Why do I need a Notary?

You may need a notary public for many things, such as selling or buying a house abroad, opening a foreign bank account, giving a power of attorney, certified copies of documents such as examination certificates, opening a branch office of your company or business abroad, getting translations of documents certified, if you marry abroad and so on.

The need for a notary public is dictated by the requirements of the country where the document is to be used. For example, if you are not in Spain but wish to buy a property there, giving your lawyer the power to deal with the purchase and registration of your ownership is usually necessary.

This is done using a power of attorney signed by you, the purchaser, in front of a notary. You cannot sign it before anyone else; the text must be in Spanish. The notary public will confirm your name and identity, sign the document, and seal it with his or her official seal. Often, an apostille is needed to verify the signature and seal of the notary.

The document then will usually need to be further authenticated by having DFAT confirm the validity of the notary’s signature and seal. This is done by apostille or authentication, an official certificate attached to the back of the document.