Certified True Copy Services in Singapore
Nobody wants to post an original degree, a marriage certificate or a passport to another country, and quite rightly. A certified true copy fixes that. A Notary Public here holds your original, checks it against the photocopy, and signs to say the two are the same. The copy travels. The paper you cannot replace stays with you.
One thing worth knowing before you order: the notary has to see the physical original. A scan is fine for a translation, never for a true copy. Bring it in or courier it. You get it back the same day.
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Three Levels Of True Copy Certification Services Compared
These three words get used as if they mean the same thing, and they do not. Ordering one level too low means a rejected file. Ordering one too high means money spent for nothing. Read the three, then tell us who is asking for your paper and we will point at the right one.
1. Company Certified Copy
- Who signs it: our office, after seeing your original. A dated statement, a signature and our company stamp on the photocopy.
- Used for: local employers, schools, membership bodies and some banks that only want proof the copy was checked against a real document.
- Time: same day, often while you wait.
- From: S$25 per document.
2. Notarised True Copy
- Who signs it: a Notary Public, a senior lawyer appointed under Singapore law. They examine your original in person and seal the copy.
- Used for: foreign universities, professional councils, embassies, overseas banks and company registrations abroad.
- Extra step: since 1 October 2019 every notarised paper must also be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law. We send it on for you.
- From: S$100 per document, plus the SAL fee at cost.
3. Apostilled Or Legalised Copy
- Who signs it: the Singapore Academy of Law, the only body here allowed to issue an apostille.
- Used for: countries in the Hague Convention, which has applied here since 16 September 2021. Everywhere else needs that country's embassy to stamp it instead.
- Good to know: the full chain of stamps, and which one your destination wants, is set out on our document authentication services in Singapore.
The part most people misunderstand
A true copy says one thing and one thing only: this photocopy matches the paper the notary held. It does not say your degree is real, your certificate was properly issued, or that the facts inside it are correct. Anybody telling you a notary stamp proves your document is genuine has explained it wrongly. If an office wants proof the document itself is authentic, that has to come from whoever issued it, or through a longer chain of stamps. We say this plainly to every caller, and it is the same plain approach we take across all our translation and notary services in Singapore.
Certified Copy Service In Singapore For Any Language
Here is where two jobs meet. A true copy proves the photocopy matches your original. It does nothing to help a reader who cannot understand the words on it. So when the original is in Chinese, Tamil, Burmese or anything else, the office abroad almost always wants both. We handle the pair in one appointment, and the notary signs the translation and the copy on the same day.
Also: Arabic, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu, Persian, Turkish, Sinhalese, Lao, Nepali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Polish, Ukrainian
Do not see your language? Send the scan across anyway. We work with translators in more than 200 languages, and where nobody here reads yours we say so on the same day rather than leave your file sitting.
Taking A Certified True Copy Singapore Notary Abroad
Once your copy leaves the country it stops being just a photocopy with a seal. It becomes a document a stranger has to trust without ever seeing your original. That is why the receiving office cares so much about who signed it, and why a few small details decide whether it is accepted.
Who Signed It Matters Most
Overseas offices check that the signer is a Notary Public whose name can be traced through SAL. A shop stamp gets nowhere.
Fresh Dates Are Often Required
Many universities and councils will not look at a copy certified more than three or six months ago. Check before you reuse an old one.
Every Page, Not Just The First
A transcript with six pages needs all six certified. Files come back rejected over this more than any other reason.
A Copy Of A Copy Will Not Do
The notary must hold the original. A scan, a photo, or a copy somebody else certified last year cannot be used as the source.
Booking A Certified Photocopy Service Singapore In Four Steps
Unlike a translation, this one needs your original in the room. That is the only part you have to do in person, and it takes about ten minutes. Everything after it happens on our side.
Tell us what and where
List the documents and name the country or office asking. Send a photo so we can count the pages and quote you properly.
Get the price and the level
One figure covering the copies, the notary and SAL, plus a clear yes or no on whether an apostille is really needed.
Bring the original in
Walk it over or courier it. The notary examines it, signs each page, and your original goes straight back to you the same day.
Collect the finished set
SAL authentication is added, an apostille where it applies, and the whole bundle is couriered out or held for pickup.
How We Handle Attested True Copy Singapore Requests
The work itself is simple. What goes wrong is everything around it — a missing page, a stamp nobody needed, an original left sitting in an office for a week. That is the part we manage carefully.
Your Original Back The Same Day
Nothing is held overnight. The notary examines it, signs, and it is handed or couriered straight back to you before the office closes.
Page Count Checked Before You Pay
We count the pages against what the office asked for. A six page transcript with only the front page certified is the most common rejection we see.
Notary And SAL Under One Booking
You do not go looking for a lawyer, join a queue, or make a second trip. One appointment covers the signing and we carry it onward.
We Say No When You Do Not Need Us
Some offices accept a copy signed by the issuing school or by their own staff. When that is your case, we tell you and charge nothing.
Inside A Real Job: Degree True Copy Attestation Singapore
One case from start to finish, showing how a degree and a transcript became notarised true copies with an apostille, for an engineering council overseas.
Degree And Transcript, Certified
One degree scroll, one seven page transcript
His worry: the council wanted certified copies, and he was not willing to post the only degree he owned to another continent.
What the client needed
Engineer in Singapore, registering overseas
- He refused to post his only degree scroll overseas
- A shop had certified just the first page last time
What we did
Copies, notary, SAL and apostille in one order
- Read the council's instruction page first
- Counted every page they wanted certified
- Notary examined both originals in person
- SAL authentication added
- Apostille issued, then couriered out
How Much Certified True Copy Pricing Singapore Actually Is
Prices below are where each level starts. What moves them is the number of pages, how many copies you want, and whether SAL and an apostille come into it. You get the full figure in writing before anything is signed, and nothing is added afterwards.
Company Certified Copy
Same dayStarting from
- Original checked in front of you
- Dated statement, signature and company stamp
- Every page stamped, not just the first
- Fine for local employers, schools and clubs
Notarised True Copy
2-5 working daysStarting from. SAL fee added at actual cost.
- A Notary Public examines and seals it
- SAL authentication arranged for you
- Extra copies of the same paper cost less
- The level embassies and councils ask for
Copy Plus Translation
One appointmentTranslation from, added to the copy price
- For originals not written in English
- Notary signs the copy and the translation together
- Saves you a second trip and a second fee
- Send the scan early so translation starts first
A word on quantity. Order five copies of the same degree in one visit and each one after the first costs noticeably less, because the notary examines the original only once. If you think three universities will each want a set, say so at the start. Coming back in a month means paying the full examination fee again.
Feedback From Clients On Our True Copy Work
Notes from people who walked in with an original and walked out twenty minutes later still holding it. A few mention the speed. More mention that they were told which stamps they did not need.
Real Client Experiences
Swipe to read more success stories
Arabic Passport Accepted by Embassy
"Immediately, I needed a certified true copy of my Arabic passport for MFA authentication in Singapore. The team prepared it carefully with official stamp. The embassy verified it and accepted..."
Chinese Diploma for MOM Verification
"Last week, my Chinese diploma required a certified true copy for submission to MOM in Singapore. The staff checked every page and stamped it officially. MOM accepted the copy immediately..."
Russian Power of Attorney for Court
"Yesterday, my Russian Power of Attorney had to be submitted to a Singapore court. They requested a certified true copy in English. The service prepared it properly with official stamp,..."
German Birth Certificate for PR
"Recently, ICA asked for a certified true copy of my German birth certificate. The team prepared it correctly with official stamp. ICA accepted it at first review, allowing my PR..."
Malay Declaration for Court Filing
"Surprisingly, my Malay statutory declaration needed a certified true copy for submission to Singapore court. The staff delivered it correctly with official stamp. The court approved the copy during filing..."
Indonesian Contract for MFA
"Immediately, I had an Indonesian contract that needed a certified true copy for MFA legalisation in Singapore. The copy was accurate, stamped officially, and MFA accepted it without any extra..."
Arabic Commercial Document for Court
"Recently, our Arabic trade document needed a certified true copy for court submission in Singapore. The copy was prepared carefully with official stamp. The court approved it immediately. This helped..."
English Will for French Authority
"Luckily, my English will required a certified true copy in French for submission to French authority in Singapore. The team delivered it correctly. The authority accepted it at first review...."
Employment Contract for Malay Embassy
"Recently, my English employment contract needed a certified true copy in Malay for embassy submission in Singapore. The official copy was prepared carefully. Embassy staff accepted it immediately. Cross-border employment..."
Documents Often Certified Alongside Your True Copy Order
Hardly anybody orders a single copy. An application usually wants your qualification, your identity paper and one civil certificate all at once. Bring the whole pile in together and the notary examines them in one sitting, which costs less than three separate visits.
Bring The Whole Pile In One Trip
Copies, notary, SAL and apostille handled by the same team, so your bundle leaves here ready to post.
Common Doubts About True Copy Of Original Documents
These come up on the phone almost daily. Here they are, answered exactly as we answer them there.
FAQ Group
What exactly does a certified true copy prove?
It proves one narrow thing: the photocopy is the same as the paper the signer held. That is all. It does not prove your degree is real, that the issuing school exists, or that the facts inside are true. People often assume a notary seal makes a document genuine, and it simply does not. If an office wants proof the document itself is authentic, that has to come from whoever issued it.
Do I really have to bring the physical original in?
Yes, and there is no way round it. The notary is signing to say they held the original and compared it. A scan cannot support that statement, so no honest notary will sign against one. Walk it in, or courier it and we courier it straight back. Your original never stays with us overnight.
What does the whole thing cost?
A company certified copy starts at S$25 a document. The notarised version starts at S$100 a document, with the SAL fee added at exactly what it costs us. An apostille is quoted on top when your destination needs one. Copies two, three and four of the same paper cost less than the first, because the notary only examines the original once.
Can you certify a copy of something that is already a copy?
No. Some people arrive holding a copy their university certified two years ago and ask us to certify that. A notary cannot honestly do it, because they are being asked to vouch for a document nobody in the room has seen. Ask the issuing body for a fresh certified copy, or find your original. We would rather turn the job away than sign something that gets you rejected later.
My original is in Chinese. Do I need a translation too?
Nearly always, and they are two different jobs. The copy proves the photocopy matches. The translation lets the reader understand it. An office that cannot read Chinese needs both. Send the scan first so translation can start, then bring the original in for the notary. Doing them in one appointment saves you a trip and part of the fee.
How long does a certified copy stay valid?
The copy itself does not expire. What expires is the receiving office's patience with an old date. Plenty of universities, councils and embassies will not accept anything certified more than three or six months ago, because they want proof the original still existed recently. Check their instruction page before you reuse one, and if the date is close to the limit, order a fresh set instead of gambling.
Can somebody else bring my documents in for me?
For a straight true copy, yes. The notary is examining the document, not identifying you, so a family member or a colleague can drop it off. It is different where the notary has to witness you signing something, and in that case you must appear yourself with your passport. Tell us which of the two you need and we will say whether you have to come.
My bank statement only exists as a download. Can that be certified?
This one needs care. With no ink original, the honest wording is that the printout matches what was displayed in your online account, and the notary can watch you log in and print it. Some offices accept that and some do not. Where they will not, the answer is a stamped statement from your bank branch instead. Ask them before you order, because it saves you the fee.
Should every page be certified, or just the one with my name?
Every page, always. This is the single most common reason a bundle bounces back. A seven page transcript with a stamp on page one is treated as six uncertified pages attached to a certified one. We count the pages with you before the notary starts, and each one gets its own seal. It costs a little more and it saves a fortnight.
Can you certify a copy of my NRIC?
A notary can certify one, and foreign embassies do sometimes ask for it. Worth pausing first, though. Many organisations in Singapore are not permitted to collect or keep NRIC copies at all, so if the request came from a local company it may not be something they should be asking for. Check what they actually need. Quite often a passport copy does the job and carries less risk for you.
Do I need an apostille on top of the notary stamp?
Only when the paper is leaving Singapore and the destination is in the Hague Convention. Staying here? You do not need one, and we will say so. Going somewhere outside the convention? An apostille is useless there and that country's embassy has to stamp it instead. Name the country when you order and we will map the exact chain before you spend anything.
How many copies should I order while I am there?
More than you think you need. Most people applying to three universities order one set, then come back twice. Each extra copy made in the same visit costs a fraction of the first, because the examination has already happened. Two spare sets in a drawer is cheap insurance against a second appointment and a second courier bill.
My original is damaged and part of the seal has worn off. Is it usable?
Usually yes, since the notary is comparing the copy to the paper in front of them, damage and all. What they cannot do is pretend a worn seal is clear. Where something is unreadable it stays unreadable on the copy. If your document is badly damaged, it is often worth asking the issuing body for a replacement first, and we will tell you when we think that is the better road.
My deadline is in two days. Can it still be done?
The company certified level is same day, easily. The notarised level depends on the notary's diary and on SAL's turnaround, so two days is tight but sometimes possible. An apostille on top rarely is. Message us on WhatsApp so your file is flagged, and you will get a straight yes or no. If we cannot make your date we will tell you rather than take the money and hope.
Book Your Certified True Copy Services Singapore Now
List your documents, name the country asking for them, and you will know the level, the price and the date before you set foot in the office. Copies, notary, SAL and apostille all under one roof.