and a friend suggests a justice of the peace instead.

Free witnessing exists in Australia, but usually not for documents going overseas. Let's discuss why.

Where can you find a free notary public in Sydney?

For some reason - and this is not necessarily a blessing - many people seem to think that we provide free notary public services. We don't. It's simply them misunderstanding what Google or any other search engine is telling them.

Just because you search for the term "free notary public" or "notary public for free" does not guarantee that your search results will actually reflect the search terms. In many cases, despite using the keyword 'free', search engines will return searches that relate to 'fee' which means that 'free notary' can also result in 'notary fee'.

What about a justice of the peace?

If you're actually looking for free services to witness or certify documents, you're probably looking for a justice of the peace. The justice of the peace is an honorary community service role and their services are without charge (ie, free). However, the justice of the peace generally will only be recognised for documents used in Australia and not for use overseas.

If you need to sign something for use overseas or you need to certify your documents from Australia for use overseas, then you're probably going to need notary public services. This is especially important if your document must also be stamped with an apostille or authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (and/or legalised by the foreign office of the intended destination country).

What about for documents going to India?

In most cases, documents that you need to sign or certify in Australia for use in India will need to be notarised by a notary public. Occasionally, you may be able to sign them or have them certified by a justice of the peace, however that's the exception and you're going to have to check it with your lawyer in India first. Some dealings with VFS specifically require you to have your documents notarised and sometimes you also need to have those documents stamped with an apostille from DFAT. All of these things involve the services of a notary public.

Paying for notary public services

There are recommended notary fees, but notaries may charge whatever they deem is appropriate. If you have something complicated, maybe the fees will be higher compared to something that is simple. Generally, a simple request like witnessing or certifying documents will attract a fixed nominal notary fee.

What next?

Example: the solution

Harsh realised a justice of the peace wouldn't be recognised in India for his affidavit. He requested a quote, signed the affidavit in front of our notary public, and had it notarised for use in India.

To obtain a quote on our notary public services for India, please visit Request a notary quote.

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 — Parramatta
6/83 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.