Marriage Certificate Notarisation & Apostille Services in Singapore

Spouse Visa, Name Change or Registering Your Marriage Abroad?

Your marriage certificate usually becomes important when life moves across a border. Couples come to us when:

• a spouse visa or residence permit abroad asks for an apostilled marriage certificate
• a bank, pension fund or passport office overseas needs proof of a surname change
• they want to register their Singapore marriage in one partner's home country
• they've already moved abroad and need the certificate legalised without flying back
• they married overseas, live in Singapore, and a third country wants the foreign certificate certified

Most of these start with a Singapore certificate, which is usually a shorter route than people expect. Relocating as a family? Your children's birth certificates often follow the same SAL route.

How we handle your marriage certificate

1. 1Tell us what you have. ROM or ROMM? Paper, digital or laminated? Where is it going? A photo or a short message is enough, and we send an itemised quote.
2. 2We check it qualifies for SAL. Only the official Certificate of Marriage counts. We print digital certificates exactly as SAL requires and test the QR code.
3. 3We submit it to SAL for you. SAL accepts a proxy with no authorisation letter, so you don't need to take leave or queue (how our proxy service works).
4. 4Embassy if needed, then delivery. We courier the finished certificate to you in Singapore or overseas.

A Notary comes in only for foreign marriage certificates, for copies an authority specifically wants notarised, and for signed declarations.

ROM and ROMM Certificates: What Changes and What Doesn't

SAL states that a marriage certificate issued by the Registry of Marriages (ROM) or the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) can be submitted for legalisation. It also says it directly legalises Singapore public documents, with the marriage certificate as an example. So for notarisation purposes, ROM and ROMM certificates are treated the same way: both usually go straight to SAL.

What doesn't change between them:

• The ceremonial certificate isn't accepted. Couples can receive a decorative ceremonial certificate as a keepsake. SAL doesn't accept it for legalisation, so bring the official Certificate of Marriage.
• Laminated certificates can't be legalised. Apply for a duplicate or extract instead.
• SAL needs the original or a valid digital certificate, not a photocopy.

What does differ is how you get a duplicate:

• ROM: apply through the Our Marriage Journey e-Services or the kiosks at ROM, 7 Canning Rise. ROM charges a fee for a digital duplicate or extract.
• ROMM: ROMM issues duplicates for a fee. Check ROMM's current process for your marriage year, or ask us.
• Civil marriages before 15 September 1961 are handled by the National Archives of Singapore.

The duplicate is usually emailed by the next working day, and older records can take three to five working days.

Married in Singapore but Only Have the Digital Certificate?

ROM has emailed a digital Certificate of Marriage to couples since 25 September 2023. Many couples now have only the PDF, and that's fine.

For overseas use, the official guidance is simple. The overseas authority can verify the digital certificate by scanning its QR code. So ask them first whether that's enough. If they still want legalisation, SAL can process a printout when:

• the print is an exact reproduction, including headers, footers and borders
• the QR code on the printed page works (SAL can't apostille a document with a faulty QR code)
• no certified-copy stamp is added, because the QR code does the verifying

Printing it wrong is the most common way a digital certificate gets turned away at the counter. Send us the file, and we'll print it, test the QR code and submit it.

Living Overseas? We Handle Your Marriage Certificate Here in Singapore

If you married in Singapore and now live abroad, you may not need to post anything at all. You can usually apply online for a digital duplicate, which is emailed to you. Forward the file to us. We print it to SAL's standard, submit it, and courier the apostilled certificate to your door.

If you'd rather use your paper original, courier it to us. We tell you what to send, confirm when it arrives and keep you updated on WhatsApp until it's back with you. Many former residents need several documents at once, so see how we work with clients who live abroad.

Two honest limits:

• If you must sign something, such as a declaration, you need to sign it in person before a notary where you live. Remote notarisation isn't in force for notaries in Singapore, so we can't witness it by video.
• A foreign marriage certificate kept abroad is often best legalised in the country that issued it.

Apostille or Embassy Legalisation for Your Marriage Certificate

For Apostille Convention countries, such as Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, China, India, the Philippines and Indonesia, the SAL Apostille is normally the final Singapore step. Vietnam joined on 11 September 2026. Thailand joins on 28 February 2027, so until then documents for Thailand generally still go to the Royal Thai Embassy after SAL. For Malaysia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the extra embassy step usually follows the Apostille. Read more about what an Apostille proves abroad.

Foreign marriage certificates. If you married overseas and hold the certificate in Singapore, SAL can't legalise it directly. A Singapore Notary Public certifies a copy against the original, during a Notary visit at your home or office, and SAL apostilles the Notary's certificate. Some forms call this "getting it notarized". The Apostille confirms the Notary's act, not the foreign contents, so check that the receiving authority accepts it. For copies of passports and other ID in the same application, see our notary-certified copies of personal documents.

Not in English? Singapore certificates are in English. If the destination wants its own language, we arrange a translation notarised for the overseas authority, with names spelt exactly as in your passports.

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

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.

See every fee on one page.

How long it takes. SAL processes documents over the counter at The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street #08-06, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:30pm. Once we have your certificate or file, the SAL step is usually one visit. Our usual turnaround, courier aside, is 1–2 working days. Embassy legalisation takes as long as the embassy takes, so we never promise it. Checked October 2026.

Who's behind the service. Notarial work is done by our partner Singapore Notary Public, a senior lawyer appointed to practise as a Notary Public in Singapore (how we work with our partner Notary Public).

Marriage Certificate Questions From Couples