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.
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 wish all of you a safe and enjoyable summer.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Chetan's passport and Indian drivers licence differ only by an initial. He has drafted his own statutory declaration for Section B of the IDLV checklist to save time.
Section B of the IDLV checklist has specific requirements. Let's discuss what we prepare and why.
VFS links and resources — Updated July 2026. Links in this article have been updated to the resources listed in our July 2026 VFS update and the VFS India website for Australia. Use the relevant VFS checklist for current requirements. This note concerns links and resources; the rest of this article has not been comprehensively reviewed.
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.
Example: the solution
Chetan used our Section B, Option 1 service instead: we prepared the notary certificate and the IDLV affidavit. He signed the affidavit in front of our notary public, who notarised both documents, and we arranged the apostille with DFAT.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Puja's bank in India wants proof of her identity, and her family suggests she post her original passport. She's nervous about letting it out of her hands.
Sending a notarised copy is usually safer than sending your original passport. Let's discuss why.
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.)
Example: the solution
Puja kept her passport and brought it to our office instead. Our notary public attested and notarised a copy, which she sent to her bank in India while her original stayed safely with her.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
What next?
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
If you're to ask us whether the restrictions will be lifted on 28 August 2021
as previously announced by the NSW Government, we'll honestly tell you that we
don't think they will be (or should be) considering the increasing number of
reported cases of infection.
Basically, this means we must be prepared for the current arrangement to
continue.
No witnessing
At the moment, we have suspended our witnessing services simply because you
cannot come to our office. Witnessing requires you to be here, in person, and
physically sign your document in our presence. We must see you sign and we
must identify you before we can also sign as your witness and notarise or
attest your document to confirm that it was signed by you and that we
witnessed you sign. That's a pretty simple exercise under normal
circumstances, but not possible with the current restrictions.
Alternatives to physical signing and witnessing
If you're looking for an alternative to a face-to-face appointment, you need
to speak to your lawyer overseas to see whether they'll accept your document
being signed in any other way (ie, digital signatures) without it being
notarised in Australia. Otherwise, we can't offer an alternative to the
traditional process of signing, witnessing and notarising.
In New South Wales, and for documents used here (in NSW and potentially in
other parts of Australia), the NSW government introduced legislation that
recognises electronic signing and electronic witnessing of documents. This
legislation was introduced last year (2020) and has been extended to deal with
the current situation. However, this applies to documents used here only. It
doesn't apply to notary public services and doesn't apply to documents
intended to be used in India. For the requirements of your document to be used
in India, you need to ask your lawyer in India as it must comply with the laws
in India (and for each specific state etc) not New South Wales.
For all other documents not requiring witnessing...
For all other documents not requiring witnessing, such as certifying or
attesting copies of documents, these notary public services are still
continuing as they have been over the last few weeks.
If you need a certified copy of your document to be attested or notarised (ie,
passports or Australian birth certificates etc), we can:
Arrange for a same-day courier to collect your original documents from you
and deliver them to our office
Copy your original documents and notarise them
Arrange for a same-day courier to return your original documents and
notarised copies to you
This service will continue even after the restrictions have been lifted for
clients who wish to take advantage of this service to avoid the time, hassle
and potential risks of visiting our office during the pandemic.
What next?
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
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.
By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Balwinder wore a turban in his old passport photograph but no longer does. His brother has a different problem: the name on his Indian drivers licence doesn't match his passport.
Form J and the IDLV both prove you're the one and the same person, in different ways. Let's discuss each.
VFS links and resources — Updated July 2026. Links in this article have been updated to the resources listed in our July 2026 VFS update and the VFS India website for Australia. Use the relevant VFS checklist for current requirements. This note concerns links and resources; the rest of this article has not been comprehensively reviewed.
How do you prove that you're the one and the same person?
There are various reasons why you need to be able to prove that you're the one and the same person, especially when it comes to dealing with VFS. In this article, we address the two main requests that we receive from clients -
namely, Form J and the IDLV process.
Form J - Statutory Declaration for Change of Appearance
For some people, they've changed their appearance and therefore VFS requires
them to file
Form J. For example, if you've grown/cut your hair, if you previously wore a
turban, if you were a child but now are an adult, or you've had an accident or surgery that changes your appearance.
Previously, Form J could be signed in front of a justice of the peace however, after recent changes (in 2020) that's no longer the case. Even though the form
hasn't changed and it still refers to a justice of the peace, if you live in
New South Wales, you must declare and sign this form in front of a notary public. The notary public must notarise your form before you can submit it to
VFS. If you're not sure about what to do with the form or how it should be signed, please visit the VFS website or contact them for more information.
We assist many clients by taking their declaration (that they have changed their appearance), witnessing them sign the form and notarising the form.
Unfortunately (as of August 2021) we've had to suspend this service due to the current restrictions and stay-at-home orders from the NSW Government, but as soon as these restrictions have been lifted we intend to resume these services.
IDLV - Indian Drivers Licence Verification
If you want to convert your Indian drivers licence to a NSW drivers licence
and you want to have your past driving history recognised here (so that you
don't have to start again with a learners licence), you may need to follow
the IDLV process from VFS.
If your name on your passport and your Indian drivers licence aren't
identical, your application must also include an affidavit declaring that you're
the one and the same person which needs to be signed in front of a notary
public and include an apostille stamp from the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT). Again, this is a process that we assist many clients with
because there's always been a requirement for notarisation.
If you need help with this process, then as part of our IDLV service offering,
we prepare:
the IDLV affidavit in which you declare that you're the one and
the same person
a notary certificate in which we declare that you appear to
be the one and the same person, and
certified and notarised copies
of your Indian passport and Indian drivers licence.
After your documents
have been notarised and bound together, we then arrange for the apostille
stamp from DFAT. As Australia and India are both members of the
Apostille Convention, the apostille stamp is the formal recognition between both countries that the document has been properly notarised and will be accepted by the other without
any additional authentication or legalisation.
Again, unfortunately, due to the current restrictions and stay-at-home orders from the NSW Government, we've also had to suspend these services until these restrictions have been lifted. If you're intending to submit the IDLV
application to VFS, there are other things that you'll still need to do and prepare for before we can assist you. so please review the checklist first.
What next?
Example: the solution
Balwinder signed Form J in front of our notary public, who notarised it for his passport application with VFS. His brother went through the IDLV, and our notary public notarised his certificate confirming both names belong to him.
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
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.
Like everyone else, we're also affected by the restrictions that have been imposed across Sydney. Since the end of June, we have suspended a large portion of our notary public services that require face-to-face appointments. We know it's an inconvenience to many of our clients, especially those who have urgent matters that require documents to be signed, witnessed, and notarised - but we don't make this decision lightly as it also comes at a substantial financial cost to us.
While we appreciate the continued interest and support from people enquiring with our office for assistance, we are also saddened and disappointed at the level of anger and argument that has been directed at us for complying with the current restrictions and 'stay-at-home' orders. To those people, just because we can't help you right now, we're not the cause of your problem or the reason for your predicament. Stop blaming us.
Many clients continue to benefit from our service IF they don't require face-to-face appointments. In those cases, they've accepted our offer to arrange for couriers to collect and deliver their important documents. However, for everyone else especially those who need face-to-face appointments, we apologise. We cannot assist you until the restrictions have been lifted.
The current restrictions are difficult for everyone. We understand. We also ask for understanding in return.
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
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.
Finding practical solutions during the restrictions in Sydney
The current restrictions and 'stay at home' orders in Greater Sydney will
continue for the remainder of the month. This means that for many people who
thought they could wait until our office reopens will now have to consider
other alternatives to notarise their documents.
Our office will remain closed to the public for face-to-face appointments
until the restrictions have been lifted after 28 August 2021 (unless
extended).
Despite being closed to the public for face-to-face appointments, we have
continued to provide notary public services to the Indian community in a
limited capacity.
No witnessing
Due to the restrictions, we aren't able to offer witnessing services.
Witnessing services requires you to visit our office in person which you
cannot do because of the 'stay at home' orders. Accordingly, this means we
cannot notarise documents such as the general power of attorney, special power
of attorney or other forms and declarations. You need to sign these documents
in person and in our office, and so you'll have to wait until the restrictions
have been lifted and our office reopens.
Certifying and attesting copies of document continuing
As for documents that don't require witnessing, we can still assist by
notarising those depending on what you require. For example, we're still
attesting, certifying and notarising copies of original public documents like
passports, Australian birth certificates, Australian marriage certificates or
Australian drivers licences. In all cases, this requires us to have the
original document and that's where we engage same-day courier services to
collect the original document from you and return it to you (with the
notarised copies) once it's been completed.
Same day courier service
Some of you have already taken up our offer of including same-day courier
services with our notary public services and, despite the occasional hiccup,
we think it's working well. Those who have taken advantage of this service
have benefited from having their documents notarised and returned to them with
minimal hassle and fuss. Although it's more expensive than just notarisation,
there are certainly benefits of using the same-day courier as it avoids the
effort, time and expense of travelling to our office and that's a blessing
that some people can appreciate.
Of course, we admit not everything is perfect and there have been some
challenges in using a courier service especially during these restrictions.
But please understand that the courier services are actually under higher
demand than usual since many people are complying with the 'stay at home'
orders and are now relying on these courier services as well.
So if you're in urgent need of notary public services, and you need copies of
original documents (such as passports, drivers licences, VEVO/Visa documents)
to be attested, certified and notarised, then this is the only available
solution at this time.
... or wait
For everyone else, there's still the option of waiting until after the
restrictions have been lifted. Assuming the situation in Sydney improves, then
we expect the restrictions should be lifted by the end of August 2021.
However, please don't ask us when the restrictions will be lifted. We know as
much as you know and that's all dependent on government announcements. If
you're able to wait, then wait. We'll still be offering notary public services
and we can attend to your requirements at that time, otherwise if you urgently
need to have your documents certified, attested and notarised and you want to
do it now - please take advantage of our current service offering including
the same-day courier service.
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
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.
By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Jaya needs notarised copies of her passport and her Australian marriage certificate for India. Sydney is in lockdown, our office is closed to the public, and she can't come in.
During the lockdown we couldn't witness signatures, but we could still notarise copies of original documents. Let's discuss how.
Notary public services continue for some documents
At the moment our office is closed to the public due to the restrictions and
the current stay-at-home orders in place across Greater Sydney. However, as a
leading provider of notary public services in Sydney that hasn't stopped us
from continuing to offer notary public services in support of the Indian
community with respect to certain documents.
While we can't provide witnessing services (ie, for the power of attorney or
declarations or affidavits) right now, we can still attest, certify and
notarise copies of original documents such as:
If you're in urgent need of these services, then please review the following
steps to see which relates to you. You can always call us on 02 9687 8885 if
you have any questions about whether we're able to assist you and you can
always choose to wait until the restrictions have been lifted to make an
appointment with our office.
Attesting copies of original passports
Original passports should be delivered to us by courier. You can
attempt to post it to us, however considering that items often are lost in the
mail, we don't recommend this method.
A courier service is generally a door-to-door service. If you have any trouble
arranging your own courier, we can arrange for a courier to collect your
documents from you. The courier service that we use is generally a same-day
service across Sydney, which sometimes means we can arrange for a collection
in the morning and a return delivery by the afternoon (or the following
business day at the latest).
Many of our clients have already elected to use service to great success and
satisfaction, and so it's already a proven process during these past few
weeks.
Attesting copies of Australian visas (VEVO)
As the VEVO is an electronic document, we can verify and notarise a copy of
your VEVO without a physical document. In order to notarise your VEVO, we must verify your visa status and obtain a
copy of your VEVO from the Department of Home Affairs. This allows us to
confirm the details of your visa and we notarise a true and correct printed
copy of the electronic document (ie, your VEVO) that we obtain from the
Department of Home Affairs.
In most cases (because we offer discount pricing), we notarise a copy of your
VEVO with a copy of your passport which also means that you'll need to provide
us with your original passport as well (see above).
However, if you prefer to avoid the logistics of sending your passport, we can
notarise the VEVO by itself.
Once we have notarised your VEVO (and your passport), we arrange for a
same-day courier to return the notarised documents (with any original
documents) to you.
Attesting copies of Australian personal certificates
Birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates issued in
Australia (or for this specifically, issued from NSW) are issued by the
Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.
You must either arrange for these documents to be issued by the Registry
directly to our office or if you have the original you can either post them
or have them delivered to us by a courier.
As these certificates can generally be easy to replace (ie, it's just an
application to the Registry) we think using the post should be sufficient and
it's unnecessary to incur the additional cost of a courier unless you wish to
have the possibility of a same-day service or you have other documents, such
as your passport.
After we've notarised copies of your certificates, we're able to return the
original certificate and the notarised copy to you by same-day courier.
Attesting copies of Australian police clearance certificates
Police certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) or the NSW
Police can also be sent to us by mail or by courier.
We require the original certificate as it contains security features which
is important for the purposes of verifying that the document is original and
authentic.
If you've obtained your certificate from an authorised accredited body, we can
generally verify these certificates online through the relevant website as
they're normally issued electronically. If you're not sure whether you can
rely on a certificate from an authorised accredited body, we recommend
applying for your police clearance certificate from the AFP or NSW Police.
Once we've notarised your police clearance certificate, we'll arrange for it
to be returned to you by same-day courier.
Attesting copies of Australian drivers licences
We cannot notarise copies of your digital drivers licence. This means
that if you want copies of your drivers licence to be notarised, you must
arrange for your original drivers licence to be delivered to us.
We recommend using a courier service to deliver your drivers licence to us
rather than sending it to us by post. Once we receive your drivers licence,
we're able to notarise a copy of it and return both the notarised copy and the
original licence to you by same day courier.
We're unable to notarise copies of an overseas drivers licence UNLESS it's
part of our Indian Drivers Licence Verification (IDLV) service.
For the time being, due to the current restrictions, we've suspended our IDLV
service as it also requires you to attend our office in person to verify your
identity and to sign the IDLV affidavit.
Attesting copies of Australian utility bills
If you're attempting to provide evidence of your current address (ie, to VFS)
by supplying a copy of your utility bill, it's likely that your utility bill
must be notarised.
As most utility providers now issue their bills and statements
electronically, you must to arrange for your provider to email a copy of
your bill to us directly.
Once we receive your bill from your provider, we're able to verify and certify
the bill by confirming that it was received directly from your provider. We
can then notarise your utility bill on that basis. After we've notarised your
utility bill, we'll arrange to have it returned to you by same-day courier
which means this process can be completed quite quickly.
What next?
Example: the solution
Jaya called us first to confirm we could help, then arranged for her originals to be couriered to our office. Our notary public notarised the copies, and we returned her originals and the notarised copies to her by courier.
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
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.
