The Notaries Society - Becoming a Notary - A guide for law graduates

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee

Becoming a Notary outlines an alternative international legal career for law graduates, explaining the Notary’s role in preparing documents and authenticating clients’ identities and signatures for use abroad. It details the range of work, from powers of attorney and property transactions to immigration and business document authentication, and highlights benefits such as differentiation, additional income streams, and worldwide professional exposure. The guide then presents qualification stages: academic training with eight prescribed subjects, professional distance learning via a Notarial Practice Course, office practice, and appointment requirements including background checks, insurance, and supervisory oversight.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

What is a Notary?

What do Notaries do?

Why Become a Notary?

What Skills Would be of Benefit?

How to Become a Notary

Academic Training

Professional Training

Appointment

The Typical Route

The Notaries Society Becoming a Notary An alternative legal career A guide for law graduates What is a Notary? A Notary is a qualified lawyer whose work is recognised internationally, unlike the work of Solicitors. The primary function of a Notary therefore, is the preparation of documents and the authentication of clients’ identities and signatures principally for use abroad. Notaries have their own individual seals which are registered along with their signatures at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. There are currently around 800 Notaries in England and Wales who are highly trained in this specialist area, enjoying a varied range of work from a wide range of clients. Notaries can either practise exclusively as a Notary or the qualification can be combined with a career as a solicitor, barrister or other lawyer. What do Notaries do? Notaries provide their services principally to commercial firms engaged in international trade and also assist private individuals with overseas transactions, such as: • Preparing and witnessing powers of attorney for use overseas • Dealing with purchase or sale of land and property abroad • Providing documents to deal with the administration of the estate of people who are abroad, or who own property abroad • Authenticating personal documents and information for immigration oremigration purposes, or work visas for overseas employment • Authenticating company and business documents and transactions • Notarising medical reports and police reports for use in connection with accidents abroad • Dealing with documents for weddings abroad • Consents to allow minors to travel abroad. Notaries are also entitled to deal with conveyancing and other non contentious work in England and Wales. 2 Why Become a Notary? There are several benefits to qualifying as a Notary, including: • Standing out from the crowd. As a qualified Notary you are offering a potential employer the benefit of being able to attract additional clients to their practice • If you also practise as a Solicitor or Barrister being a Notary can provide an additional source of income • Less competition. In many towns there may only be one or two Notaries, giving you the edge in a highly competitive legal market • Being a Notary gives you exposure to a worldwide profession, not just restricted to England and Wales. What Skills Would be of Benefit? • Languages can be a bonus but they are not essential • An interest in general law can be helpful rather than wishing to practise within one area • Notaries quite often haveto work to tight deadlinesand short transaction windows so being able to work under pressure will be a benefit • We find that history students enjoy the course due to the deep rooted history of the Notarial profession, which has origins dating back to classical Rome. 3 How to Become a Notary There are three stages to qualifying as a Notary: Academic Training, Professional Training and Appointment. 4 Academic Training There are 8 prescribed subjects and you will be required to show evidence of studying the following during your degree or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL): • Public/Constitutional Law • The Law of Contract • Equity and the Law of Trusts • The Law and Practice of Companies & Partnerships • The Law of Property • The Law of the European Union • Conveyancing • Wills Probate and Administration. There are exemptions if you apply within 5 years of these modules being studied which may mean no further examinations are required before beginning the professional training. If you are interested in becoming a Notarywe recommend that you ensure your LPC electives cover these areas, if they have not already been covered by your degree syllabus. Professional Training • You must then complete a 2 year distance learning Notarial Practice Course (NPC) delivered by University College London (UCL). See page 6 for more details • After passingtheNPCy

FAQs

What is the primary function of a Notary?

A Notary’s primary function is preparing documents and authenticating clients’ identities and signatures, principally for use abroad.

What kinds of tasks do Notaries handle for overseas transactions?

Notaries prepare and witness powers of attorney, manage overseas property purchases or sales, authenticate personal and company documents for immigration and business needs, and handle matters such as medical reports for accidents abroad and wedding documents.

What are the main stages to qualify as a Notary?

Qualification involves three stages: Academic Training, Professional Training, and Appointment, including prescribed academic subjects, completion of the distance learning Notarial Practice Course, office practice, and application requirements such as certificates, checks, insurance, and a supervisor.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee