Can a deed poll be notarised online?

Can a deed poll be notarised online?#

Partly. There are two steps, and only the second can move online. First, the deed poll is signed: on paper, in ink, in front of a witness who is physically there. Second, if an authority abroad asks for it, a notary certifies the deed poll, a copy of it or your signature, and that notarial step can now be done by video in England, Wales and Scotland, if the authority receiving it will accept a remote notarisation. In the UK itself no notary is needed at all.

Why the deed poll itself cannot be signed online#

In England and Wales, section 1 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 requires a deed to be signed "in the presence of a witness who attests the signature". HM Passport Office's guidance to its staff adds that every signature on an unenrolled deed poll must be a wet signature, and that the witness need not be a solicitor or a commissioner for oaths. The notaries' own rules leave this alone: the Faculty Office's chapter on remote appearance says it is not intended to change any legal requirement for a witness to be physically present with the person making a deed. Can a deed poll be signed digitally? explains the Law Commission's view of what presence means.

So a notary on a video call cannot act as your deed poll's witness. Sign it on paper with your witnesses in the room, and bring the notary in afterwards.

What notaries in England and Wales may do remotely#

On 18 June 2026 the Faculty Office, which regulates notaries in England and Wales, added a chapter on remote appearance to its Code of Practice. Notaries may now issue notarial acts, on paper or electronically, for someone who appears by video rather than in person. The chapter sets conditions:

• The notary must be in England or Wales when acting, because their authority stops at the border.
• The act must not suggest you were there. A notarial certificate may not state or imply that you were physically present if you appeared by video.
• Identity checks are as strict as in person. The notary stays responsible for verifying who you are, and must guard against forged documents and "deepfake" video.
• There must be a link to England and Wales, such as your residence or nationality, where a person or asset is, or the law governing the document, unless the circumstances otherwise justify using a notary there.
• Doubts mean a refusal. Where concerns about capacity or free will cannot be dealt with over video, the notary should decline.
• Physical presence rules still apply. The chapter does not change any legal requirement for a person making a statutory declaration or swearing an affidavit to be physically present with the notary.

And in Scotland?#

Scotland went further, earlier. Section 10A of the Requirements of Writing (Scotland) Act 1995, in force since 1 October 2022, removes any requirement for a solicitor, advocate or notary to be in the same place as a person who signs a document, takes an oath or makes an affirmation or declaration. The Law Society of Scotland says this made permanent the relaxation brought in during the pandemic. It does not touch the rules on witnesses to documents such as wills and registerable deeds, and for a document going abroad the notary should tell you that making sure it will be accepted there is your responsibility.

For Northern Ireland, ask the notary what they can do remotely before you book.

Will the country receiving it accept a remote notarisation?#

That is for the authority receiving it to decide, and no UK body can decide it for you. The Faculty Office tells notaries that remote appearance is not universally accepted: before acting, a notary should either check the receiving country's widely known requirements, or tell you that it may not be accepted and that you must check with the recipient. The Notaries Society says some countries accept a notarial document signed over a video link, commonly called remote online notarisation, and that not every country accepts electronic documents.

GOV.UK's advice before any legalisation is to ask whoever wants the document:

1. whether they need the original or a certified copy;
2. whether a particular person, such as a UK notary or solicitor, must sign it;
3. whether a paper apostille will do, or an e-Apostille is acceptable.

Ask, too, whether they accept a remote notarisation. A legalisation fee is not refunded if the document cannot be legalised.

Paper or electronic: what changes#

The Faculty Office asks notaries who issue electronic acts to register their electronic signature with the FCDO's Legalisation Office, so that e-Apostilles can be added. GOV.UK says some recipients want a paper apostille, and that certain documents cannot have an e-Apostille at all, including birth, marriage and civil partnership certificates. Using a UK deed poll abroad explains apostilles in full.

Before you book a notary#

• Have the original to hand. The Faculty Office says a notary will not attest documents unless they are satisfied they have seen the originals, not copies. Ask how a notary working by video will see your signed deed poll.
• Compare published terms. The Faculty Office's rules require notaries to give the basis of their fees, the services they offer and normal timescales, on their website or on request.
• Find one on the official registers. The Faculty Office's Find a Notary search covers England and Wales, and the Notaries Society says notaries offering electronic notarisation can be found with its "electronic notarisation offered" filter. GOV.UK points to the Law Society of Scotland for Scotland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland for Northern Ireland.

We do not recommend particular notaries, and we are not notaries ourselves. We draft the deed poll that the notary then certifies: £18.50, checked by a paralegal and posted the same working day. What is a notary public? explains who notaries are and what they charge.