Does Australia Post or a Bank Offer Notary Services?

No. Australia Post and Australian banks do not offer notary public services. Unlike in the United States, where bank branches often have a notary on staff, notaries in Australia are lawyers in private practice. Some post office and bank staff are approved witnesses for Commonwealth statutory declarations, but for documents going overseas you need an Australian notary.

Key takeaways

• Neither Australia Post nor Australian banks provide notarisation, apostilles or notarial certificates.
• Certain Australia Post and bank employees are on the Commonwealth list of approved witnesses for statutory declarations, subject to conditions.
• Australia Post offers identity checks for some government services, which is not the same as notarisation.
• US-style expectations cause confusion: an Australian notary is a lawyer, not a bank clerk with a stamp.
• A Medallion signature guarantee for US securities is a separate thing that Australian banks generally cannot provide.

Why do people expect a bank or post office notary?

In the United States, notaries public are usually lay people commissioned by a state to witness signatures, and many work in banks, shipping stores and post-office style businesses. Americans are used to walking into a branch and having a form notarised in minutes. People who have lived in the US, or who are following instructions written for Americans, reasonably expect the same in Australia.

Australia's system is different, and has been since colonial times, when it followed the English model of the notary as a senior legal professional. An Australian notary public is an experienced lawyer appointed under state or territory arrangements, who performs notarial acts recognised overseas and keeps a permanent register of them. Banks and Australia Post are not part of that system. Our comparison of an Australian notary, a US notary and a notario explains the difference in detail.

What can Australia Post do?

Australia Post does not notarise documents, issue notarial certificates or arrange apostilles. What it does offer is identity-related services for particular government processes, such as identity checks for some police check applications and passport interviews at participating post offices. Those checks confirm your identity for that specific process; they are not a notarial act and are not recognised overseas as one.

Separately, some Australia Post employees are on the Commonwealth list of approved witnesses for statutory declarations, provided they meet the conditions set out in the list, such as length of service and the kind of office they work in. Whether a particular staff member can witness your declaration, and whether they will, depends on them and on the office. Ask before relying on it, and bring the declaration unsigned, with photo identification, in case the staff member can help. If they cannot, a nearby JP is usually the quickest fallback, and many libraries and community centres have regular JP sessions.

What can a bank do?

Australian banks do not provide notary services. Some bank officers who meet the conditions on the Commonwealth list may be able to witness a Commonwealth statutory declaration, and banks will usually certify or sight documents for their own purposes, such as opening an account. But a bank will not witness a document for another organisation as a notary would, or prepare a certificate that a foreign authority will recognise.

If an overseas bank, broker or pension fund asks you to have a form "notarised", a local branch of an Australian bank is not the answer. You need an Australian notary, and possibly a DFAT apostille. Our guide to overseas bank account documents covers what foreign banks commonly ask for.

What you need	Australia Post	Australian bank	Australian notary
Commonwealth statutory declaration witnessed	Some staff, if eligible	Some officers, if eligible	Yes
Identity check for a government process	For some services	No	Not the same service
Certified copy for use overseas	No	No	Yes
Signature witnessed for a foreign document	No	No	Yes
Notarial certificate for DFAT to apostille	No	No	Yes
Medallion signature guarantee	No	Generally no	No

Who can witness a statutory declaration instead?

If what you really need is a Commonwealth statutory declaration witnessed, you have many options besides the post office or bank. The Commonwealth list of approved witnesses is broad and includes Justices of the Peace, lawyers, many health professionals, police officers, teachers and a range of other professionals and officials. JPs do not charge. Many Commonwealth declarations can now also be made digitally.

The Attorney-General's Department publishes the list and the options on its statutory declarations page. State and territory declarations have their own lists, so check which form the receiving body wants. Our guide to who can witness a statutory declaration explains the options.

What about US forms that say "notarise at your bank"?

Instructions written for Americans often assume you can pop into a bank. From Australia, the equivalent is usually an Australian notary. US federal forms, such as some passport forms for children, state forms and many private company forms can generally be notarised by an Australian notary, and some US bodies also accept a US consular officer at the US Embassy or consulates in Australia. Our guide to the DS-3053 consent form covers a common example.

Whether a US body also wants an apostille depends on the body and the state. The United States and Australia are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so where one is asked for, DFAT adds it after the notary has signed. Check the HCCH status table if you are unsure. Our guide to sending Australian documents to the USA explains the steps.

What is a Medallion signature guarantee?

A Medallion signature guarantee is a stamp used in the United States to guarantee a signature on instructions to transfer shares or other securities. It is issued by financial institutions that belong to a Medallion programme, and it protects the transfer agent against forged instructions. It is not notarisation, and an Australian notary cannot provide one.

Australian banks are generally not members of those programmes, which leaves many Australian residents holding US shares stuck. The usual options are asking the transfer agent whether it accepts an alternative, such as a notarised signature with supporting documents, or using an institution that can provide a Medallion guarantee. Our guide to the Medallion signature guarantee in Australia covers the options in detail.

What should you check before relying on a post office or bank?

If you plan to ask a post office or bank employee to witness a Commonwealth statutory declaration, check three things first. Is the person's role, and their length of service, covered by the current Commonwealth list? Is the declaration actually a Commonwealth one, rather than a state or territory form with a different witness list? And is the staff member willing to do it? Being eligible does not oblige anyone to witness documents for the public, and many branches do not offer it as a service.

If any answer is no, a free JP is usually the simplest alternative. And if the document is going overseas, none of these witnesses will do: overseas bodies expect a notary, and DFAT will only apostille a notary's or a public official's signature. Paying for courier and a second appointment because a document was witnessed by the wrong person is one of the most common, and avoidable, costs we see.

How do you find the right witness?

1. Work out what the document is and where it is going: an Australian body or an overseas one.
2. Read the instructions for who may witness or certify it, and whether an apostille is needed.
3. Use a JP or other approved witness for Commonwealth declarations and copies used in Australia.
4. Book an Australian notary for documents going overseas, and ask about the DFAT step.
5. Bring the unsigned document, originals and photo ID to whichever witness you choose.

What does this look like in practice?

Here is an illustration, not a real case. Rachel moved from California to Perth. Her US brokerage asks her to have a transfer form "notarised or Medallion guaranteed", and a US state agency wants a notarised affidavit.

She first asks at her Australian bank branch, which cannot help with either. For the affidavit, she books an Australian notary, and then asks DFAT for an apostille because the agency requires one. For the share transfer, she contacts the broker's transfer agent, which confirms it will not accept a notarised signature in place of a Medallion guarantee, so she arranges the transfer another way the agent suggested.

In short

Australia Post and Australian banks do not offer notary services. Some of their staff can witness Commonwealth statutory declarations if they meet the list's conditions, and Australia Post offers identity checks for some government processes, but neither is notarisation. For documents going overseas, use an Australian notary, followed by a DFAT apostille if asked. A US Medallion signature guarantee is a separate matter again.

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