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

If you've ever been asked to "get a document notarised" or "have it signed in front of a Commissioner for Oaths", you'd be forgiven for assuming the two roles are interchangeable. In Singapore they're not. They're governed by different legislation, charge different fees, and handle different kinds of work.

Commissioner for Oaths

A Commissioner for Oaths (CO) is empowered under the Oaths and Declarations Act to administer oaths, take affirmations, and witness statutory declarations. In practice, if your document will be used inside Singapore (for a local court, HDB, a bank, or a government agency), a Commissioner for Oaths is usually all you need.

Fees are statutory and fixed: $25 for the first document signed on a single occasion, $10 for each additional document. Page count is irrelevant.

Notary Public

A Notary Public (NP) is appointed under the Notaries Public Act and has a broader remit, and most importantly the authority to notarise documents destined for use outside Singapore. Only a Notary Public can produce a Notarial Certificate, which is in turn authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for international recognition.

NP fees are tiered by act: $10 per document for a true-copy certification (plus $5 per extra page), $40/$20/$10 cascading per signatory for witnessing execution, plus $75 per Notarial Certificate and $87.20 per SAL authentication.

Who should I ask for?

• Statutory declaration for a local court, HDB, or bank → Commissioner for Oaths.
• Sworn affidavit for Singapore proceedings → Commissioner for Oaths.
• Certified copy of a passport for a foreign school, employer, or embassy → Notary Public.
• Power of Attorney to be used overseas → Notary Public.
• Any document that needs a SAL authentication stamp → Notary Public.

Most law firms have both, and a single conversation will usually settle which you need. If you're unsure, call or WhatsApp the firm and describe what the document is for.