Notary Services for Businesses

If an overseas bank, registry, court or tender authority has asked for a company document to be notarised, you need a notary rather than a solicitor. A notary is separately appointed and regulated, and verifies documents so that they can be accepted abroad without further checks.

Andrew Wright and Amanda Custis, our notaries, are based at our Orpington office and act for companies across Kent, Bromley and south east London. Some documents can be notarised remotely by video call, wherever your business is in the UK.

Whoever signs must attend in person and sign in the notary’s presence, so please do not sign the document before the appointment.

What a notary does for a company

A notary verifies the proper execution of documents to be used abroad, and owes a duty to everyone who may later rely on the document rather than only to the company that instructs them. That standing is what allows a foreign authority to accept it, and it is why the process involves more questions and more documentation than a solicitor’s certification. Our notarial services page explains in full what a notary is and how notaries are regulated.

For a company the practical difference is that the notary has to be satisfied not only about the signatory’s identity but about their authority to bind the company, and about the company’s own standing. That is where corporate work differs from an individual appointment, and it is what the rest of this page covers.

Proving that the signatory has authority to sign

Proving that the signatory has authority to sign is the step most often prepared too late, so it is worth dealing with before you book.

Where a document is to be signed on behalf of a company, we need evidence that the person signing is authorised to do so. That usually means a check at Companies House together with a letter of authority, a board minute or a power of attorney.

For an entity not registered at Companies House, such as a partnership, charity, club or other unincorporated body, we need to see the partnership agreement, trust deed or other constitution, and evidence of the signatory’s authority under it.

Send the document and the signing instructions to us in advance and we will tell you exactly what authority evidence we need.

Corporate documents we notarise

Documents for use abroad

Powers of attorney, affidavits, oaths and statutory declarations, board minutes and resolutions, certificates of good standing, and documents required to register a subsidiary or branch overseas.

Company transactions and shareholdings

Documentation relating to the sale, purchase, transfer or verification of land, property or shares, including share transfer forms required by a foreign registry.

Commercial agreements

Distributorship, agency and joint venture documents, and agreements that a counterparty or authority abroad requires in notarised form.

Tenders and registrations

Documents required to bid for work, register for tax or open a bank account in another jurisdiction, where the authority will only accept notarised copies.

Certified copies

Certified copies of company documentation, passports of directors and officers, and educational or professional certificates.

Intellectual property documents

Assignments, declarations and powers of attorney needed to register or defend a trade mark, design or patent abroad.

Sponsorship and travel documents

Sponsorship forms for people visiting the UK, and consent documents where an employee is travelling with a child.

Electronic notarisation and e-Apostille

Where the receiving authority accepts them, documents can be notarised electronically and legalised by e-Apostille, which is faster and cheaper than the paper route.

What a notary appointment looks like at CWJ

Apostilles and legalisation for company documents

Legalisation is the step after notarisation, and most company documents going abroad need it. For countries party to the Hague Convention it takes the form of an apostille issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; notaries lodge specimens of their signatures and seals with the FCDO so that documents can be checked against the register. Countries outside the Convention may require consular legalisation as well, and we will check the consulate’s requirements for you. Our notarial services page sets out the fees, the timescales and how the two routes differ.

Two things weigh more heavily on a corporate file than on an individual one. The first is volume: a tender or a subsidiary registration can involve a dozen documents, each needing its own apostille, so the FCDO turnaround drives the whole timetable and should be built into the deadline from the start. The second is sequence: when the overseas authority tells you how the document is to be executed, ask at the same time what legalisation it requires. Getting that answer early is what prevents a document being rejected and the whole process starting again.

HM Land Registry ID forms for companies

We also certify HM Land Registry identity forms, which are for use in the UK rather than abroad. Form ID1 is for a private individual and form ID2 is for a corporate body, and either is required as evidence of identity where a party to a registrable transaction is not represented by a conveyancer.

Our fee for an ID1 form is £90 plus VAT, which is £108. Our fee for an ID2 form is £160 plus VAT, which is £192.

Where identity is verified by video call rather than in person, the conveyancer also completes a form ID5, which accompanies the ID1 or ID2.

Appointments and what to bring

We hold appointments in person at our Orpington office and, for many documents, by video call. Step-free access is available from the car park at the rear, there is usually space, and we can reserve a space if you need one. If a particular difficulty prevents a signatory from reaching us, one of our notaries may be able to visit for an additional fee.

The signatory should bring photo identification and proof of their home address, as they would for any notarial appointment; our notarial services page lists what is accepted, and the same page covers translations and the limits of a notary’s role on foreign law.

What is additional on a company file is the evidence of authority described above, and the company’s own documents: the certificate of incorporation, the articles where the power to execute is in issue, and the board minute or power of attorney under which the signatory acts. Send those to us before the appointment rather than bringing them on the day, so that anything missing can be dealt with in time.

Our fees

Notarial fees depend on the number of documents, whether the notary drafts the document or notarises one you have been sent, and whether legalisation or consular work is needed. Where the notary prepares a document or a notarial certificate, there is an additional charge. Translation and interpreter costs are payable by the client where a document is not in English.

Full details are in our notarial Key Information document, and we will give you a clear quote before the appointment.

Why choose CWJ for corporate notarial work

Notarial work is handled in-house rather than referred out, so the same people deal with the appointment, the notarial act and any legalisation that follows. We are members of The Notaries Society. CWJ has practised in Orpington since 1951 and was founded in 1875.

For companies, the practical advantage is speed and certainty. We hold appointments in person and by video, we can usually see people at short notice, and we tell you at the outset what the destination country needs so that the document is accepted first time.

Where the underlying transaction needs advice as well as notarisation, our corporate and commercial team and our commercial property team work alongside the notaries.

Frequently asked questions about business notarial services

What is the difference between a notary and a solicitor?

A notary is separately appointed and regulated, and carries out notarial acts intended to be relied on abroad; a solicitor’s certification is for use here. Both of our notaries are dual-qualified. Our notarial services page explains the distinction in full.

Who from our company needs to attend?

Whoever is signing. If a director signs, that director must attend and sign in the notary’s presence. A company secretary or administrator cannot sign in their place unless they hold authority to do so, and we would need evidence of it.

Can a document be notarised by video call?

Often, yes. Some documents and some receiving authorities require attendance in person, so tell us what the document is when you enquire and we will confirm whether a virtual appointment is possible.

How quickly can you turn a document around?

The notarial appointment itself usually takes 20 to 45 minutes. If legalisation is also needed, the timescale is driven by the FCDO, currently up to 25 working days plus delivery for the standard paper service or up to two working days for an e-Apostille as at September 2026. Tell us your deadline when you enquire and we will tell you whether it is achievable.

Do you notarise documents for individuals as well?

Yes. Our notarial services for individuals page covers personal documents, overseas weddings, child travel consent and foreign wills.

Can you notarise documents for an overseas parent company?

Yes, where the document is being executed here. If the signatory is abroad, section B of an ID1 or ID2 can be completed by a lawyer or notary qualified in their country of residence, and we will tell you what else the receiving authority requires.

Speak to our notaries in Orpington, Kent

Tell us what the document is, which country it is going to and what the receiving authority has asked for, and we will confirm what is needed, what it will cost and when we can see you.

Book online, or contact Megan Robinson, our notarial assistant, on 01689 887844 or at megan.robinson@cwj.co.uk. Our reception is open 09:00 to 17:45, Monday to Friday, at Valiant House, 12 Knoll Rise, Orpington BR6 0PG, with parking at the rear.

Notarial services are provided independently by Clarkson Wright & Jakes Notaries LLP, whose notarial practice is regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. For convenience, the contact details are the same as for Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd.