Sydney notary public services in Parramatta. Attesting and notarising documents for India or in support of applications to VFS/Indian Consulate/High Commission. Apostille services available.
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.
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.
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.
What are you searching for when you're looking for a notary public? From our
statistics, it's interesting to note that the most popular search terms for
notaries are "free notary", "cheap notary" or "cheapest notary". But no one searches for "best
notary". When it comes to other areas of law, such as family law, property law,
immigration law or litigation, the search terms often include "best" - but not
for notary public services. Why is that?
Unfortunately, when it comes to notary public services, it seems that many
people undervalue the importance of correct information, wise advice, and good
service (until it's too late). They only want it if it's free (and complain
when it's not) or they want the cheapest, regardless of whether it's done
quickly or even correctly. But that doesn't really make sense or otherwise,
it's very short-sighted. Often people only regret their decision afterwards,
which is how sometimes we become involved when they want someone to 'fix' what
others have done or haven't done properly.
There's a saying that 'a poor man pays twice'. Do you know the meaning?
You get what you pay for
If someone is inexperienced or lacks expertise, how do you think they manage to still
provide notary public services? It's quite simple. They undercut everyone else
in terms of price and try to be the cheapest. They may even go as far as to
offer free notary public services (although this is highly unlikely
considering that notaries in Australia are qualified lawyers). If this is what
attracts you to choose their services, then all the best to both of you.
"You get what you pay for" isn't just some cliche. Everything comes at a cost
- it's just basic economics. To say that something is free isn't entirely
true. If you receive something for free, it just means you didn't pay for it,
but it still costs something to someone. It could be time, money or other
resources, but either way, it's come at a cost. If you don't pay anything for
it, do you value it or is it considered free because it has no value?
If you think about the thing you're trying to do in India that requires you to have
notary public services, how much is that worth to you?
Getting it wrong can be more expensive
Are you searching for "free notary" or "cheapest notary" because notary public services are not important or that it's all the same (ie, it doesn't matter who you see to have your documents notarised)? In case you're not sure, the answer to both questions should be a resounding "No".
Most people need notary public services because they're dealing with important
issues relating to property, business or personal matters. Some of those
issues have serious financial, legal and personal consequences, and that's
mistakes can be costly - both in time as well as money. Even if you can afford
to pay more to get things fixed or done again, you can't turn back time.
If someone has gone to the trouble or the expense of preparing legal documents
and has asked you to have those documents notarised, this generally means that
those legal documents are really important and signing them in front of a
notary underlines that importance. Does it then mean you can do whatever you
like with your documents or just sign your document in front of anyone? No,
but unfortunately many people don't read or follow instructions properly, and
to make things worse they also don't ask or check.
If your documents originate from or are being signed in Australia, but they're
intended to be used in India then in most cases your documents MUST be
notarised by a notary public in Australia. If you or someone else have already
gone to the trouble of preparing your documents, isn't it justified to ensure
that those documents are properly notarised in Australia before sending them
to India? What's not justified is spending time and money preparing your
documents only to have them incorrectly signed or notarised and having to do
it all over again.
Cheap. Fast. Good.
Have you heard this before? If you want it cheap and you want it fast, then it probably won't be good. If you want it fast and good, it probably won't be cheap. If you want it cheap and good, it probably won't be fast.
If you want a realistic appraisal of what we do, it's fast and it's good - and while we're not cheap, we're certainly not expensive either.
Why us?
We've provided notary public services for nearly 20 years and we know a thing
or two about providing notary public services - especially to the Indian
community. We've seen other lawyers and notaries come and go. We've also seen
the quality of their work or heard, through clients, the advice that they
provide - unfortunately, that advice is not always correct and their service
is often lacking. Experience and expertise count for something - but it's not
cheap, but it's not overly expensive either. The cost of our services is
exactly where it's meant to be as many of our clients will agree. Maybe the first thing you should do is search for "best notary".
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.
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.
One of the requirements of various VFS checklists is the attestation of a
passport (usually the front and back pages, and the visa label page).
If you're currently in Australia on an Australian visa, it's likely that your
passport doesn't have an Australian visa label. That's because all Australian
visas are now granted electronically. In the past, the Australian visa
appeared as a label stuck to one of the pages of the passport, but that
practice ended many years ago and now all Australian visas are granted
electronically and can be verified online through the Visa Entitlement
Verification Online system (VEVO).
Unlike the Visa Grant Notice, being the original email that you received when
you were granted your visa, the VEVO is the current record and confirmation
that your visa is valid. The Visa Grant Notice is only evidence that you were
granted a visa at that time it was granted but it doesn't confirm that your
visa is current.
Notarisation
Notarising either the VEVO or the Visa Grant Notice is a simple and
straightforward process.
For the Visa Grant Notice, you must forward the original email from the
Australian Government to us. We will then verify the Visa Grant Notice
according to the current VEVO record before we notarise the Visa Grant
Notice.
For the VEVO, you must share the VEVO with us through the VEVO portal. You
can then choose if you want us to notarise it on the basis that we received
it directly from the Australian Government (the less expensive
approach) or if you also require us to verify it with VEVO (a more expensive
approach - similar to verifying and notarising the Visa Grant Notice).
If you've updated or renewed your passport since obtaining a visa, you may
also need to prove that your current visa is valid and attached to your
current passport (and not just your previous passport). Checking/updating your
visa details through VEVO before approaching us will likely save time and
money.
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.
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.
Every now and then people come to us for notary services with their documents already signed.
IF your document needs to be signed and witnessed by the notary public, then you must sign it in front of the notary public. This means that if you've already signed your document, you'll have to sign it again. If you don't want to sign your document twice, then you'll need to bring a clean document and still sign it in front of the notary public.
Why might you need to sign your document before your appointment?
Even though you should be signing your document in front of the notary public, there may be many reasons why your document might need to be signed before (or after). For example, if there are multiple people signing your document, and not everyone is in the same place, then it's likely that your document would be signed by different people at different times - depending on where they are and where your document needs to go. If you need to sign your document in front of witnesses, Maybe you need to sign in front of witnesses but your witnesses don't have to sign in front of the notary. In that case, you sign in front of your witnesses before (or after) you visit the notary and your witnesses can then witness your signature.
You can't sign somewhere else for comparison
If you've already signed your document, we can't sign your document unless you sign it again. Some people ask us to compare their signature with something else that they sign, however even 'signing elsewhere and comparing the signature' isn't considered to be witnessing. You have to sign the document you want us to notarise in front of the notary public.
You can't mentally sign
Usually, signing legal documents requires mental capacity. This means the person who signs needs to know and understand what they're signing. If they're mentally incapacitated (ie, they have a mental disability or illness) and don't know or don't understand what they're signing, the document won't be legally valid. If a person doesn't have mental capacity, they shouldn't be signing any legal documents and the notary public shouldn't be witnessing them sign any legal documents.
If the person who's supposed to sign has appointed someone as their attorney, in certain cases that person's attorney can sign on their behalf. However, you'll need to check with the recipient whether signing by the attorney will be acceptable for the intended purpose.
If we have any suspicions that the person signing doesn't have their mental capacity, we won't be able to witness their signature or notarise their document.
You can't physically sign
If you're unable to physically sign, a commonly accepted alternative is to put a thumbprint. Including a thumbprint (normally a left thumb) is quite common in India, however, whether this is acceptable really depends on the recipient and their specific requirements. If you're intending to use a thumbprint, check with the recipient with this is acceptable and if so, whether there's a specific requirement regarding the colour (ie, black or blue).
Can you sign electronically?
While we acknowledge that the world is moving towards (or has moved towards) digital and electronic signatures, this concept generally doesn't apply to notary public services (yet). Notarisation as a physical signature and seal (ie, often called wet signatures and wet seal) rather than as an electronic or digital signature and seal is widely accepted around the world. Of course, there are some places that may accept notarisaiton with an electronic or digital signature and seal, but at the moment, those places would be the exception. Considering many of the processes in India are remnants of the colonial and British system, it's unlikely any recipient in India will accept a document with digital or electronic notarisaiton - the traditional and more conservative approach would be to require wet signatures and a wet seal.
Accordingly, witnessing, certifying and notarising are all done as physical acts. You must be present in person, you must bring original documents, you must physically sign with a pen, and we physically sign and seal your document. In time, this may change but for now - this is the way it is.
If your Indian passport has expired and you are intending to renew it/apply for a new passport, you must submit your application to VFS. There are a number of requirements for the new passport application, and you must ensure that you satisfy all of the requirements otherwise your application will be rejected.
As part of your application, you must also complete "Personal Particulars" form, which does not require notarisation as well as the following other documents:
IF your passport expired more than ONE month, then you must also submit FORM I, which requires notarisation if you live in New South Wales. If the application is on behalf of a child, then this form must be signed by both parents.
IF your signature has changed, you must provide a statutory declaration confirming that you have changed your signature and provide a sample of that new signature. If you live in New South Wales, then that statutory declaration must be notarised.
IF your appearance has changed, you must also submit FORM J, which requires notarisation if you live in New South Wales.
IF your address has changed, you must also submit a copy of your utility bill with the new address and if you live in New South Wales, that bill must be notarised.
How can we help you?
If you live in New South Wales, then many of the documents that you must submit to VFS must be notarised.
This means that if your document is something that you must sign (like Form I, Form J or the statutory declaration), then those documents must be signed in front of a notary public. If your document is something that you must certify (like your passport, or your utility bill), then those documents must be certified by a notary public.
We help many clients to satisfy their requirements with VFS, including to renew their expired passport. We can witness their signature on Form I, Form J or the statutory declaration and notarise those documents, and we can certify copies of their passport and utility bills as required.
Are you applying for the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from India?
If you are NOT an Indian citizen, one of the requirements for submitting your
PCC application to VFS is an attested copy of your passport. If you live in
New South Wales, then your passport must be attested by a notary public.
How do you apply for the PCC from India?
The best place to start would be the VFS website and the application
checklist. You can find that form here (the VFS often updates from time to
time so always refer to the website for the latest forms and checklists):
Generally, you would need a PCC from India if you previously lived in India
and you need to provide support for a background check (ie, you are applying
for a visa to another country, or you are applying for employment that
requires a background check or criminal history check).
How do you attest a copy of your passport?
Application for the PCC must be submitted through VFS. VFS is responsible for
processing applications on behalf of the Indian Consulate in Australia. If you
live in New South Wales, then any documents that should be attested before
being submitted to VFS generally must be attested by a notary public.
To attest a copy of your passport, you must provide us with your original
passport. You can either arrange for it to be delivered to our office or you
can make an appointment to bring it in person. We will be able to attest a
copy of your passport at the time of your appointment and return your original
passport with the attested/notarised copy at the same time. The process really
does not take more than 10-15 minutes.
Can we attest a copy of your Indian passport?
Yes, we can attest a copy of your Indian passport on the basis that it is an
international document and it is recognised in Australia as your primary form
of identification.
You may need to check VFS requirements for the application if they will accept
an attested/notarised copy of your Indian passport as the standard application
checklist states that you must provide your original passport.
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.
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.
Attaching your passport size photograph to Photographs and Fingerprints as per
Section 32A of Registration Act 1908
If you've signed documents for India, like the power of attorney, you'll
be familiar with this form. It requires you to provide your fingerprint (left
thumb), your name and permanent postal address, and a passport-sized
photograph of yourself.
Here's an interesting case. Recently, one of our clients was asked to re-sign
their Photographs and Fingerprints form because it was rejected. Our client's form was
rejected because our client had provided a black and white photograph of
themselves according to the instructions in the form that specifically state that a
"black & white" photograph was required.
Their lawyer directed them to re-sign their form with a colour
photograph!
Should you use a colour photograph or black and white photograph?
So what does this mean for clients who must sign and submit this form with
their fingerprint and photograph? Honestly, it's unclear to us whether a
colour photograph or a black and white photograph is required. The form states
black and white, but in practice the majority of our clients use colour
photographs (as this is generally the only readily available format) and for
the few clients who have used a black and white photograph, it was only in
this one case where their form was rejected.
If you're not sure whether you should be using a colour photograph or a black
and white photograph, it's best to ask your lawyer in India for advice and
direction.
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.
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.
Despite changes to government regulations around wearing face masks, we still encourage all of our clients to continue wearing masks while in our office.
Our team will continue wearing masks for your safety and peace of mind.
When people call us and say "I want notary for OCI..." it doesn't
actually explain what they require.
Applying to be an Overseas Citizen of India requires you to submit various
documents to VFS in support of your application, however, what documents you must submit depends on you and whoever else you may be applying for (ie, spouse and
children etc). To simply state that you need notary services does not provide
enough information for us to confirm whether we can assist you or what would be the cost for those services.
If you're not sure what documents you must submit in support of your OCI
application or you're not sure what documents must be notarised, then you
should visit the VFS website for more information.
What services can we provide in support of the OCI application?
We can notarise certified copies of Australian government documents. If you need to provide certified copies of Australian or international
documents (ie, passports, Australian birth certificates, Australian marriage
certificates, Australian change of name certificates), then we can assist with
certifying and notarising copies of those documents. If any of those documents
must also be stamped with an apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, we can also assist with that process.
We cannot notarise copies of documents issued by governments of other countries. Although the VFS checklist indicates that there are some documents, like birth
certificates or marriage certificates issued from India, which must also be notarised, this requirement
cannot be satisfied by our office on the basis that they are foreign documents
and not Australian or international documents. Documents issued from India
should really be either attested by VFS (which it refuses to - not sure why)
or by a notary public in India, but not by a notary public in Australia.
Potentially since this is a requirement from VFS, which does not consider the
legal jurisdiction of notarisation in Australia, then there may be some
notaries who are still providing this service even though legally they are not
supposed to.
Interestingly, as VFS highlights in their checklist, if a document was not issued in
Australia (or in India) but some other country, then that document must be
attested by the embassy/consulate or foreign office of that country. However,
despite acknowledging the limitations of what notaries in Australia can or
should be doing with other foreign documents, the reality is that the same
applies to documents issued from India (ie, they cannot be notarised in
Australia and should be attested by the embassy/consulate or foreign office of
India, being VFS).
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.
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.
Have you changed your signature since your last Indian passport was issued?
You'll need to submit a statutory declaration to VFS confirming that you have
changed your signature but that you're still the one and the same person. If
you live in NSW, you'll also need to have that statutory declaration
notarised.
Statutory Declaration for Change of Signature templates
Not sure where to get the statutory declaration? Don't worry, we've got you
covered. Check out our following templates in Word format. They're so easy
to use.
Both versions are essentially the same - just slightly different wording, but
both will do the job so choose the one you prefer.
Instructions
To complete these statutory declarations, all you need to do is download the template to your computer and open it with Microsoft Word (other applications may not properly recognise the necessary field codes), enter your
full name (as it appears in your passport), your current residential address,
and your Indian passport number. That's it!
Once you print the document, the rest will self populate (if you're using Microsoft Word properly). All you need to do
after that is make an appointment with our office to have your signature
witnessed and your statutory declaration notarised. It's quite simple.
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we assist many
clients with notarising their documents to submit to VFS. If you take a moment
to look through this website, you'll see we're also blogging about it fairly
regularly - and that's because we're helping people every day (just need to
make the time to write about it here, that's all).
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.
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.
Have you been asked by VFS to submit FORM J because your appearance has
changed?
FORM J is a form to submit to VFS (on behalf of the Indian Consulate) to have
your Indian passport issued to you while living in Australia. If you have
changed your appearance ('considerably changed' as determined by VFS) then you
must also submit FORM J which is a statutory declaration stating that you have
changed your appearance.
If you're not sure what you need, perhaps review their checklist available on
their website
There can be various circumstances when you would have to submit FORM J when
renewing your Indian passport. The example provided by VFS includes if you
previously wore a turban but have stopped wearing a turban (or vice-versa).
We have also seen instances when people have had to submit FORM J after they
have cut their hair or shaved their beard. Also, if a previous passport was
issued when you were a child but you have since matured and your look has
changed, then you may also need to submit FORM J when renewing your passport.
What does FORM J contain?
The central element of FORM J is your photograph. You must include your
current photograph and paste it into FORM J. The rest of FORM J is essentially
a statutory declaration in which you declare that the photograph reflects your
new appearance - assuming it is different from what it was before.
Where can I download FORM J?
FORM J is available from the VFS website. Currently, it can be found at:
However, VFS often update their website from time to time (without including
redirections) so if the above link doesn't work, then you'll just need to
search it for the correct form (and checklist).
How can we help with FORM J?
If you live in New South Wales, then you must sign FORM J in front of a notary
public. If you live in other states, presumably VFS will accept it being
signed in front of a justice of the peace or other equally
qualified/authorised witness.
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we assist many
clients who must submit their FORM J to VFS to confirm their change of
appearance.
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 and Rouse Hill, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
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.
It's a very simple request. Many services like ours have been closed over the Christmas and New Year period. This is really the only time that we take a break (aside from the lockdown/restrictions). Naturally, when we reopen our services are in high demand meaning that we're not able to answer every phone call or make an appointment for everyone immediately, especially as some of our team are still on holiday.
What do we do when we're fully booked?
Everyone can make an appointment. It's quite simple, but there are limited appointments available each and every day. Once those appointments are taken, we are fully booked. If you call us after we are fully booked, we will tell you so. At times, we may be able to "squeeze you in between appointments", especially when some appointments are faster than the allocated time, but it's not something that we can promise and we cannot say how long you might have to wait.
If someone else has an appointment, then they will take priority over you. When there's a chance to see you after an appointment has finished early and before the next appointment arrives, then we'll squeeze you in and see you if we can. It's really quite simple.
Too many times people have demanded an appointment when there are none available, or when we squeeze them in, they demand that we see them before other people who have already made an existing appointment. Isn't that like pushing in or cutting in a line?
At the end of the day, we'll make sure we see all of our clients, whether they have appointments or not, but isn't it fair to those who have made an appointment that we see them first before we see anyone who just decides to walk-in or those we're able to squeeze in?
Be considerate
Aside from patience, it does require consideration. Be considerate to everyone else. Yes, you might have an urgent request, but everyone else has an urgent request too. The reality of this work is most of it is time-sensitive in one way or another, but it doesn't mean that anyone should be favoured over anyone else.
Happy new year! We will be reopening for appointments on 10 January 2022.
If you need assistance with notarising your documents, please call us on 02 9687 8885 (from 930am onwards) to make an appointment. There will be limited appointments on Monday, but there will be more availability for the rest of the week as we return to our normal appointment schedule.
On 1 January 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has
increased the apostille fee from $85 in 2021 to $87 for 2022.
The fee increase for DFAT apostille and authentications according to CPI is
nothing unusual. It happens every year on 1 January.
What does this fee increase for our services?
Despite the apostille fee increase, until further notice, our fee to arrange
the apostille from DFAT (including the increased apostille fee) on documents
intended for India (or for VFS) remains unchanged.
Our office is currently closed for the Christmas and New Year period until 10
January 2022.
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.
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.
Ok, so that's 2021.
Thursday, 23 December 2021 will be our last day for notary public services
for this year.
It's been another challenging year due to the pandemic, and so we'd like to
thank all of you - our community - for supporting us during this time. For
those who patiently waited while our office was closed to the public due to
government restrictions, again thank you for your understanding and patience.
Our office will reopen for notary public services on 10 January 2022.
If you wish to make an appointment for notary public services on that day or
afterwards, please visit our website and lodge a request. We'll be monitoring
our emails and website enquiries during the Christmas and New Year break, but
please expect delays in receiving a response.
We'll be suspending our DFAT apostille services from Friday, 10 December 2021 due to the expected office closures over the Christmas and New Year period. Any document received after this date that requires an apostille probably won't be ready for collection until mid-January 2022.
If you need to have your document notarised and stamped with an apostille, please take into account our office closure as well as DFAT office closure times and act quickly.
When do I need to have my document stamped with an apostille?
As Australia and India are both members of the Apostille Convention, all documents that are signed in Australia for use in India should be notarised and stamped with an apostille before they can be legally recognised in India. If you've also been asked to have your document attested by the Indian Consulate (through VFS) you may also need to have your notarised document stamped with an apostille, especially if you're not an Indian citizen.
When your name on your Indian passport and your Indian drivers licence is
different (even if it's just abbreviations or initials), in addition to
submitting all the necessary documents under Section A in the
IDLV checklist, you must also satisfy the requirements of Section B.
What IDLV services do we provide?
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we help clients
with Section B, Option 1 being the notary public services and arranging for
the apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
This service includes the following:
We prepare the notary certificate verifying that you are the one and the
same person.
We prepare the IDLV affidavit in which you declare that you are the one and
the same person.
We make certified copies of your Indian passport.
We make certified copies of your Indian drivers licence.
We arrange for the apostille from DFAT.
In the end, all you need to do is prepare your own documents from Section A
and submit those with the notarised documents that we provide to you (to
satisfy Section B) to VFS for processing.
Some clients choose to arrange for their own apostille, which means then we
provide all other requirements for Section B, Option 1 except the apostille.
Why do you need the Indian Drivers Licence Verification?
If you have migrated to Australia (or you are living in Australia for more
than 3 months) and you want to drive, you must have a valid Australian drivers
licence. You can only drive with your Indian drivers licence in Australia
temporarily.
To obtain an Australian drivers licence, you can apply without converting,
which means you would have to follow the various processes of the licence (ie,
from sitting for the knowledge test, qualifying for your learners licence
through to a probationary licence) before you can qualify for a full drivers
licence. However, if you want to potentially bypass those licensing
requirements because you already have the pre-requisite driving experience in
India, then you can apply to 'convert' your Indian drivers licence to an
Australian drivers licence. Part of the conversion process is to have your
Indian drivers licence verified - this is the Indian Drivers Licence
Verification or IDLV process that VFS provides to Indian citizens living in
Australia.
You can find all of the necessary information about the IDLV process from the
VFS website or by downloading the IDLV checklist. Completing the IDLV process will then allow you to convert your Indian
licence to an Australian licence.
The IDLV process can be straightforward if your name on your Indian passport
and your Indian drivers licence is the same. All you need to do is complete
the requirements under Section A and submit them to VFS for processing.
However, if your name is different, that's when things get a little more
complicated. In addition to completing the requirements under Section A, you
must also provide documents specified under Section B. That's where we can
help!
Why do people choose our IDLV service?
Very simple. People use our IDLV service for peace of mind.
For most things legal or related to law, you can actually do it yourself if
you made the effort and you took the time. You can write all of your own
documents, you can always represent or advocate for yourself, you can do your
own research and give yourself advice/inform yourself of what you need to
know. When it comes to the Indian Drivers Licence Verification process, the
only thing you really need us to do for you is the notarisation. You need us
to witness your signature and attest/notarise your document. Aside from that,
you can do everything else yourself.
But do you really want to? One of the reasons you're probably reading this
article is to understand the process and what you need to do, especially to do
it right. That's one of the biggest challenges if you've never done it before.
Is it worth guessing or fumbling your way through the process? People engage
professionals to assist them with what they need to do because professionals
know what they're doing (or should know what they're doing).
We've been providing notary public services for a long time - nearly 20 years.
In the years that we've been assisting the Indian community with the IDLV
service, we've continuously developed our forms and formats to satisfy the
IDLV checklist from VFS. The way that we prepare and notarise the IDLV notary
certificate, IDLV affidavit, and other associated documents has been accepted
by VFS without issue or problems. That's the peace of mind you get when you
choose our IDLV service.
Can you make your own IDLV statutory declaration?
If our IDLV services are beyond your budget, or you prefer to write your own
IDLV statutory declaration (and prepare your own accompanying documents), we
can still provide the notary public service to take your declaration, witness
you sign the IDLV statutory declaration and notarise that statutory
declaration (or certify your accompanying passport).
If you wish to 'save a little cost' by preparing your own document, you can
just follow instructions from VFS and prepare your own document based on their
specific template - and that's ok with us too. We're here to serve and can
still assist you even if you don't need our IDLV service.
In fact, if you incorrectly submit your IDLV application to VFS, they'll
generally provide you with a template NSW statutory declaration for you to
complete and have it notarised. They'll also provide you with various
instructions as to what they need you to submit with your application, which
sometimes includes the apostille as well.
If you write your own IDLV statutory declaration then we just provide the
notary public service to take your declaration and witness you sign the IDLV
statutory declaration. We can notarise, but then we wouldn't check or comment
on the contents of your declaration.
Can you apply for your own apostille?
Yes, of course, you can apply for your own apostille.
In Australia, DFAT is the issuing authority for the apostille and the
apostille can only be issued by DFAT. If you wanted to, you can always make
your own arrangements directly with DFAT to have your documents stamped with
an apostille. That applies whether your documents are documents that you
created yourself or whether they're the documents that we created as part of
the IDLV service (less the apostille) for you.
In Sydney, DFAT issues the apostille through the Sydney Passports Office at
Level 7, 26 Lee Street, Sydney (near Central Station). You should call or
visit their online booking service to make an appointment if you intend to
apply for your own apostille.
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 and Rouse Hill, Phang Legal supports and services the Indian community across Sydney with readily available and easily accessible notary public services at highly competitive rates.
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.
Does your document need to be stamped with an apostille?
Both Australia and India are members of the Apostille Convention. This means
that documents from Australia should be stamped with an apostille before they
can be accepted in India. Of course, not everyone follows this requirement
either because they don't know or because they'll accept some other form of
stamp (ie, notary stamp or consulate stamp etc). But if whoever you're dealing
with in India understands
If you're signing documents in Australia that need to be used in India or if
you're sending Australian documents to India, the chances are that you're
going to need to have your documents notarised (at least) and sometimes
stamped with an apostille, and sometimes also attested by the Indian Consulate
(ie, VFS).
$150
including apostille fee (as at 1 November 2021)
We charge $150 for each apostille (current as at 1 November 2021). This
includes arranging for the apostille with DFAT as well as the apostille fee
charged by DFAT.
There are some important limitations on the documents that we can arrange the
stamp for the apostille. For example, we will not arrange for an apostille on
a document that has been notarised by another notary public.
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.
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.
Attesting copies of passports is a common request, but why?
Don't lose your passport!
Your passport is an important document. While it's not irreplaceable,
to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport is a real hassle - an
unnecessary burden if it can be avoided. There are going to be many times when
you'll have to prove your identity and perhaps rely on your passport as
evidence. In those cases, unless you absolutely have to, you shouldn't really
be sending your original passport anywhere or to anyone. Not only can it be
lost in the mail, but once your passport is out of your possession and
control, then who knows what could happen to it. Instead of sending your
original passport, perhaps you should consider sending a copy only.
Sending copies of your passport overseas
Depending on who needs to see your passport, the copies that you send to them
may need to be attested by a justice of the peace or by a notary public. If
you're sending a copy of your passport overseas, then it should be attested
and notarised by a notary public rather than just attested by a justice of the
peace.
VFS applications
If you need to send your original passport, or an attested copy of your
passport, to VFS in support of any applications you may be submitting to them,
we recommend sending an attested copy of your passport rather than your
original passport. For people living in New South Wales, this also means your
passport copy must be attested by a notary public while anyone else living in
any other state can have their passport copy attested by a justice of the
peace.
Primary identification document in Australia
If you don't have any other form of photograph personal identification in
Australia other than your passport, you should probably carry a copy of your
passport (preferably an attested copy) instead of your original passport.
There have been many cases where we've had to help people who have lost their
passport or had it stolen or damaged because they were carrying their passport
around with them every day. You should keep your passport securely and if you
don't apply for another form of identification (ie, like a NSW drivers licence
or photocard) then consider only carrying an attested copy. Since you'll be
using it only in Australia as your primary identification, you don't have to
have it attested by a notary public and can rely on an attestation from a
justice of the peace.
Our notary public services
As a leading provider of notary public services in Sydney, we help the
community by attesting copies of passports all day every day.
(Just remember we charge for copy of each passport - please do not expect
that you can have as many copies of the passport as you like for the same
price.)
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.
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.
Your Service NSW app can now show your vaccination proof.
Please update your app and link it to your COVID-19 vaccination digital certificate available through your Medicare Express app. By sharing the digital certificate with your Service NSW app, you can now prove that you're fully vaccinated at the same time that you check-in, without the hassle of switching through apps or producing additional certificates/information.
For us, we've found that this has made the check-in process so much easier and streamlined.
Since 11 October 2021, proof of vaccination has been a condition of entry as we're only allowed to see/serve people in the office with face-to-face appointments if they've been fully vaccinated. For the last week, people have been showing us all forms of vaccination proofs and honestly, it's been a nightmare! Each form of proof shows different information in different formats. However, combining this into one app and sharing the information so that everything is available at a glance has made things so much easier.
If you update your Service NSW app and you share your COVID-19 vaccination digital certificate, then it will make things so much for us and it will be easier for you too. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Appointments in the office
Face-to-face appointments in the office are necessary for certain notary public services. Generally, this relates to witnessing signatures or verifying identity. For example, if you have a general power of attorney or a special power of attorney that must be attested, then this usually means you must come to our office and you must sign in front of us. When we witness your signature, we can then sign as your witness and then notarise your power of attorney. All of this requires you to be physically present in our office and sign in our presence. Under the current government restrictions, this then means you must be fully vaccinated as well.
Not all notary public services require face-to-face appointments in the office. If you need to have copies of Australian documents attested or certified, you don't need to come to the office in person and you can arrange for your original documents to be mailed to us or dropped off at our office. Most people still make appointments to come to our office with their original documents (as this is generally faster), but if you do this, then you must be fully vaccinated - even for pickup.
From Monday, 11 October 2021 in accordance with easing restrictions across
Sydney, our office will reopen to take face-to-face appointments with people
who are fully vaccinated or who have a medical exemption.
To prove that you are fully vaccinated, you must be able to show:
COVID-19 digital certificate - in your Express Plus Medicare app.
COVID-19 digital certificate - in your Medicare
online account through myGov.
COVID-19 digital certificate - in your Android Wallet, or iOS Wallet.
Printed copy of your COVID-19 digital certificate.
Immunisation history statement - shown digitally.
Printed copy of your immunisation history statement.
To prove that you have a medical exemption, you must be able to show:
COVID-19 medical clearance notice - digitally or as a printed copy
COVID-19 medical exemption form - printed copy must be signed by a doctor
Immunisation history statement - medical exemption
Individuals failing to comply with this requirement can face fines up to $1,000, and businesses can face fines up to $5,000.
Unless there is a change in the government restrictions, it will be a condition of entry for face-to-face appointments, including notary public services, that you are able to prove that you are fully vaccinated.
It was announced earlier today that New South Wales has achieved its first milestone of 70% double vaccinations! This means restrictions will be eased for business, especially in relation to those people who have been fully vaccinated. This includes us!
From Monday, 11 October 2021, we will be reopening for business and available to take appointments from people who are fully vaccinated (or medically exempt). Our revised policies and procedures are being implemented and so if you need to have your documents notarised, please call ahead to make an appointment.
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.
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.
11 October 2021 is not a set date. It's being proposed as the date on which NSW business can start to reopen, however, it's subject to meeting specific milestones within the 'Reopening NSW Roadmap'.
The current roadmap allows NSW businesses to start to reopen once 70% of the population has been double vaccinated with further restrictions being lifted once 80% of the population has been double vaccinated. The end goal is for NSW to be fully reopened by 1 December 2021, but that's also subject to the prior milestones being met
At this stage, we are advising clients that if they require face-to-face appointments, they must call back on 11 October 2021 to determine if we have/will re-open and what our re-opening policies and procedures will be moving forward. At this stage, in compliance with the roadmap, face-to-face appointments will ONLY be available for people who have been double vaccinated.
Even if/when NSW has fully reopened by 1 December 2021, we expect that many of the health and safety protocols that we've introduced throughout the pandemic (on our own or in compliance with COVIDSafe, like wearing masks) will continue to be enforced at least for the time being and until further notice.
When are face-to-face appointments not required?
Notary public services don't always require face-to-face appointments. So if you're not vaccinated, or you're not comfortable visiting us (for whatever reason, including self=isolation) we can still help you as long as you're not signing a document and need us to witness your signature or you don't need us to verify your identity.
For example, if you need to attest copies of your passport or copies of your Australian documents (ie, birth certificate, marriage certificate, address proof, utility bills, bank statements, education documents, employment documents), we can still help you without needing to have a face-to-face appointment. In these cases, we attest the copy of the document - we're not identifying you or witnessing your signature - which means all we need is the original document that needs to be attested.
Throughout these restrictions, we've still been helping people with this requirement, but it's involved them either sending the documents to us by mail or our office arranging for a courier to collect the documents from them. If the documents in question cannot be replaced easily (ie, like a passport) then we recommend that we arrange for a courier. Otherwise, other documents can be sent to us by mail.
If you're not sure whether you need notary public services that require a face-to-face appointment in our office or can be done remotely, please call us on (02) 9687 8885 to discuss your requirements.
It's a good question. Subject to government announcements it may be necessary for all clients who intend to visit our office to have completed their 'double vaccinations'. However, if it's left to businesses to decide, honestly - we haven't reached a decision... yet.
We acknowledge that vaccination doesn't mean immunity. It also doesn't mean that someone who has been double vaccinated wouldn't be sick or infectious or pose the same risk as someone who hasn't been vaccinated. Ultimately, our eventual policy decision (whatever that may be) will reflect whatever the government announces and whatever we determine is in the best interest of our team and our clients with their health and safety as our paramount concern.
So far we have warned everyone who has made enquiries with us that double vaccination may be a requirement for any face-to-face appointments, which means that if they need to have documents witnessed or their identity verified, they may need to prepare themselves accordingly.
Leaving aside the requirement of vaccination (which is to be determined before we eventually re-open), we'll continue to require COVID Safe check-in, and observe social distancing and safe workplace practices. We thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation.
It's 1 September 2021 - the first day of Spring. If you've been paying attention to the news, you'd know that the NSW Government has been hinting at a move towards lifting the current restrictions and allowing businesses to reopen. For all our clients who have been waiting patiently, thank you.
As soon as the restrictions have been lifted, we plan to reopen with revised
processes and procedures to align ourselves with a post-vaccination society.
This means, subject to government announcements or directions regarding the
requirement for vaccinations, we'll be ensuring that all of our staff who are
present in our office have been fully vaccinated and all clients who must
visit our office are also fully vaccinated.
What's so important about vaccination?
The lack of immunity and the associated fear is largely what's driven the pandemic panic in Australia. Unlike what people have experienced overseas, we haven't had mass infections or deaths as a result of the coronavirus. Perhaps that's why there have been pockets of ambivalence within our community, much to our own risk. Despite the relatively low numbers in Australia, taking these steps (any or all of these steps) to prevent the global pandemic from becoming a true Australian epidemic is necessary.
We're sure that for all the people who have passed away due to COVID-19 all over the world, especially pre-vaccination, they had no chance or choice. In that sense, we're fortunate that there's now a vaccine available and if those people had a choice, do you think they would have taken it knowing that the alternative was almost certain death? Sadly, we know people who have died from the coronavirus and many of our clients (especially with family in India) have suffered the loss of a loved one from it as well. Perhaps if you know someone, it also puts it into context for you to make your own decision about vaccination.
Let's be clear though, this position certainly doesn't make us "pro-vax" and we certainly wouldn't be labeling anyone who disagrees as "anti-vax". Right now, we're just assessing the current situation for what it is with a view to formulating a clear position and a path to move forward. That's how we can best help everyone else around us make their own decision and plan ahead as well.
Doing our bit
We acknowledge that vaccination doesn't actually mean immunity, but it does give the community a fighting chance against infection or possibly spreading it. Of course, being fully vaccinated doesn't stop us from following other practices like social distancing, wearing masks, or disinfecting the office - it just helps.
Our office policy to ensure that all of our staff have been fully vaccinated is not only in their best interest, but yours too - and it doesn't just end there. It protects us and our family, them and their family, and you and your family or anyone who just so happens to come into contact with any of us along the way. The last thing we would want is for your visit to our office to have long-lasting serious health consequences for anyone.
Of course, if you choose not to vaccinate, that's your own decision as well and we don't specifically have a problem with that either - that's your own choice. It just means that with the way things are going, we might not be able to help you if the services that you need also require you to be physically present in our office. That's not just for your own safety, but also for our own and our staff (and all our families etc - anyway, you get the point). If the services that you need don't require you to be physically present in our office, then it doesn't really matter whether you're vaccinated or not. Many of our services can still be done online, as we've pointed out several times in this blog. Services such as certifying or verifying and certifying certain documents can still happen without you coming to the office, but if you need us to witness you sign a document or you need us to verify your identity, then this would require you to be physically present in our office and therefore, vaccinated.
Get ready
So while it hasn't been confirmed as yet and as mentioned we're waiting on the next round of state and federal government announcements on the matter, we're just asking everyone who plans on visiting us for notary public services once the restrictions have been lifted, to prepare themselves accordingly. As you may know, the vaccination process from the first
dose to the second dose does take a few weeks and so it would be necessary to plan
that in advance to ensure that you're fully vaccinated by the time Sydney is
open for business. Even if the government (or we) do not impose mandatory vaccination, isn't it in your best interest anyway? Just something to consider.
