Notarising Documents Online: Remote Options for Expats

Bureaucracy Without Pain – Global Edition

Relocating is exhilarating… until you’re staring at an e-mail from your future landlord demanding a notarised copy of your passport “by Friday, please.” If the nearest consulate is 1,200 km away and you’re juggling three time zones, you’ll want a faster, saner solution.

As an international lawyer who spent the past decade clearing cross-border paper jams for clients—from Berlin fintech founders to retirees in Bali—I’ve distilled everything you need to know about remote notarisation. This guide will walk you through:

• Which countries legally recognise e-notarisation (and which still cling to the ink pad).
• Reliable online platforms and how they work, step by step.
• When you’ll need that extra layer—the apostille—and how to secure it digitally.
• Real-world costs, processing times, and “gotchas” I see every week.

Bureaucracy is inevitable. Long lines aren’t.
— Field notes from a lawyer who refuses to queue

Quick primer: What actually happens during notarisation?

A notary’s job is to verify identities, witness signatures, and add an official seal that says, “Yes, this document—and the people signing it—are legit.” Traditionally, that required four things:

1. A physical desk (usually buried under blue-back paper).
2. Your physical presence.
3. A blunt instrument known as a wet signature.
4. Lots of sighing, followed by an embossed stamp.

Remote or “online” notarisation swaps items 1–3 for secure video calls and qualified electronic signatures. It’s faster, traceable, and bad for ink cartridge sales.

For the deep dive on the signature piece, see our Digital signatures guide.

1. e-Notary Legality by Country

Not all jurisdictions welcome virtual stamps with open arms. Below is a snapshot of the legal landscape as of June 2023. Laws evolve quickly, so always double-check the latest regulations—better yet, let BorderPilot’s compliance engine do it for you.

Three takeaways:

1. Follow the seal’s origin, not your location. If you use a Virginia e-notary while sipping espresso in Milan, U.S. law governs the notarisation.
2. Check the destination country’s tolerance. Some agencies still want to smell the paper.
3. Apostille is your ace card (more on that shortly).

2. Using Online Notary Platforms: A Step-by-Step Workflow

Let’s translate legal theory into something you can actually do on a Tuesday night.

Popular Remote-Notary Providers

The 7-Step Process (Most Platforms)

1. Identity verification
   Snap your passport or driver’s licence, then complete a “liveness” check—look left, blink twice, grin awkwardly.

2. Document upload
   PDF or image. High resolution = fewer questions from the notary.

3. Meeting scheduling
   Some platforms are on-demand; others book slots. Allocate 20 minutes.

4. Video call & e-signature
   The notary asks basic questions (“Are you signing willingly?”). You sign digitally; they affix a digital seal under their state or national authority.

5. Download the notarised file
   You’ll receive a tamper-evident PDF with an embedded audit trail. Save a copy offline; cloud links can expire.

6. Optional: Digital apostille workflow
   If your destination country is in the Hague Convention, some platforms will forward the notarised doc to the Secretary of State (U.S.) or competent authority for an e-apostille. More on this in section 3.

7. Dispatch
   E-mail the PDF or upload it to the agency portal. If only paper is accepted, print in colour on decent stock.

Experienced expat tip:
Always download the certificate of completion alongside the notarised doc. Border officials love metadata almost as much as they love stamps.

Security & Data Privacy

Remote notarisation relies on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Documents are hashed and the notary’s digital certificate is embedded. Under eIDAS, that’s a qualified electronic signature—roughly the digital equivalent of signing in unicorn blood.

Platforms store video recordings for 5–10 years (varies by law). If privacy is a concern, ask about data residency. Canadian servers keep footage north of the 49th parallel; EU platforms stick to GDPR-compliant data centres.

3. Apostille After e-Notary: When and How

If you’re unfamiliar with the apostille, think of it as the “notary for your notary.” It confirms the official’s authority so that a foreign official doesn’t have to Google them during their lunch break.

For the crash course, bookmark our detailed Apostille explained.

Do You Even Need One?

Ask yourself two questions:

1. Is the destination country part of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention?
   If yes → You’ll probably need an apostille but not a full embassy legalisation.
   If no → Brace for multi-step embassy processing.

2. Has the receiving agency explicitly demanded an apostille?
   Bureaucrats seldom stay silent on this. When in doubt, assume yes.

Digital Apostilles Are a Thing

Roughly 18 countries now issue e-apostilles (e.g., U.S., Australia, Netherlands). They’re appended as an XML or PDF file with a QR code back to the issuing authority’s registry—no ribbon, no embossing, no DHL fees.

Workflow

1. Use a platform that integrates the apostille step (e.g., Notarize.com → Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth).
2. Pay the fee (USD 25–40).
3. Receive an updated PDF containing both the notarised doc and the e-apostille.
4. Send it on its merry way.

If your platform doesn’t offer this, you can DIY:

1. Download your notarised PDF.
2. Upload it to the state or national apostille portal.
3. Wait for approval (24 h–7 days, depending on backlog).
4. Receive e-apostille or printed apostille by mail.

Red Flags I See on Client Documents

• Mismatch in time stamps — The notarisation must precede the apostille, obviously. Yet I routinely see apostilles dated earlier due to clerical errors.
• Low-resolution scans — Some authorities reject PDFs under 150 dpi.
• Name inconsistencies — “Michael T. Johnson” vs. “Mike Johnson” equals apostille limbo.

4. What Will It Cost—and How Long Will You Wait?

Below are real-world numbers from the past six months. The range exists because… well, bureaucracy.

Money-Saving Hacks

1. Bundle Documents: Platforms often charge per session, not per page. Sign all docs in one call.
2. Check for Reciprocity: Some EU states recognise U.S. e-notaries under eIDAS, skipping apostille. Save €50.
3. Digital Only: If the recipient accepts PDFs, avoid courier fees and tree guilt.

Time-Crunch Strategies

• Opt for 24/7 Platforms: I once notarised a client’s patent assignment at 02:00 after a karaoke mishap.
• Pay the “expedite” fee intelligently: Expedite the bottleneck step only—usually the apostille, not the notarisation.
• Leverage local holidays: U.S. apostille offices close on federal holidays; Dubai e-notaries are open Sunday. Plan accordingly.

5. Case Studies: How Expats Actually Use Remote Notarisation

5.1. The Berlin Startup Founder

Sophia, a Greek national living in Germany, needed to grant power of attorney to her co-founder in Delaware. She:

1. Used Notarize.com, choosing a Virginia notary (10 min, USD 25).
2. Added a Virginia e-apostille (USD 35, delivered in 8 hrs).
3. Filed the doc in Delaware the next morning.

Total time: < 24 hrs. Cost: USD 60. No flights weren’t harmed in the making of this POA.

5.2. The Retiree in Bali

Jim, a U.K. pensioner, had to certify his life certificate annually for HMRC. With the nearest British embassy in Jakarta, remote options were cheaper than airfare.

1. Local Indonesian notaries lacked U.K. authority recognition.
2. Jim used an Ontario-based e-notary (CAD 29.95).
3. Printed the notarised PDF at a Bali co-working space and mailed it.

U.K. tax office accepted it without apostille—thanks to explicit pandemic concessions.

5.3. The Digital Nomad Visa Applicant

Carla, a Brazilian developer applying for Portugal’s D7 visa, needed bank statements notarised and apostilled.

1. Brazilian e-notary service (R$ 90).
2. State e-apostille issued in 48 hrs (R$ 70).
3. Portuguese consulate accepted e-documents via e-mail.

Result: She saved 10 days of embassy appointments and used the time to perfect her pastéis de nata recipe.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use a U.S. remote notary for documents destined for France?
A: Yes, but add an apostille and confirm the French agency accepts electronic copies. Some prefectures still want paper to file in cardboard archives from 1972.

Q: Is a scanned printout of an e-notarised doc still valid?
A: Generally yes—if the QR code or digital certificate remains intact. Print in colour to avoid “this looks photocopied” rejection.

Q: What if my passport is expiring in six months—will identity verification fail?
A: Most platforms verify that the document is genuine; expiry matters only if it’s actually expired. If you’re within 30 days of expiry, renew first to avoid reruns.

Q: Can two signers be in different countries during the same session?
A: Absolutely. Multi-party workflows allow each signer to join from anywhere a stable Wi-Fi signal—or a café latte—exists.

7. Step-by-Step Checklist (Download-and-Do)

1. Confirm destination country’s notarisation requirements.
2. Choose a remote-notary platform with jurisdictional authority.
3. Scan documents in 300 dpi PDF.
4. Complete identity verification and video call.
5. Download notarised PDF + certificate of completion.
6. Determine if an apostille is required; if yes, start e-apostille workflow immediately.
7. Validate PDF integrity (open, check for signature panel with “signed and all signatures are valid”).
8. Forward to receiving party.
9. Archive both the PDF and a printed copy in a safe folder—cloud services lose passwords; paper survives reboots.

Feel free to copy-paste this into your task manager. Your future self will thank you.

8. Final Thoughts

Remote notarisation won’t make bureaucracy fun, but it strips away geography as an obstacle. Whether you’re transferring property in Texas while trekking Patagonia or finalising a guardianship order from a Lisbon café, the tools exist to notarise, apostille, and deliver documents in hours—not weeks.

BorderPilot’s relocation platform keeps an updated map of e-notary regulations, integrated with cost estimates and agency-specific rules. If you’d like a personalised workflow—plus reminders so you never miss an apostille deadline—start your free relocation plan today. Bureaucracy may be inevitable, but with the right data, the pain is optional.