Notary Public Glasgow

Notary Public Glasgow – Fast, Reliable Document Notarisation for Immigration and More

This is the notarial practice of Alexander Boyd, solicitor and notary public at 93 High Street in Merchant City, Glasgow. The firm's main work is immigration law, but notarial services are open to everyone: powers of attorney, affidavits, certified copies, degree certificates, travel consent letters and any document heading abroad, with the FCDO apostille arranged where one is needed. Appointments run in person at the office or by video call, with evening and weekend slots most weeks.

Alexander Boyd

Solicitor & Notary Public · Law Society of Scotland · Chartered Institute of Linguists · 93 High Street, Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1NB

Alexander has practised UK immigration law since 2012 and carries out every notarisation personally, at the office or by video call. He works in six languages, which helps when a document and its signatory don't share one.

Why Choose Our Notary Services in Glasgow?

• Legally recognised solicitor-notary with over 10 years of experience
• Specialising in immigration-related documents: sponsor letters, affidavits, certified copies, etc.
• Express notarisation for embassy/legal deadlines
• In-person and online notarisation options
• Transparent, fixed pricing quoted before you book

Immigration-Related Documents We Notarise

• Sponsorship declarations
• Immigration affidavits
• Power of attorney for overseas matters
• Certified translations
• Statutory declarations for Home Office or embassy use
• Identity certification for visa applications
• Document bundles for family visa packages

General Notarisation Services

• Passport and ID certification
• University degree or transcript notarisation
• Land and property documents
• Business and corporate documents
• Travel consent letters for children

Legalisation & Apostille Service

• Help with document legalisation at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
• Apostille certificates for international use
• Embassy attestation support
• One-stop notarisation and legalisation service

Note: An apostille confirms that the signature, stamp or seal on your document is genuine so that it can be used abroad. Legalisation can take a few weeks, and further fees may apply depending on the service required.

Notary or Solicitor Certification: Which Do You Need?

The organisation receiving your document sets the requirements, so check with them before you book. In Scotland every notary public is also a solicitor with a current practising certificate, but the two roles do different jobs. A solicitor's certification of a copy or a signature is generally accepted for domestic UK purposes, such as opening a bank account or a UK court process. Once a document is going abroad, the certification needs to come from a notary, because foreign authorities and the FCDO recognise the registered seal and signature of a notary public rather than a solicitor's stamp.

The same limit applies to the cheaper domestic options. The Post Office document certification service, banks, accountants and doctors can all certify copies for UK administrative use, but none of them are registered with the FCDO, so their certification cannot be legalised for use overseas. Embassies in the UK follow the same protocol: they attest documents only after a notary has notarised them and the FCDO has applied its apostille.

As a Scottish solicitor-notary we can also notarise documents governed by English or foreign law, and documents for use anywhere in the UK, provided the notarisation takes place in Scotland and the receiving authority accepts a Scottish notary's seal, which is the norm.

Documents for the Home Office: When You Don't Need a Notary

Plenty of people book a notary for Home Office paperwork that doesn't need one. UKVI works from certified copies, and a copy certified by a solicitor or another professional of good standing fully satisfies the requirement; notarisation is not required. The same goes for translations: the Home Office needs a certified translation, completed by an independent professional translator with a signed declaration of accuracy, the date, and the translator's name and contact details. Notarising a translation only confirms who the translator is, not that the translation is accurate, and UKVI does not ask for it.

Both services are available here at the appropriate level: certified copies for UK applications, notarial certification when the document is leaving the country, and certified translations that meet the UKVI standard. Tell us what the document is for when you book and we set up the right one first time.

Which Documents Get an Apostille Directly, and Which Need a Notary First

Original documents issued by UK public bodies go to the FCDO without any notarisation: birth, marriage and death certificates from the register office, Disclosure Scotland certificates, HMRC letters, court-sealed documents, and original Companies House certificates of incorporation or good standing. The FCDO checks the official signature against its database and attaches the apostille directly.

Everything else needs a notary first. Powers of attorney, statutory declarations, commercial contracts, academic degrees and photocopies of corporate documents cannot be verified by the FCDO on their own; the notary verifies the signatory or the document, and the FCDO then apostilles the notary's registered signature and seal. If the destination country is not in the Hague Convention, the United Arab Emirates for example, a third step follows: consular attestation at that country's embassy after the apostille.

On timing, the UK now runs two systems. The e-apostille is a digitally signed PDF, typically issued within 2 working days, and we can arrange it where the receiving country accepts electronic certificates. The traditional paper apostille takes up to 25 working days through the standard service, and remains compulsory for certain documents: register office certificates, criminal record checks and anything carrying a wet-ink court seal cannot receive an e-apostille. Some countries also refuse electronic certificates outright, so the destination decides the route, and we confirm it before anything is sent.

Online and Remote Notarisation in Scotland

Scotland put remote notarisation on a permanent statutory footing in 2022, so a Glasgow appointment no longer always means a Glasgow office visit. The procedure follows Law Society of Scotland guidance: you send your ID and the unsigned document in advance, we verify your identity on a live video call, you sign on camera while the notary watches, and the signed original then goes in the post for the notarial seal. Where an oath or affirmation is needed, it is administered on the call.

The notary must first be satisfied that the country or organisation receiving the document accepts remote notarisation, and not all do. Tell us where the document is going when you book and we confirm whether video or in-person is the right route.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Bring government-issued photo ID, a biometric passport or UK photocard driving licence, and a recent proof of address. Notaries carry anti-money laundering obligations, so identity is checked at every appointment, even for a single document. Bring the document unsigned; it needs to be signed in front of the notary.

Where a signatory cannot read the document's language, an independent professional translator attends and signs a statement in the notary's presence. Where a signatory is blind or physically unable to sign, Scots law allows the notary to execute the document on their behalf after reading it over. And where a witness is required in addition to the notary, it cannot be a family member or anyone else who is a party to the document.

What to Expect When You Get a Document Notarised

• Book a time slot in our online calendar
• Attend in person at our Glasgow office or join us online via secure video call
• Most appointments completed in under 30 minutes
• Evening and weekend slots often available

Pricing

Notarisation/Certification Appointment
£90 (incl. VAT) for up to 3 documents
+£24 per additional document (paid at appointment)

Legalisation (Apostille) Service
£45 per document (paid separately at the appointment)

Legalisation timelines vary. We will advise you of expected turnaround and any additional fees required.

Glasgow Notarisation Frequently Asked Questions