Certified Passport Copy with Apostille in Singapore

Why only a notarised passport copy can be apostilled

An apostille is attached to a Singapore public document or to a document signed by a Singapore official, such as a notary. A photocopy you make yourself is neither, so SAL has nothing to authenticate. Your actual passport cannot be apostilled either: it is a travel document you must keep, and SAL does not attach certificates to passports.

The notary fixes this. The notary sights your original, compares it page by page with the photocopy, and signs and seals a certification that the copy is a true copy of the original. That certificate is a notarial act. SAL checks the notary's signature and seal against its records and attaches the apostille, so the foreign reader can rely on the chain: SAL confirms the notary, the notary confirms the copy.

This is also why a certified copy from your employer's HR team, a bank officer or a commissioner for oaths is usually not enough when "apostille" is mentioned. Only a notary's certification can go to SAL.

What the notary checks on your passport

Expect the appointment to take about 15 minutes. The notary will:

• Match you to the passport. You attend in person and your face matches the photo page.
• Check validity. An expired passport can still be copied, but the certificate will say it is expired, and most banks will refuse it. Use your current passport.
• Compare every page copied. Usually the photo (bio-data) page only. Some banks also want the signature page or the pages with your Singapore pass or entry stamps; tell us in advance.
• Check legibility. The machine-readable lines at the bottom of the photo page must be clear. We make high-resolution colour copies; faint or cropped copies can be rejected abroad.
• Record the certification wording. Some receivers ask for specific wording, such as "I certify that this is a true copy of the original and that the photograph is a true likeness of the holder". Send us that text if your bank has supplied it.

Each certified copy is its own notarial act. If you need copies for three banks, the notary certifies three copies and SAL apostilles three documents.

Foreign passports held by Singapore residents

Many Singapore residents hold Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, British or other passports and live here on an Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependant's Pass or as permanent residents. A Singapore notary can certify a copy of any country's passport, provided you are physically in Singapore with the original. The apostille issued by SAL is a Singapore apostille confirming the Singapore notary. It is not an act of your home country.

Two practical points:

1. 1Your home country may prefer its own route. Some authorities, for example certain Indian banks, may ask for attestation by their own embassy or high commission rather than, or in addition to, a Singapore apostille. Confirm with the receiver first.
2. 2Using the copy in a non-Hague country. For countries outside the Apostille Convention, such as the UAE and Malaysia, the apostilled copy then goes to that country's embassy or high commission in Singapore. See embassy legalisation or check your destination on the apostille countries list.

Copies of NRIC and FIN cards follow a similar process, but passports are what foreign banks ask for most.

Where apostilled passport copies are used

• Overseas bank accounts. Personal accounts in the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong or Dubai, where you cannot attend a branch.
• Company filings. Appointing you as a director or shareholder of a foreign company, or proving the identity of a Singapore company's directors. See documents to set up a company overseas.
• KYC and investments. Brokerages, trust companies and fund administrators.
• Visas and residence. Some consulates want certified copies for long-stay visas.
• Property and inheritance. Buying land abroad or claiming an estate, often alongside a power of attorney apostille.
• Marriage abroad. Some registries ask for certified ID with your single status certificate.

Many receivers only accept certified copies that are less than three or six months old, so time the certification close to when you submit.

Passport copy apostille price and time

A second certified set is a separate notarial act and a separate SAL apostille, so the cost roughly doubles rather than adding a small copy charge. Embassy legalisation for non-Hague countries is extra, from SGD 69 per document plus the embassy's own fee. Full details are on our apostille price page.

Timing: visit our Suntec office (7 Temasek Boulevard, #12-07 Suntec Tower One) with your passport during opening hours; the certification takes minutes, and the SAL apostille is typically completed within 1–2 working days. Evening and weekend notary sessions carry a supplement from SGD 29. For a whole team of employees, a mobile notary visit (from SGD 69) through our doorstep apostille service comes to your office.