Every country has its own requirements to determine the authenticity of documents. A document which is executed in Singapore and intended for use in another country will have to be legalised by the foreign country’s embassy within Singapore.

Conversely, where the document executed in a foreign country and intended for use in Singapore, it will have to be legalised by the Singapore embassy located in that foreign country before it can be used in Singapore.

Failure to properly legalise the document may result in it being invalidated or unenforceable (or both) in the country where it is intended to be used.

Legalisation is sometimes referred to as “Consularisation” or “Attestation” and it involves a number of steps before the document can be endorsed by the relevant Embassy or High Commission. The legalisation process is as follows:

(a) Notarisation of document by a Singapore Notary Public.

(b) Authentication of signature of the Singapore Notary Public by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).

(c) Verification by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

(d) Legalisation by the Embassy or High Commission.

Different Embassies and High Commissions have their own special requirements for legalisation. Some of them require additional forms and identification documents, payment of their administration fees in foreign currencies and/or involve online submission of applications.

Legalisation can be complicated and time consuming, which we can manage the legalisation process for you.

While we provide legalisation services for most countries, there are countries which do not have an Embassy or High Commission located in Singapore. In such circumstances, it may not be possible for the documents to be legalised in Singapore.

Please contact us if you would like us to handle your legalisation needs. Our experienced team is on hand to advise the fees involved and the correct process for the country in question.