Notary Public in Melbourne: How to Get Documents Notarised

To get a document notarised in Melbourne, contact a Notary Public, take the unsigned original and current photo ID, and sign or swear in front of them. Victorian notaries are appointed by the Supreme Court of Victoria. For use overseas, the notarised document usually then goes to DFAT for an apostille or authentication.

Key takeaways

• A notary is mainly for documents going overseas. For Victorian or Commonwealth purposes, a Justice of the Peace or another authorised witness is usually enough and costs nothing.
• University records need care. DFAT legalises a notarised copy only if the notary's certificate says the original was verified with the university.
• TAFE records can go to DFAT as originals or notarised copies, but not as JP copies. Private college and RTO records usually need a notary first.
• A certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria is a public document that DFAT may legalise without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.
• Only DFAT issues apostilles. A notary prepares the document for that step but cannot complete it.

Who can notarise a document in Victoria

A Notary Public is a lawyer with a separate appointment that allows them to perform notarial acts: witnessing signatures, certifying copies of original documents, administering oaths and affirmations, and preparing notarial certificates for use abroad. They keep a permanent register of what they do.

Appointment follows state and territory arrangements. In Victoria it is by the Supreme Court, and applicants are experienced legal practitioners. That is the position in most states, but not all: Queensland's notaries are appointed through the Court of Faculties in England. You can ask any Melbourne notary which court appointed them, and the state's notarial society lists its members if you want to check.

When certifying a true copy, a notary confirms that the copy corresponds with the original sighted; that act does not, by itself, establish that every statement in the document is true. A notary also cannot issue an apostille. If your birth certificate or degree was issued overseas, check the issuing country's authentication process and the receiving authority's instructions before asking an Australian notary to act. Our overview of what a notary public does sets out the full list.

When a JP or authorised witness will do

A search for a "notary near me" in Melbourne often starts with a form that does not need a notary at all. The recipient decides, so read its instructions closely before you book.

Situation	Who usually acts	Note
Victorian statutory declaration or affidavit for a Victorian matter	An authorised witness under Victorian rules	Victoria's list of witnesses has changed in recent years. Check the current one.
Commonwealth statutory declaration	A witness on the Commonwealth list	A different form with a different list.
Certified copy for Home Affairs	An authorised person	A notary is often not needed.
Signature, oath or copy for a foreign authority	Notary Public	Usually followed by DFAT.
Victorian registry certificate for overseas	Possibly DFAT directly	Confirm with DFAT first.

Victorian JPs are volunteers and charge nothing. Some libraries and community centres run regular JP sessions. A JP certification is not a general substitute where a foreign recipient requires a notarial act or a document capable of proceeding through DFAT legalisation, although the receiving authority always decides what it accepts. For more, see how a notary differs from a JP and who can witness a statutory declaration.

University, TAFE and college records from Melbourne

Melbourne has a large student population, and education records are among the documents most often sent abroad from Victoria. They are also the ones most often done wrongly, because DFAT applies rules to them that it does not apply to other documents.

• University degrees and transcripts: DFAT legalises an original once the university has verified it. A notarised copy must also be verified by the university, and the notary's certificate must state that the original record was verified with the issuing institution. A plain "true copy" certificate is refused.
• TAFE records: originals or notarised copies are accepted. JP copies are not.
• Private colleges and registered training organisations: the document is usually notarised first. In some states verification through the education department is an alternative, so ask.
• Foreign education documents: DFAT never legalises them, even if an Australian notary has certified a copy. They go back to the issuing country.

If you are a graduate going home or moving on for work, tell the notary at the first contact that the document is a university record. Verification with the institution is a separate step, and it is better started early.

Other documents Melbourne notaries commonly handle

Beyond education records, the documents that most often need a Melbourne notary include:

• Personal: passport copies, birth, marriage and death certificates, statutory declarations, affidavits, and consent for a child travelling overseas.
• Legal and property: powers of attorney, property deeds and leases, and loan agreements for assets abroad.
• Business: contracts, trademark assignments, board resolutions and company extracts for foreign registries.

For a power of attorney to be used overseas, the notary confirms your identity and witnesses your signature. Whether the document does what you need under the other country's law is a question for a lawyer in that country, and for anything affecting Victorian property or guardianship, a Victorian solicitor.

Step by step: getting a document notarised in Melbourne

1. Read the receiving authority's instructions and note exactly what it asks for: notarised copy, notarised signature, apostille, legalisation or translation.
2. Decide whether a notary is needed, using the table above. If a JP or authorised person will do, you can stop there.
3. Contact a notary, describe the document and destination, and ask for a written quote and what to bring.
4. Arrange any verification the notary needs, such as with a university.
5. Attend with the unsigned original and your photo ID. The notary checks identity, capacity and that you are acting freely, then witnesses or certifies and attaches their certificate and seal. Never sign beforehand.
6. Lodge the document with DFAT for an apostille or authentication.
7. Complete any consulate step and translation the destination needs.

Overseas use: apostilles, consulates and translation

An apostille is DFAT's certificate confirming the signature and seal on your document, such as the notary's. It does not confirm the contents. Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention accept it without further steps. Membership changes, so check the HCCH status table on the day. DFAT's own list of what it will legalise is on Smartraveller.

For a country outside the Convention, DFAT authenticates the document and it then goes to that country's embassy or consulate. Many countries have a consulate in Melbourne that deals with residents of Victoria, while others handle everything through Canberra. The destination's own website will say which. See our apostille and authentication page for the DFAT step.

If the document is not in English, or needs to be in another language, arrange translation early. Australian authorities expect a NAATI-credentialled translator. A foreign authority decides whose translation it will accept. See NAATI-certified translation with a notary.

How do I find and choose a notary in Melbourne?

Start with the Society of Notaries of Victoria's directory, which can be searched by suburb and other criteria. Before arranging a Melbourne appointment, send the complete document, its destination country and the receiving authority's instructions. Location is convenient, but these questions matter more:

• Have you prepared documents for this destination before?
• Will your certificate meet DFAT's rules for this type of document?
• Do you need to verify anything with an institution, and who arranges it?
• What is included in the quote, and what is charged separately?

Mistakes that send Melbourne documents back

Most rejected documents fail for one of a handful of reasons, and each of them is avoidable with a little checking before the appointment.

• Using a JP copy for an overseas authority. It cannot be apostilled, and DFAT will not accept it for TAFE or university records.
• A plain true-copy certificate on a degree. Without the statement that the original was verified with the university, DFAT refuses it.
• Signing before the appointment. The notary has to see you sign, so a pre-signed document may need to be re-signed or re-prepared.
• A name that does not match the ID. Bring a marriage certificate or change of name certificate that links the names.
• Laminating a certificate to protect it. DFAT does not accept laminated, framed or altered public documents.
• Skipping the consulate step. For a country outside the Hague Convention, DFAT's certificate alone is not the end of the chain.
• Asking a Melbourne notary to deal with a foreign record. Documents issued overseas are normally handled in the issuing country.

If a document has already been rejected, ask the receiving authority for the reason in writing before you do anything else. The fix depends entirely on which step it objected to.

Here is an illustration, not a real case

A graduate of a Melbourne university accepts a job abroad, and the employer asks for an apostilled copy of her degree. She takes a photocopy to a JP, then learns DFAT will not accept it. She contacts a notary instead, who explains that the university must verify the original and that the notarial certificate must say so. Once verification is confirmed, the notary certifies the copy, DFAT adds the apostille, and she keeps her original. The JP visit was not wasted money, since it was free, but it was wasted time.

How much does a Melbourne notary cost?

Notaries set their own fees, so ask for a written quote rather than assuming one price applies. The total can depend on the document type and notarial act, the number of documents, signers or certified copies, institutional verification, and the time needed to prepare a certificate. Travel for a mobile attendance and waiting time may be separate. DFAT legalisation, consulate work, translation, courier or delivery services are also separate steps and may carry their own charges. Our guide to notary fees in Australia explains the factors.

In short

In Melbourne, use a JP or authorised witness for Australian purposes and a notary for documents going overseas. Treat university, TAFE and college records as a special case, because DFAT's rules for them are strict. Ask the receiving authority first, then work through notary, DFAT and any consulate in order.

Related questions

• How do I get a certified copy of a university degree?
• Can an academic transcript be apostilled in Australia?
• How do I find a notary public near me?
• Can a notary public refuse to notarise?
• How does getting a document notarised work in Sydney?

Send us the document type, destination country, Melbourne location, number of signers and deadline, together with any recipient instructions, so we can identify the steps required before you book.