Degree Certificate Notarisation Singapore

All services are carried out in Singapore by a Singapore Notary Public.

Overseas Job Offer Waiting on Your Degree Documents?

An offer letter abroad often comes with a line like "degree must be attested" or "provide an apostilled copy of your diploma". Then the start date gets close. These are the requests we see most:

a graduate starting a job in Dubai who needs degree attestation for the work visa
a graduate now living in Spain who needs an NTU degree apostilled without flying back
O-level and N-level certificates for a job or school application in Saudi Arabia
a diploma from a school outside Singapore, held here, needed for a university in Italy
a professional certificate for registration with a licensing body abroad
an HR or relocation team preparing several employees' certificates at once

From your certificate to an accepted document, step by step

1Send us the details. A photo of the certificate plus your employer's or university's instructions. We confirm the route and send an itemised quote.
2The right Singapore step. An eligible local certificate goes straight to SAL. A foreign, professional or other private certificate is copied and certified by the Notary against your original, at your home or at your office.
3SAL Apostille. We submit it on your behalf at SAL. SAL processes documents over the counter on weekdays.
4Embassy attestation, if the country needs it, then courier to you or your employer.

Degree, Diploma, Transcript or O/A-Levels: What We Notarise

We only recommend a Notary where one is actually needed. Here's how each certificate type usually works:

Document	Usual Singapore route	Notary needed?
Original degree or diploma from NUS, NTU, SMU, SIT, SUSS, SUTD, a polytechnic or ITE	Direct to SAL	Usually not
Mainstream school certificate on MOE letterhead	Direct to SAL	Usually not
SIM University certificate	SUSS endorsement on every page, then SAL	Usually not
Full-time Madrasah certificate	MUIS endorsement, then SAL	Usually not
GCE O-, N- or A-level certificate (SEAB)	We check: SAL doesn't list these by name, so a notarised copy of the original may be needed	Case by case
Transcript	We check whether SAL takes your institution's original; otherwise a notarised copy	Case by case
Degree, diploma or transcript from outside Singapore	Notarised copy → SAL	Yes
Professional qualification (ACCA, CPA, other bodies)	Notarised copy → SAL	Yes

SAL describes eligible local certificates as "original and verifiable". Digitally issued certificates must meet SAL's verification standards.

One practical point. When SAL legalises an original directly, the Apostille is issued on your original certificate. If you'd rather keep your scroll untouched, a Notary can certify a copy instead, and SAL apostilles the Notary's certificate. Ask your employer or university whether a certified copy is acceptable before you choose.

For passports and other ID copies in the same application, see our certified copies of ID and personal documents.

Graduated With an OpenCerts Degree? What We Check First

OpenCerts is Singapore's digital certificate system. Its security sits inside the .opencert file. OpenCerts says plainly that printing a certificate discards those protections, so printed certificates "are not to be considered authentic". That's why we won't certify an OpenCerts printout, and nobody should promise you that.

Here's what we check instead:

Will the receiver verify the file itself? Anyone can drop the .opencert file into the OpenCerts website. NUS tells employers they don't need to ask candidates for certified true copies. Sometimes the simplest answer is to send the file.
Do you have a physical certificate? NUS graduates still receive a hardcopy degree scroll. A physical original opens the normal SAL route.
Can your university certify a copy? NTU, for example, certifies copies at NTU One Stop @ SAC when you bring the original and a photocopy.
Does your receiving authority accept any of these? We confirm before you pay for anything.

SEAB's digital exam results use the OpenCerts format too, so the same rules apply to O- and A-level e-results. Don't rename or edit the .opencert file; NTU says a file is verified as authentic if it opens without an error message.

Working in the UAE or Middle East? Degree Attestation Explained

The United Arab Emirates isn't a party to the Apostille Convention, so a degree for UAE employment takes the longer route:

1A Notary certifies a copy, if the certificate isn't a Singapore government-issued document.
2SAL adds the Apostille.
3The UAE Embassy in Singapore attests it.

Singapore's Consulate-General in Dubai confirms this order. It also says Singapore's missions in the UAE can only attest a document that SAL has already legalised. Some professions need an extra degree equivalency step with the UAE Ministry of Education. Whether a further attestation inside the UAE is still required after the embassy step isn't clear from official sources, so confirm it with your employer.

Saudi Arabia has been an Apostille party since 7 December 2022, so the SAL Apostille is normally the final Singapore step for Saudi Arabia. Employers and licensing bodies may still set their own requirements. Qatar and Kuwait aren't parties, so they usually need embassy attestation after SAL. We submit to the embassy for you where it allows. Embassy timelines vary, and we never promise them.

Applying to a University Overseas With Singapore Certificates

Universities abroad set their own rules. Some want transcripts sent directly by your university's registrar. Others accept certified copies, and many European universities want an Apostille. Check the admissions page, then send us the requirement.

For Apostille countries, such as the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada, the USA, Japan and South Korea, the SAL Apostille for education documents is normally the last Singapore step. Vietnam joined on 11 September 2026, and Thailand joins on 28 February 2027. If the university wants a translation, we can arrange one translated and notarised for the university.

What it costs. Notary fees are fixed by law and the same at every notary. SAL sets its own fees.

Route	Government and statutory fees	Our fee
Local original certificate, direct to SAL	SAL legalisation S$10.70 per document, as listed by SAL	From S$39 per document + government fees
Foreign or professional certificate, one-page notarised copy	Copy S$10 + notarial certificate S$75 + SAL Apostille S$87.20	Free document check
Embassy attestation (e.g. UAE)	Embassy's own fee, quoted per case	From S$149 per document + embassy fee at cost
Courier to you or your employer	Quoted by destination	At cost

The prices shown above are starting prices. Your final price depends on the document type, number of pages and destination country, and will be confirmed in a written quotation before any work begins.

Worked examples are on our page covering notary, SAL and visit fees.

How long it takes. The Notary step happens at your appointment. SAL works over the counter at The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street #08-06, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:30pm. Our usual turnaround before any embassy step is 1–2 working days. Need it faster? Ask about +S$39 per document (cut-off 11:00 AM on working days) options. Checked October 2026.

Who handles your certificates. Notarial work is done by our partner Singapore Notary Public, a senior lawyer appointed to practise as a Notary Public in Singapore (about our partner Notary Public).

Google

“I needed a certified true copy of my degree certificate for a university application overseas. The appointment was simple and the original was checked against the copy before certification. It didn't take long at all.”

Ryan Chua — Singapore

Certified True Copy · May 2025

Graduated in Singapore, Now Living Abroad?

Your certificate can travel even if you can't. You can courier your original to us, and we confirm when it arrives. Some universities may also post a document to us directly, if their process allows it. We handle SAL, any embassy step and the courier back, with WhatsApp updates throughout. Read more about how we work with graduates and clients living overseas.

One honest limit: if a document needs your signature, you must sign it in person before a notary where you live. Remote notarisation isn't in force for notaries in Singapore. Relocating with a spouse? Your marriage certificate for the spouse visa usually goes straight to SAL too.

Questions From Graduates Before They Send Their Degree

How do I notarise my degree for use overseas?

It depends on who issued it. An original degree from NUS, NTU, SMU, SIT, SUSS, SUTD, a polytechnic or ITE can usually go straight to SAL for an Apostille. A foreign or professional certificate is certified by a Singapore Notary Public first, then apostilled by SAL. Non-Apostille countries add an embassy step. We confirm your route before you pay.

Can an OpenCerts degree be apostilled?

Not from a printout. OpenCerts states that printed certificates are not to be considered authentic, so a notary shouldn't certify one. We check the right route for your digital certificate instead: the receiver verifying the file itself, your physical scroll, or a copy certified by your university. Then we handle SAL for whichever route works.

Does the UAE need embassy attestation?

Yes. The UAE isn't a party to the Apostille Convention, so after SAL the document goes to the UAE Embassy in Singapore for attestation. Some professions also need a UAE Ministry of Education equivalency step. We submit to the embassy on your behalf where it allows, and confirm any extra steps with your employer's instructions.

Can you notarise my transcript too?

Yes, if it needs notarising. Some transcripts from local institutions may go straight to SAL like the degree itself; others need a notarised copy of the original. Many overseas universities want transcripts sent directly by your registrar instead, so check their instructions first. Send us the transcript and the requirement, and we'll tell you which applies.

My university can send the original to you. Is that OK?

Yes, where the university's process allows it. Ask the university first, then give us the sender's details so we know what's arriving. We confirm receipt on WhatsApp, handle SAL and any embassy step, and courier the finished document to you. If the university only issues certified copies, we check whether SAL or a Notary can take it forward.

Can you help with a degree from a university outside Singapore?

Yes. If you hold a foreign degree in Singapore, a Singapore Notary Public can certify a copy against the original, and SAL then apostilles it. The Apostille confirms the Notary's act, not the university's, so some authorities prefer the degree legalised in the country that issued it. Some checklists just say "get it notarized"; we'll check what yours actually means.