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Guide · 10 April 2026 · 2 min read

Notary Public vs Commissioner for Oaths: what's the difference?

Both witness documents, but they do different jobs. How to tell which one the organisation is asking for.

Key points

  • Go by what you have been asked for.
  • Asked to get it notarised? Use a Notary Public. That includes some Singapore agencies, such as ICA.
  • Asked for a statutory declaration or affidavit? A Commissioner for Oaths is usually enough.
  • Most law firms have both, so one call will settle it.
In this guide

The two roles sound similar, but they are set up under different laws, charge different fees and do different jobs.

Who you need, going by what you were asked for

Notary Public

  • “Get it notarised”
  • A certified true copy
  • An apostille or SAL authentication
  • A Power of Attorney for use abroad

Commissioner for Oaths

  • A statutory declaration
  • An affidavit
  • An oath or affirmation
  • Most HDB declarations

Not sure? Most law firms have both, so one call will settle it.

At a glance

What they do

Commissioner for Oaths: Administer oaths and affirmations, witness statutory declarations and affidavits

Notary Public: Certify copies, witness signatures and issue Notarial Certificates

Set up under

Commissioner for Oaths: Oaths and Declarations Act

Notary Public: Notaries Public Act

Fees

Commissioner for Oaths: $25 for the first document, $10 for each extra one

Notary Public: From $10 per document, plus $75 per Notarial Certificate

SAL authentication

Commissioner for Oaths: Not available

Notary Public: Available, $87.20

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Commissioner for Oaths

Use one for a statutory declaration or affidavit, for example for a court, HDB or a bank. The fee is per sitting, not per page.

Notary Public

Use one when you have been asked to get a document notarised. Only a Notary Public can issue a Notarial Certificate, which the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) can then authenticate so foreign authorities accept it.

Rule of thumb

Asked to get it notarised? Notary Public, whether the document is going to another country or to a Singapore agency like ICA. Asked for a statutory declaration or affidavit? Commissioner for Oaths.

Which one for my document?

Statutory declaration for a court, HDB or a bank

Who to ask: Commissioner for Oaths

Affidavit for Singapore court proceedings

Who to ask: Commissioner for Oaths

Certified passport copy for a foreign school, employer or embassy

Who to ask: Notary Public

Power of Attorney to be used in another country

Who to ask: Notary Public

Anything that needs SAL authentication or an apostille

Who to ask: Notary Public

Not sure? Call or WhatsApp a firm and say what the document is for.

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