Most Indian matters that come to me fall into one of two groups. The first is a power of attorney, usually appointing a relative or an advocate in India to buy, sell or manage property, deal with a bank or represent you in proceedings. The second is a bundle of documents that an Indian bank has asked to be certified before it will process a home loan, a mortgage or an NRI account application. The work is different in each case and so is the cost, and both raise the same question at the end about the apostille.
Powers of attorney for India
The document is normally drafted in India by your advocate or by the family member who will act for you, and sent to you for signing here. As with any foreign document, the wording and the powers granted are for the person who drafted it. Questions about how the document is stamped, registered or used once it reaches India are for your advocate or the receiving authority, not for me. Some Indian powers of attorney include a space for your photograph and for witnesses. If yours does, tell me in advance so that the appointment can be arranged accordingly.
At the appointment I check your identity against your passport and a proof of address dated within the last three months, satisfy myself that you understand the document, watch you sign and attach my notarial certificate, signature and seal. If the document is in Hindi or any language other than English, I will need a formal translation before the appointment, unless it is very short.
A typical notary fee for a single power of attorney is £190, with no VAT payable, confirmed as a fixed fee once I have seen the document.
Bank loan and NRI account bundles
Indian banks commonly ask a UK resident applicant to have around five documents certified: passport, proof of UK address, recent bank statements, recent payslips and a letter from the employer. A PAN card, an Aadhaar copy, a visa or biometric residence permit and passport photographs sometimes appear as well. My usual fee for a bundle of this kind is between £200 and £300, with no VAT payable. The figure depends on how many items there are and what type they are. Where there is a set of documents I can normally charge at an hourly rate rather than notarising each one separately, which generally works out better, and I confirm the basis of the fee once I have seen the bundle.
What the certificate says
It is worth being clear about this before you instruct me, because it is the point on which expectations most often differ. Each item is certified as a true copy of the document produced to me. I am not certifying that the contents are accurate, that you earn what the payslip shows or that the balance on the statement is genuine. If the bank has asked for something beyond a certified copy, send me its request and I will tell you whether it is something a notary can do.
Originals, not screenshots
Bank statements and payslips are usually held as PDFs or accessed online. I need the original document, or a printout issued by the bank or employer, rather than a photograph of a screen. Where a document was issued electronically I may need to verify it against the issuing body’s records before I can certify it, which can add time.
Names that do not match
Indian identity documents often carry a different form of your name from your UK passport: a surname missing, a father’s name in a different position, an initial expanded or contracted. The bank will compare the documents, and a discrepancy may hold up the application. If your documents differ, tell me at the outset. A separate declaration confirming that the names refer to the same person can usually be prepared, and that is additional work outside the bundle fee.
Apostille or High Commission attestation
India is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille is available for a notarised document. Some Indian banks and authorities nonetheless still ask for attestation by the High Commission of India in London instead. I do not decide which applies. Check with the bank or your advocate what they will accept before instructing me, because either route carries an additional cost on top of the notary fee and adds time.
The two routes work differently. I do not deal with the High Commission directly. Attestation there is something you attend for in person, and the High Commission normally asks for supporting copies of your identity documents and evidence of your UK immigration status, and for the same from any witnesses to the document. I can prepare notarised copies of those for you and for your witnesses so that you arrive with what is needed. Check the High Commission’s current list before the visit, as it changes without notice.
Where an apostille is needed I can arrange it. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office charges £45 per document for a paper apostille, plus £6 return postage to a UK address. Turnaround varies, so allow two to five weeks. Through an agent the cost is £64 per document plus £12.60 for return by courier to a UK address, and the document is normally back within about three working days.
For a bundle there is a choice to make. If the documents are certified as separate acts, each one needs its own apostille. They can instead be bound into a single act under one certificate, which needs one apostille. Separate acts are my usual recommendation, because if the bank queries one item the whole bundle does not have to be redone, but I quote for both so that you can choose.
Before you get in touch
Email me the documents, or photographs of them, before the appointment so that I can confirm the cost and tell you what to bring. Although I act independently as a notary, I am also a solicitor with the firm RWK Goodman and I use their offices for my notarial appointments. My professional practice rules require me to keep a copy of each notarised document, in most cases for 12 years but for a public form notarial act I have to keep a copy permanently, and I am also required to keep a copy of your identity documents for five years. If you would like to proceed, get in touch and we can arrange a convenient appointment.
Malcolm GregoryNotary Public and Solicitor, in practice as a notary since 2006. Member of The Notaries Society, regulated through the Faculty Office. Ask Malcolm about your document
This guide is general information about notarial practice in England and Wales. It is not advice on your particular matter. The requirements of foreign governments and other receiving authorities are set by them and can change without notice, so check them with the authority before you act. I only act for you once I have confirmed your instructions and fees in writing. Fees and third-party charges were correct when written and can change.