What Is a Notary Public?

A Notary Public in South Africa is a practising attorney with an additional specialist qualification who has been admitted by the High Court. The office of Notary has its origins in the civil institutions of ancient Rome, where public officials called Scribae rose from being recorders of judicial proceedings to learned professionals prominent in private and public affairs. A notarius was appointed to create written documents of agreement or wills and hold them for safekeeping.In modern South African law, a Notary Public has been given both statutory and common law powers to prepare and attest certain specialised legal documents, administer oaths, and perform a wide range of administrative functions of a national and international nature. A Notary is held to a higher standard of care than an ordinary attorney — the nature of the services requires impartiality, specialist knowledge, and meticulous attention to procedure.Why does it matter? A notarially executed document carries significantly higher evidentiary weight than a standard signed contract. Because the Notary verifies identity, witnesses signatures, and archives the original in a permanent Notarial Protocol, the document is recognised by courts, government departments, foreign authorities, embassies, banks, and other institutions both in South Africa and internationally. Certain documents — including antenuptial contracts, long-term leases, servitudes, and notarial bonds — must by law be attested by a Notary Public.

Documents That Must Be Notarially Executed

South African law requires the following documents to be drafted and attested by a Notary Public before they can have legal effect or be registered:

• Antenuptial contracts — must be notarially executed and registered at the Deeds Office
• Servitudes — both personal (usufruct, habitatio, usus) and praedial servitudes
• Long-term leases — leases of 10 years or longer must be notarially attested for registration
• Notarial bonds — mortgages over movable property
• Prospecting contracts — as required for Deeds Office registration
• Cessions of rights in sectional title schemes

Beyond these mandatory instruments, a Notary may also be requested to notarially execute any agreement or contract — and doing so makes proof of the document significantly easier in the event the original is lost, given the precautions the Notary must observe in connection with their Protocol.

Our Notary Services

Louwrens Koen Attorneys offers a comprehensive range of notarial and document legalisation services to individuals, businesses, other law firms, patent attorneys, banks, and statutory authorities. We pride ourselves on being a true one-stop shop — from notarisation through to apostille, authentication, and embassy legalisation.

Signature Attestation

Sign contracts, affidavits, declarations, powers of attorney, and other documents in the presence of the Notary, who verifies your identity and attests the signature. The notarised document can then be legalised for international use.From R850 per attestation📄

Notarised Copies

We certify photocopies of original documents as true copies. Essential for passports, IDs, qualifications, birth certificates, and any document where you cannot part with the original. Walk-in service — no appointment required.From R180 per document

Document Drafting

We draft a wide range of legal documents for notarisation — powers of attorney, statutory declarations, affidavits, child travel consent letters, board resolutions, cohabitation agreements, antenuptial contracts, and more. Fees vary by document.

Apostille Certificates

We obtain apostille certificates from the Department of International Relations (DIRCO) and the High Court to authenticate your documents for use in any Hague Convention member country.R850 per document🏛

Embassy Legalisation

For non-Hague Convention countries, we handle the full authentication chain: notarisation, High Court authentication, DIRCO authentication, and embassy or consulate attestation. Each embassy has unique requirements — we navigate them for you.From R850 + embassy fees

Corporate & Company Documents

We notarise and legalise CIPC incorporation documents, certificates of incorporation, memoranda and articles, share certificates, board resolutions, company accounts, and annual returns for international business use. Fees vary by complexity

Travelling Notary Service

Cannot attend our offices? We travel to your home, office, hospital, or boardroom within the Gauteng area. Ideal for corporate signings, multi-party documents, or mobility-limited clients.Travel fee + notary fee

Translation Service

We arrange sworn translations of documents by accredited translators. Required when foreign authorities need documents in their official language. Turnaround is typically 1–7 days, depending on the language and length.From R500 per page✈️

International Courier

We deliver your completed, legalised documents anywhere in South Africa (The Courier Guy, 1–3 business days) or internationally (DHL, 2–6 business days). Tracked and waybilled.R300 local / R850 international

Walk-in service available. For notarised copies and simple attestations, you can walk in without an appointment during office hours (Mon–Fri, 08:00–16:30). For complex matters or document drafting, we recommend booking ahead. Call 087 001 0733 or WhatsApp 073 686 9078.

Documents We Notarise

We notarise, attest, and legalise documents for use in South Africa and worldwide. The following is a non-exhaustive list of the documents we handle daily:

Personal Documents

• Passports and identity documents
• Birth certificates (abridged and unabridged)
• Marriage certificates
• Death certificates
• Divorce certificates and court orders
• Police clearance certificates (SAPS)
• Letters of no impediment (single status)
• Child travel consent letters
• Powers of attorney (personal)
• Statutory declarations
• Affidavits of all kinds
• Same-name affidavits
• Health and medical certificates
• Last wills and testaments

Academic & Professional Documents

• University degrees and diplomas
• Academic transcripts
• Matric certificates
• College and Technikon diplomas
• TEFL and TESOL certificates
• School records
• Professional registrations (HPCSA, etc.)
• Employment contracts for overseas use

Legal & Corporate Documents

• Antenuptial contracts
• Cohabitation/life partnership agreements
• Powers of attorney (corporate)
• Board and shareholder resolutions
• CIPC incorporation documents
• Memoranda and articles of association
• Share certificates
• Company annual returns
• Sale and purchase agreements
• Intellectual property assignments
• Mortgage and security documentation
• Notarial bonds

If your document is not listed above, please contact us — we notarise and legalise virtually any South African document for domestic or international use.

Document Legalisation — Apostille, Authentication & Embassy

Once a document has been notarised, further steps are often required before it can be used in another country. The legalisation process authenticates your document so that foreign authorities accept it as genuine. The specific process depends on the country where the document will be used.

For Hague Convention Countries — Apostille

If the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, a single apostille certificate attached to your document is sufficient. An apostille can be issued by either the High Court or DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation). The High Court apostille is typically available within one business day; DIRCO appointments take 5–10 working days.

For Non-Hague Countries — Authentication + Embassy Legalisation

If the destination country is not a Hague member, the document must follow a longer chain: notarisation, then High Court authentication, then DIRCO authentication, and finally embassy or consulate attestation. Each embassy has its own requirements, fees, and processing times.1

Notarise

Notary attests document→2

High Court

Authentication stamp→3

DIRCO

Apostille or authentication→4

Embassy

Consular attestation

We handle the entire chain. You do not need to visit the High Court, DIRCO, or the embassy yourself. We physically attend these offices on your behalf, manage queuing, submission, and collection, and deliver the completed, fully legalised document to you or courier it to any address worldwide. This is a significant time- and effort-saver—the process can involve multiple separate attendances over several weeks.

Pricing & Fees

We provide transparent, competitive pricing on a per-document or per-service basis. For complex matters, we provide a fixed quote upfront. Disbursements (government fees, embassy fees) are passed through at cost.

For a precise quotation tailored to your documents and destination country, please complete our online quotation form or contact us directly.

How It Works

1 Contact Us or Walk In

For notarised copies and simple attestations, walk into our Pretoria office during business hours — no appointment required. For document drafting, complex legalisation, or to get a quote, complete our online form, WhatsApp us on 073 686 9078, or call 087 001 0733. Upload your documents and tell us which country will receive them.2

We Check & Prepare

We review your documents, advise on the correct legalisation process for your destination country, and provide a detailed cost breakdown. If documents need to be drafted or amended, we handle that before the appointment. Getting this first step right avoids costly restarts.3

Notarisation

You attend our office with your original documents and valid identification (passport or South African ID). The Notary verifies your identity, witnesses your signature (if required), and attests the document with the official notarial seal and certificate. Do not sign documents before your appointment — all signatures must be made in the Notary's presence.4

Legalisation (If Required)

If your document needs to be used internationally, we attend the High Court, DIRCO, and/or the relevant embassy on your behalf to complete the apostille or authentication chain. We keep you updated on progress throughout.5

Collection or Delivery

Collect your completed documents from our office, or we can courier them to any South African address (R300, 1–3 days) or internationally via DHL (R850, 2–6 days). We scan and email copies for your records before dispatching.

Preparing for Your Notary Appointment

To ensure your appointment runs smoothly, please observe the following:

• Bring valid identification — a current passport or South African identity document with your photograph. You need at least one form of photo ID that matches the name on the document.
• Do not sign the document beforehand — all signatures must be executed in the Notary's presence. If you have already signed, we cannot attest to the signature.
• Bring all pages of the document — ensure nothing is missing. If the document references annexures or supporting schedules, bring those too.
• Check for blank spaces — any square brackets, blank fields, or incomplete sections must be filled in before we can attest. We cannot notarise an incomplete document.
• Email the document in advance if possible — this allows us to prepare the notarial certificate ahead of your visit and identify any issues. Send to law@louwrenskoen.co.za.
• Foreign language documents — the Notary does not need to speak the language, but you must demonstrate that you understand the contents. If you cannot, arrange a sworn translation first.
• Ensure all parties who need to sign are present — each signatory needs their own identification.

We will refuse to act if it appears that you do not understand the document, are acting under duress, or do not comprehend the implications of what you are signing. The Notary's duty of impartiality and professional care requires this safeguard.

About Our Notary

Louwrens Koen — Attorney, Conveyancer & Notary Public

Louwrens Koen is a practising Attorney, Conveyancer, and Notary Public in Pretoria, South Africa, with more than 25 years of experience. He was admitted as an Attorney by the High Court in 1995 after completing his BLC and LLB degrees from the University of Pretoria.  He is a university guest lecturer in Conveyancing and Notarial Practice and heads the firm Louwrens Koen Attorneys. As Notary Public, he has assisted thousands of clients with their notarial and document legalisation needs. His extensive commercial and legal experience complements his notarial practice, ensuring clients receive expert guidance on both the legal substance and the procedural formalities of their documents.

Our full notary services website: For comprehensive information on all our notarial and document legalisation services, visit https://www.notary.africa/ — our dedicated notary services platform with detailed guides on apostilles, embassy requirements, document preparation, and more.