Notarising Immigration Documents for a Singapore Visa

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Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) update their requirements regularly. Their current pages for your pass type govern.

Singapore has two immigration authorities, and they treat documents differently. MOM issues work passes and passes for workers' families. ICA handles entry, permanent residence and some long-term visit passes. Neither routinely asks an Australian applicant for a notarised or apostilled document. For one of the most common applications, MOM expressly refuses a notarised copy.

Short visits

ICA publishes a list of nationalities that need an entry visa, and Australia is not on it. A holiday or short business trip on an Australian passport needs no documents from a notary. Check ICA's current entry rules for the permitted length of stay.

Employment Pass: a notarised degree will be refused

This is the point most worth knowing before you spend money.

Since September 2023, MOM has required verification of qualifications at diploma level and above that are claimed for points under its COMPASS framework. MOM's guidance lists what it accepts as proof:

a verification report from a background screening company on MOM's list, carrying an MOM verification reference
verification through a government or institution online portal
a digital certificate verified through OpenCerts

MOM also says what it does not accept: the education certificate itself, a letter from the awarding institution, and an educational certificate certified by a notary public.

So the common instinct — get the degree notarised and apostilled, then send it to Singapore — produces a document MOM has said it will not take for this purpose. Ask your employer which verification route it is using, and ask your Australian university whether it offers online verification. Qualifications are verified once per candidate, so it is worth getting right the first time.

Dependant's Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass through MOM

Family members of work pass holders apply through MOM. The documents are what you would expect: marriage certificate, children's birth certificates. MOM asks for copies to be uploaded. A document not in English is uploaded together with an English translation as a single file, and MOM leaves the choice of translation provider to you.

An Australian registry certificate is already in English and generally goes in as a clear copy. Order the standard registry certificate, not a commemorative one.

The exception: common-law spouses

For a common-law spouse applying for a Long-Term Visit Pass, MOM asks for an affidavit about the relationship, which must be notarised in the couple's home country. MOM offers an alternative: a letter from the embassy of that country.

This is a genuine notary job in Australia. The affidavit is sworn or affirmed before an Australian notary, who witnesses the signature and administers the oath. The notary does not certify that the relationship exists, only that you swore to it. Before booking, read MOM's current wording on what the affidavit must cover, and draft it to match. Whether the Australian embassy route is available to you is a question for the Australian High Commission in Singapore.

ICA applications: certified true copies and translations

ICA's requirements for permanent residence and for long-term visit passes for spouses of citizens and permanent residents are more formal. For documents not in English, ICA asks for certified true copies of the originals together with a translation from one of these sources:

the embassy of the country that issued the document
a notary public, in Singapore or in the country that issued the document
a private translator, with the translation attested by that embassy or notarised

For an Australian applicant, this usually matters only for documents issued in a non-English-speaking country. An Australian notary can notarise a translator's declaration for a translation made here, which is one of the routes ICA lists. It cannot certify a foreign registry's document as genuine.

For English-language Australian documents, read ICA's checklist for your application to see whether it wants copies, certified copies or originals at the appointment.

Working holiday passes

Singapore runs two schemes Australians can use:

The Work and Holiday Visa Programme, for Australian citizens within an age range who have a degree or a set period of full-time undergraduate study. It is issued once per person.
The Work Holiday Programme, a separate scheme for students and recent graduates of listed universities, including Australian ones. MOM asks for university documents not in English to have an English translation certified by the university.

Neither involves a notary for an Australian applicant with English-language documents. Check MOM's current eligibility page for age limits and caps.

Apostilles

Singapore joined the Apostille Convention in 2021; confirm its current status against the HCCH status table on the day. The Singapore High Commission in Canberra says it does not authenticate documents and refers people to DFAT, noting that apostilled documents can be presented in Singapore directly.

That matters for Singapore courts, the land registry, banks and companies. For MOM and ICA applications, check your checklist before adding an apostille. It is not the default.

The High Commission itself certifies true copies and witnesses statutory declarations and affidavits for use in Singapore. Ask whether that suits your purpose before arranging a notary.

Frequently asked questions

My employer's agent says to notarise my degree for the Employment Pass. Should I? MOM says a notarised educational certificate is not acceptable verification proof. Ask which of MOM's listed verification methods the employer is using.

Does my Australian marriage certificate need an apostille for a Dependant's Pass? MOM's document list asks for a copy, not an apostille. Follow any further request MOM makes about your specific application.

We are not married. What do we need? For a common-law spouse Long-Term Visit Pass, MOM asks for an affidavit notarised in your home country, or an embassy letter. An Australian notary can witness the affidavit.