What to bring so authentication isn't sent back for a redo

You've just made an appointment with a notary to authenticate your documents, and you're about to ask what to bring. The answer sounds simple — the original document — but show up unprepared and you'll walk out having wasted the notary's time and your own, and you'll need to book again. The gap between what notaries actually need and what people think they need is where most redos happen. Here's how to get it right the first time.

Original documents only, but what counts as original

A notary must sight the actual original document to authenticate it. That's not negotiable. However, "original" doesn't mean it has to be fresh from the issuing authority. If you have a birth certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs ten years ago, that's original. If you have a degree parchment from your university, that's original. The document must be genuine and issued by the authority, but it doesn't need to be newly printed.

Where people stumble is bringing photocopies or thinking a certified copy from another source will do. It won't. A notary authenticates the primary document in their presence, or they don't authenticate at all. If you've lost your original and only have a photocopy, you need to first get a certified copy from the issuing body — then bring that certified copy to the notary. That's an extra step, and it adds time and cost to your process.

Proof of identity and your reason for doing this

The notary must confirm who you are. Bring an ID document — your passport, ID card, or driver's licence. If you're acting on behalf of someone else (as an executor, trustee, or agent), bring proof of that authority as well. This might be a power of attorney, a certificate of appointment, or a letter of instruction. Without this, the notary cannot attest that the person requesting authentication is the person who owns or has the right to authorise the document.

You don't need to explain why you're getting something authenticated — foreign authorities and receiving institutions do that work themselves — but the notary does need to be clear about what they're authenticating. If a document has multiple pages, specify which page or which signature. If the foreign authority has asked for a copy certified *and* authenticated, make that clear. This ten-second conversation prevents the notary from authenticating the wrong thing or signing off on less than what you need.

When the foreign destination matters before you arrive

Some countries have specific rules about what they will accept, and those rules change. Before you book the notary, confirm with the foreign institution (the university, the employer, the government department) that a notary's authentication is sufficient. Many countries now accept only an apostille, or only a notarised copy plus an apostille, or a full embassy legalisation. If you bring your documents to a notary without knowing this first, the notary will authenticate the paper, but the receiving country might reject it.

Ask the foreign institution in writing what they need. Most will have a website with a checklist, or they'll reply to an email within days. Then bring that email or checklist to the notary. The notary can then authenticate in the format that will actually work for your destination, rather than having you come back with documents that are authenticated the wrong way.

The two paths: get it right now or pay twice

One path is to ring the notary before your appointment, read them the foreign institution's requirements, ask exactly what to bring, and bring it all in one trip. The notary will authenticate it correctly, and you're done. The other path is to show up with your best guess, find out on the day that you've brought the wrong version of the document or missed a requirement, and book again. You'll pay the notary's fee twice and spend another week waiting.

When you're ready to book, Strove's verified notaries are listed with their specific authentication services and turnaround times. Ask them the three questions before you arrive: do you need my original, my ID, and have you seen the specific requirements from the foreign destination. Do that, and you won't be sent back.