Is Remote Notarisation Legal in England and Wales?
If you're considering having a document notarised over video call rather than in person, the first and most important question is whether it's actually legally valid. The short answer is yes — and, importantly, it's you, the client, who doesn't need to be in England or Wales at all. The Notary does.
As specialists in remote notary services in England and Wales, this is a question we're asked every day, so here's the clear legal position.
The Legal Basis
Notaries in England and Wales are regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Under the Faculty Office's Code of Practice, Notaries are permitted to issue notarial acts using remote technologies — including video conferencing — where the client is not in the same physical location as the Notary.
Remote notarisation is not a separate or lesser category of notarial act — it produces a document carrying the same legal force as an in-person notarisation, provided the process has been correctly followed.
The Conditions That Apply
For a document to be validly notarised remotely, several conditions need to be met:
The Notary must be physically located in England or Wales at the time of the appointment. This requirement applies to the Notary, not the client.
There must be a sufficient connecting factor to England and Wales. This can be the client's residence, nationality, or place of business/incorporation, the location of any person or asset the document relates to, or the governing law of the transaction. Where none of these apply, the involvement of an England and Wales notary must be otherwise reasonably justified.
The Notary must take reasonable steps to confirm that remote appearance will be accepted by the receiving jurisdiction or recipient, before proceeding — or clearly inform the client that this cannot be confirmed and that they must check independently.
The document type must be one that is currently eligible for remote notarisation — not every category of notarial act is available this way.
Identity verification must be carried out to the same rigorous standard as an in-person appointment.
What Can — and Can't — Be Notarised Remotely
Documents that can typically be notarised remotely include certified copies of court documents, UK-issued degree and qualification certificates, DBS/ACRO criminal record checks, company documents such as certificates of incorporation and good standing, and documents requiring a witnessed signature such as powers of attorney and letters of authority.
Oaths, affidavits, and statutory declarations require the deponent or declarant to be physically present with the Notary. Certain deeds and instruments may also require a witness to be physically present under English law.
Why the "Connecting Factor" Condition Matters
Because the client no longer needs to be in England or Wales, the Faculty Office instead requires a genuine link between the matter and the England and Wales jurisdiction — your residence, nationality, business, an asset involved, or the governing law of the transaction. In practice, this covers the vast majority of people who would need a UK notary in the first place, such as British expats, UK company directors based abroad, or anyone dealing with a UK asset or UK-governed transaction. We check this as part of confirming your instruction.
Why the "Receiving Jurisdiction" Condition Also Matters
Separately from the connecting factor requirement, the authority or institution receiving your document abroad may or may not accept a remotely notarised document — particularly for higher-stakes matters such as property transactions. This is why part of our process, before any remote appointment is confirmed, is checking with you what the receiving jurisdiction requires. If there's uncertainty, we'll flag this clearly rather than proceed on an assumption.
Why This Matters for International Clients
Because you don't need to be physically present in the UK, remote notarisation is often the only practical way to get a UK document notarised without travelling — genuinely from anywhere in the world, provided the connecting factor and receiving jurisdiction conditions are satisfied. This is precisely where our specialism in remote notarisation makes the difference — we handle this process daily, so these checks are second nature rather than a source of delay.
Our Fees
£135 — Notarisation of a personal document (flat rate, for use in the UK or overseas)
£150 — Notarisation of a commercial or property document (flat rate, for use in the UK or overseas)
These fees apply whether your appointment is conducted remotely or in person.
Book a Remote Appointment
👉 Get in touch to arrange your remote notary appointment: internationalnotary.co.uk/contact-us
We'll confirm whether your document is eligible for remote notarisation before your appointment is booked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be physically present in England or Wales for remote notarisation?No. Only the Notary must be physically located in England and Wales. As the client, you can be anywhere in the world, provided there's a sufficient connecting factor to England and Wales.
What counts as a "connecting factor" to England and Wales?Your residence, nationality, or place of business/incorporation, the location of any person or asset the document relates to, or the governing law of the transaction all count as connecting factors.
Can any document be notarised remotely?No. Only certain document types are currently eligible, including certified copies, degree certificates, company documents, and witnessed signature documents such as powers of attorney. Oaths, affidavits, and statutory declarations require physical presence with the Notary.
What happens if the receiving country doesn't accept remote notarisation?If we can't confirm that your destination will accept a remotely notarised document, we'll advise you clearly so you can check with the recipient, or consider an in-person appointment instead.
Contact Us
Staple Inn Notaries
Fox Court, Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London
📞 020 3488 4195
About the Author
Sheikh Najam LLB TEP MA MBA is a Notary Public for England and Wales and CEO of Staple Inn Notaries, based in Central London, specialising in remote notary services. He is also a European Attorney and a STEP-qualified International Private Wealth Lawyer, and serves as Vice President for Notarial Affairs and an Advisory Board Member at Justinian Lawyers, the Berlin-headquartered international legal network of the Association of European Attorneys. Appointed by the Court of Faculties under Royal Authority and regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sheikh Najam advises on cross-border corporate, property, and private client matters across common law, civil law, and international jurisdictions.
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