A witness
Watches you sign, then signs to say so
- Who
- Any independent adult over 18
- Cost
- Nothing
- For
- Making your Deed Poll binding
Help & advice
What is a notary public?
A specialist lawyer who authenticates documents so that authorities abroad can accept them. You do not need one to change your name in the UK: a Deed Poll is binding once you sign it in front of ordinary independent witnesses.
- Hand-drafted by a paralegal
- Accepted, or your money back
Do you need a notary?
What each situation needs, and where each applies:
Used in the UK
No notary needed
Witnesses are all it needs
Your Deed Poll has space for two independent adult witnesses, and it is binding once you sign it in front of them. HM Passport Office and DVLA ask for the signed original, and where another organisation keeps a copy, it wants a certified copy, not a notarised one.
Certified copies explained
Abroad, when a notarised copy is asked for
A notary
A notary authenticates it under their seal
The Faculty Office, which appoints and regulates notaries, says courts and other bodies abroad can accept a notarised document without making further checks themselves. Each notary sets out on their website how their fees are calculated.
Find a notary
Abroad, when an apostille is asked for
An apostille
Certified first, then the apostille
The Legalisation Office adds an apostille to a private document like a Deed Poll only once it has been certified by a UK notary or solicitor.
- £45 a document on paper, plus courier or postage
- £35 as an e-Apostille, from a PDF signed electronically by a notary or solicitor
- Up to 25 working days on paper, or up to 2 for an e-Apostille
Abroad, when both are asked for
Both, in order
A notary first, then the apostille
- A notary certifies your Deed Poll, or a copy of it, under their seal
- The Legalisation Office adds an apostille, confirming the notary’s seal and signature
- You send it to the organisation that asked
Abroad, when you are not sure
Ask first
Ask them, in writing
GOV.UK suggests checking with whoever asked: whether they want the original or a certified copy, whether it must be signed by a UK notary or solicitor, and whether they want a paper apostille or an e-Apostille. Fees are not refunded if the wrong thing is done.
From the Faculty Office and GOV.UK, checked September 2026. We are not notaries and cannot notarise or apostille a document.
Four different jobs
Witness, certified copy, notary, apostille
People treat these as four grades of the same thing. They are four different jobs, done by different people, and confusing them is how people pay for something they did not need.
A certified copy
A copy checked against the original and marked as a true copy
- Who
- A professional person, such as a solicitor, a teacher or a bank official, or us for our own deeds
- Cost
- They may charge; ours are from £6 for 2, up to £25 for 20
- For
- Organisations in the UK that keep a copy
A notary
Authenticates a document under their own seal
- Who
- A notary public, appointed and regulated through the Faculty Office
- Cost
- Set by each notary, who publishes how it is worked out
- For
- Courts and other bodies abroad
An apostille
Confirms a signature, stamp or seal on a UK document is genuine
- Who
- The Legalisation Office, part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Cost
- £45 on paper, £35 as an e-Apostille
- For
- Countries that ask for one
An apostille says nothing about what a document contains. It confirms that the signature, stamp or seal on it matches the Legalisation Office’s records, which is why a notary usually certifies a Deed Poll first.
If a foreign authority asks
The order it happens in
Ask what they need
In writing: the original or a certified copy, a notary’s signature, and a paper apostille or an e-Apostille.
A notary or solicitor certifies it
They work from your signed Deed Poll. Find a notary through the Faculty Office.
The Legalisation Office adds an apostille
If one was asked for. You apply on GOV.UK and pay per document.
You send it on
By post or courier, or for an e-Apostille, digitally.
What it costs
Fees, where they are fixed
Only some of these have a set price. For the rest, the source says who sets the fee and how to compare.
£45
An apostille on paper
Per document, plus courier: £6 per 1.5kg back to a UK address. An e-Apostille is £35.
£5
A statutory declaration
Fixed by law when a notary or solicitor takes it as a commissioner for oaths, plus £2 for each exhibit.
Varies
A notary’s own work
Each notary publishes how their fees are worked out. Compare, but the Faculty Office warns the job can be bigger than you expect.
Varies
A certified copy
GOV.UK says the person certifying may charge a fee. Ours are certified alongside your Deed Poll, from £6 for 2, up to £25 for 20.
From GOV.UK and the Faculty Office, checked September 2026. A statutory declaration is another way to record a change of name, which DVLA and HM Land Registry both accept.
Questions & answers
More about notaries
Do I need a notary to change my name?
Not in the UK. A Deed Poll is binding once you sign it in front of independent adult witnesses: ours has space for two, and we recommend using both. HM Passport Office and DVLA ask for the signed original, not a notarised one.
What does a notary do?
The Faculty Office describes a notary as a specialist lawyer whose main job is to attest that deeds and legal documents are authentic, so that courts and other bodies abroad can accept them without further checks. Each notary has their own seal, and most are also solicitors.
What is an apostille?
A certificate the Legalisation Office attaches to a UK document once it has checked that the signature, stamp or seal on it matches its records. A private document such as a Deed Poll has to be certified by a UK notary or solicitor first. Getting a document legalised, on GOV.UK.
Can you notarise or apostille my Deed Poll?
No. We draft Deed Polls and certify copies of them, but we are not notaries, so we cannot notarise a document or get an apostille for you. Take your signed Deed Poll to a notary: it is the document they will work from.
How much does a notary charge?
Each notary sets their own fees and should publish how they are worked out. The Faculty Office suggests comparing, but warns that the job can turn out bigger than you expect. The exception is taking a statutory declaration, where the fee is fixed by law at £5, plus £2 for each exhibit.
Is a certified copy the same as a notarised copy?
No. A certified copy is checked against the original and marked as a true copy by a professional person, for organisations in the UK that keep a copy. A notary authenticates a document under their seal, for use abroad.
Something else? Ask a paralegal and we will answer, usually the same working day.
Keep reading
Related answers
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