22 April 2025

UK notary for US documents services in 2025

Read all about the notary services that we offer American citizens here in the UK regarding US documents that they want to use back home.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Do you need a UK notary for US documents to be notarised so that you can use them abroad? Whether it be for business reasons, legal proceedings, or general personal purpose, we can help you with the entire notarisation process.

Once your documents have been notarised, they will then need to be legalised, which we can also assist you with. As the US accepts, you will just need to get an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

However, it should be noted that some states within the US have their own unique requirements that your documents will need to meet. We will mention this in more detail later on.

Finally, if you are an American citizen, you will likely be familiar with Notary Publics already, but you may not know how notaries in England and Wales differ from those in the US. This is something we will also cover further down.

Keep reading to learn more about why you should use our notary services, as well as the processes your documents will need to go through, and the differences between English and American notaries.

The benefits of using a UK notary for US documents

Need a

Notary Public?

We can then book your appointment at one of our convenient offices in London, Manchester or Sheffield, or you can take advantage of our mobile notary service at a time and place that suits you.

To begin, we will take you through why you should use our services as a UK notary for US documents to be notarised, and what we can offer that the US embassy cannot.

Accessibility for notary appointments

One of the main benefits of using us over the US embassy is that we have multiple offices in England, with them being located in London, Manchester and Sheffield. Travelling to one of our offices will be easier than travelling to the sole US Embassy for England and Wales, which is in London.

Additionally, we offer a mobile notary service, through which we offer notary services up and down England. Your appointment can even be outside our usual office hours, and it can be at your home, office, or another suitable location of your choice. Our Notary Public of England and Wales, Nathan Woodcock, has travelled around the country to assist thousands of clients, and he can help you too.

A personal approach

Regardless of the form of your appointment, you will also gain the benefit of a more personal approach, as you will meet Nathan Woodcock face to face. Our helpful and friendly team is also here to answer any questions you may have during the booking process, and they will keep you up to date with any changes or problems that arise.

Legalisation services

Another benefit is that we offer apostille assistance to legalise your documents. As part of our services, we can manage the whole process of getting an apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. You can choose between our standard option, or our fast-track option; the choice is yours and depends on your own timescale.

Meanwhile, the US embassy is not able to provide people with assistance in getting an apostille. Documents must be legalised by British authorities first.

Same-day and next-day appointments

Next, if you are strapped for time and need something notarised quickly, we can do it for you. Depending on appointment availability, your location, and where our notary is on a given day, we can offer either a same-day or a next-day appointment. This is perfect for emergencies or for those with short time windows.

Our specialised knowledge

Finally, as we are a Notary Public, we have specialised knowledge in the areas of notarisation and legalising documents for use abroad, which includes the US.

Who we cannot assist

Please note that there is no such thing as a ‘British notary’, and that all the constituent countries of the UK have different rules for notaries. England and Wales have the same rules, but Scotland and Northern Ireland do not.

As a result of Scotland and Northern Ireland having different notary registration processes and regulations, we cannot offer notary services in either country. Instead, seek a notary within your constituent country to assist you, or use the US embassies located in Edinburgh and Belfast.

Legalising your documents

Next, to be able to use your documents in the US, they will need to be legalised. As the US is a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention, the process for legalisation is quicker than if you were required to do embassy legalisation, which some countries use instead.

As part of our apostille process, we have a standard process, and a fast-track process. You can choose which one to use based on your timescale. We manage the whole act of getting an apostille for you from the FCDO, so that you have less to worry about. Read about our apostille packages to learn more.

All you need to do after the FCDO has issued your documents with an apostille is take your documents to the US and use them for whatever purpose you need them.

Document drafting

In some situations, we may be able to draft certain documents that you intend on using in the US, such as affidavits and statutory declarations. Having a legal professional such as ourselves draft your documents can be better than doing it yourself, as a legal professional will know what all the required information and what the unique requirements for the US are.

If this is something you would be interested in, then please discuss it with our team when you have your initial contact with them.

Do you need a notary for an ITIN?

No, you do not need a notary if you need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to submit your taxes for the US. Instead of a Notary Public, you will need to contact a Certifying Acceptance Agent to certify your identity and help you with applying for your ITIN.

Luckily, we have Certifying Acceptance Agents at our firm who are ready to help you, including Nathan, our notary.

Visit our Certifying Acceptance Agents website to see what assistance we can provide you with, and to meet our agents.

The differences between notaries in the US and the UK

Just in case you are unsure how notaries differ between the two countries and would like to know more, we will cover some of the key differences to prevent any confusion when you use our services. It should be noted that England and Wales have different rules to Scotland and Northern Ireland, and as we are based in England, we will be mainly focussed on there.

As a UK notary for US documents, it is important for us to know how notaries work in the USA, so as to understand the processes documents need to go through to be accepted in the US.

Fees

The main difference is that in the US notaries are free, and more types of people can become one. However, throughout the UK, notaries charge a fee, as they are usually legal professionals who have done extra qualifications to become Notary Publics.

Qualifications

In the US, notaries are laypeople who must be at least 18 who apply to their state to become a notary.

In the UK, Notary Publics must become qualified as a notary, and they are regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. You can only become a notary if you hold some form of law-based qualification, and many notaries are also solicitors.

Scope of work

American notaries deal more with domestic documents for use within the USA itself, whilst Notary Publics of England and Wales deal more with documents for use in foreign jurisdictions.

Individual states within the USA have their own unique rules which influences what work American notaries can do as well. For example, some only accept ink-based signatures and do not accept virtual or remote notarisation.