Once a document has been e-notarised, it may also need to be e-Apostilled in order to be accepted internationally.

Here at Vanner Perez Notaries LLP, we can assist with both the e-notarisation and e-Apostille.

As the process is new and developing, it is essential to check:

1. that your document is suitable for e-notarisation and e-Apostille. Certain documents cannot be e-Apostilled and the full list is available on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) website, which can be found here.
2. that the receiving jurisdiction will accept the document. E-notarisation and e-Apostille will not be accepted in all situations. For example, documents requiring further legalisation at a Consulate or High Commission, can only be accepted in hard copy.

E-notarisation:

We can assist if you have been asked to have your signature on a document e-notarised. In most instances we would need to schedule a video call, whereby the notary can identify you with your ID held up to the camera, and then using ‘remote access’ on a digital platform, you sign the document electronically. The notary will then take back control of the screen and issue their notarial certificate, using a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES).

We can also e-notarise documents that do not require your electronic signature, such as documents filed at Companies House (e.g. certificate of incorporation/ memorandum and articles of association), degree certificates, P60s, payslips and many more. If documents were issued to you in hard copy, then we would still need to see the original documents, so we can confirm that the scanned version is a true copy of the original. Educational and employment documents would also need to be verified with the issuing body, but the team at Vanner Perez Notaries can advise you further on these requirements.

E-Apostille:

Once your document has been e-notarised, it can be submitted to the FCDO for an e-Apostille. A plain PDF of a document, without an Advanced Qualified Signature or Qualified Electronic Signature, cannot be submitted for the e-Apostille service, as it must be e-notarised first. At the time of writing, an e-Apostille costs £30 and takes up to 2 working days. We can assist with submitting your document to the FCDO for the e-Apostille.

Key points to note:

Some documents cannot be e-notarised and e-apostilled such as UK-issued birth, marriage and death certificates and UK issued criminal record checks (i.e. ACRO/DBS). We can still assist with notarising and apostilling these for you, but only in paper form.

Documents such as affidavits, oaths and declarations need to be sworn in the presence of the notary in-person, rather than over a video call.

If your documents require further legalisation at an Embassy or Consulate (e.g. China, UAE, Vietnam), then the e-notarisation and e-apostille process would not be suitable at this time. The documents would need to be notarised and apostilled in hard copy, before they can be submitted to the Embassy/Consulate.

As the concept of e-notarisation and e-Apostille is still new, we recommend that you check with the receiving party/jurisdiction if they will accept the documents in electronic format, as no hard copy is produced. If the receiving jurisdiction insist on hard copy documents, then we can assist with notarising and apostilling the documents in hard copy format.

Get in touch with our team for more information.

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(para ciudadanos españoles que adquirieron la nacionalidad británica y no realizaron la conservación de la nacionalidad española)

[While most of our blog posts are written in English, you will find a few posts in other languages to deal with specific country issues]

Como hemos comentado en nuestro post sobre la conservación de la nacionalidad española tras adquirir la británica, a consecuencia de la salida del Reino Unido de la Unión Europea, son muchos los ciudadanos españoles (y de otros países europeos) que han optado por adquirir la nacionalidad británica para garantizarse el disfrute de derechos de residencia, trabajo, etc. en el Reino Unido.

El proceso para obtener la nacionalidad británica puede ser largo y costoso, y los ciudadanos españoles todavía tienen que dar un paso más: es muy importante tener en cuenta que después de adquirir la nacionalidad británica, es necesario hacer un trámite adicional para conservar la nacionalidad española.

Los mayores de edad tienen actualmente un plazo de tres años para realizar este trámite, que consiste en presentar cierta documentación a las autoridades españolas y hacer una declaración de voluntad expresando que no se quiere perder la nacionalidad española. Para residentes en el Reino Unido, este trámite de conservación de la nacionalidad española se lleva a cabo ante el Consulado español.

Si se ha pasado este plazo de tres años, no está todo perdido. Para los ciudadanos españoles de origen que adquirieron la nacionalidad británica y no realizaron el proceso de conservación en el plazo señalado de tres años, es posible solicitar la recuperación de la nacionalidad española.

En nuestra notaría (Vanner Perez Notaries) estaremos encantados de ayudarte con este proceso de recuperación de la nacionalidad española, ya que conocemos bien la documentación a presentar al Consulado y podemos ayudar con gran parte de ella. Concretamente, podemos ayudar con los siguientes pasos:

– Copia apostillada del certificado de naturalización (certificamos la copia cumpliendo con los requisitos para que pueda ser apostillada y, si lo deseas, tramitamos también la apostilla)

– Traducción jurada del certificado de naturalización

– Compulsa del pasaporte vigente

Estas son algunas de las ventajas de encargar esta documentación a Vanner Perez Notaries:

– A diferencia de otros notarios, preparamos la copia certificada directamente en español, de modo que la certificación notarial no necesita ser traducida posteriormente.

– Gestionamos apostillas a diario a través de los servicios ordinario y exprés, y contamos con un traductor jurado en el despacho, lo que facilita y agiliza el trámite.

– Si bien la compulsa del pasaporte puede hacerse con otros profesionales o servicios (solicitors, Post Office, etc.), la ofrecemos por una tarifa muy reducida a quienes la solicitan junto a los otros documentos para que lo puedas completar todo en el mismo despacho.

– Si no quieres desprenderte de tu certificado de naturalización original, dada la importancia de este documento, tendrás la opción de traerlo en persona a nuestro despacho en Bank/Monument para que lo copiemos y te lo puedas llevar en mano. No obstante, también ofrecemos envíos por correo o mensajero, y se puede organizar esa parte del trámite remotamente si no vives en Londres o no te resulta conveniente una visita en persona.

Además de los documentos indicados, actualmente se han de presentar también el Consulado un formulario de solicitud (que puedes descargar directamente de la web del consulado), una certificación literal de nacimiento y una certificación de residencia de la autoridad local.

La certificación literal de nacimiento tiene que haber sido expedida con menos de 6 meses a la fecha de presentación de la documentación. Los nacidos en España pueden obtenerla de manera gratuita a través de la web del Ministerio de Justicia.

En cuanto a la certificación de residencia, que se conoce como “electoral register certificate” o “electoral roll certificate” se puede solicitar a la oficina del censo electoral (Electoral Registration Office) de la autoridad local (local council) donde se tenga la residencia. En este enlace se puede buscar por código postal para obtener la dirección y datos de contacto de la oficina del censo electoral correspondiente.

Siempre es importante comprobar con las autoridades españolas (el Consulado, en el caso de residentes en Reino Unido) los requisitos para cualquier trámite de este tipo, ya que en ocasiones pueden cambiar los documentos a presentar, la forma de envío, el procedimiento de reserva de cita (en su caso), los plazos, etc.

Si vas a solicitar la recuperación de la nacionalidad española y te gustaría que desde Vanner Perez Notaries te ayudemos con los documentos que necesitan traducción, certificación y legalización, no dudes en escribirnos a info@vpnotaries.co.uk y te responderemos enseguida con toda la información que necesites.

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Individuals who do not have a PPS number will need to apply for a Verified Identity Number by means of Form VIF. When an individual is outside the Republic of Ireland, they can sign the VIF form in the presence of a Notary Public.

Below is a more detailed description of what has changed and how our notaries can assist:

In line with the global tendency towards more stringent checks on company ownership and control, Ireland is introducing a new requirement for the directors of Irish companies to state their Personal Public Service Number (or an accepted equivalent, as explained below) when their company submits certain forms to the Companies Registration Office.

In particular, this will be applicable to the submission of Form A1 (incorporation of a new company), Form B1 (annual return) and Forms B10 and B69 (used to notify changes of directors).

A failure to do this can result in a ‘Category 4 offence’ (that is, a summary offence punishable by the imposition of a fine).

The PPSNs, which will be used for identity verification, have long been used in Ireland for access to certain public services, social welfare, etc. The PPSN is a unique reference number formed of 7 numeric digits and 2 letters. Unlike passport numbers, which in many countries change upon renewal of the passport, PPSNs are permanent and, therefore, provide an unchanged link to the person’s identity.

Since individuals who are directors of Irish entities but do not reside in Ireland may not have been issued with an Irish PPSN, an alternative system of verification of identity has been designed for this purpose. Individuals who do not have an Irish PPSN will need to complete a Verification of Identity Form (VIF), which will result in the allocation of an Identified Person Number (IPN). This IPN can then be quoted in the company’s filings with the registrar instead of the PPSN.

When an individual is based outside the Republic of Ireland, the Verification of Identity Form (VIF) will need to be signed in the presence of a Notary Public. The notary witnesses the signing of the form and confirms the signatory’s identity in a manner that is acceptable to the Irish Companies Registration Office.

There is an exception which applies to individuals who have previously completed and filed a BEN 2 Form with the Companies Registration Office. The BEN 2 Form is used to verify the identity of individuals who are beneficial owners of a relevant entity, so that their details can be entered into the Register of Beneficial Ownership. It results in the allocation of an RBO Number. This RBO Number can also be used (instead of a PPSN or an IPN) for the submissions of the above-mentioned forms covered by the new regulations. BEN 2 forms require notarisation in a similar manner to the VIF.

If you are (or plan to become) a director of an Irish entity and you do not have an Irish IPN or RBO number, our notaries can assist with the witnessing of your VIF form in London and surrounding areas. We also continue to offer the service of notarising BEN 2 Forms for those who need to register as beneficial owners of relevant entities.

Get in touch with our team for more information.

The post NEW IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR DIRECTORS OF IRISH COMPANIES appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

The announcement highlights the firm’s continued commitment to measured expansion of its offering across London and the South East. Samantha joined Vanner Perez for work experience in 2014 and has risen through the ranks, eventually qualifying as a notary in 2019. Samantha’s practice encompasses all kinds of notarial work with her clients working in fields as diverse as fund management, architecture and private security.

James Vanner, one of the firm’s founding partners, said: “As the firm continues to grow we are delighted to welcome Samantha to the partnership, with the range of skills and experience that she brings.”

Vanner Perez Notaries act for private and corporate clients across England and in particular in London and the South East with an array of experience in matters from shipping and banking, through to technology and real estate.

For more information contact us on 020 3668 6626 or email info@vpnotaries.co.uk

The post SAMANTHA ASPEY JOINS VANNER PEREZ NOTARIES AS PARTNER appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

The New York Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney (PoA) has been revised and the amendments came into effect on 13^th June 2021. Previously, the PoA must have been in the exact format prescribed by statute, but the amendments mean that you only need to substantially conform to the wording in the statute, which provides some flexibility to the document.

The agent that has been appointed must act within the powers granted or, where there are no instructions, in the best interest of the principal.

Requirements:

The information inserted into the power of attorney should be typed or printed and be legible, otherwise there is a chance that the document will be rejected.

The above-mentioned amendments require the PoA to be signed in front of two witnesses, whereas before, it only needed to be signed in front of the notary. It is useful to know that one of the witnesses can be the notary public. The witness cannot be the agent or a recipient of a gift mentioned in the PoA.

If the PoA is signed in England or Wales, it is usual for the power of attorney to be apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The notaries at Vanner Perez Notaries can assist with the notarisation and apostille process.

The agent must also sign the acknowledgment of appointment in front of a notary public, however, this is usually completed in New York where the agent is going to be acting.

Completing the power of attorney:

It is possible for the principal to appoint more than one agent. If more than one agent is appointed, they may act together unless the principal initials the statement to confirm that they can act separately.

The principal may also appoint a successor agent if the original agents are not able or are unwilling to act.

Section (f) of the statutory short form power of attorney contains the authority that the principal can grant to the agent. In order to grant specific authority to the agent, the principal must initial next to each authority. If you would like to grant several authorities, it is possible to type or print the letter of each authority on the blank line at (P) and initial bracket (P). You do not need to initial the other lines.

To find out more on how we can assist with the notarisation and apostille of your documents for use in New York, United States of America, please do give us a call on 020 3668 6626 or email info@vpnotaries.co.uk

The post New York Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

[While most of our blog posts are written in English, you will find a few posts in other languages to deal with specific country issues]

Desde el referéndum que desembocó en la salida del Reino Unido de la Unión Europea, son muchos los ciudadanos españoles (y de otros países europeos) que han optado por adquirir la nacionalidad británica para garantizarse el disfrute de derechos de residencia, trabajo, etc. en el Reino Unido.

La posibilidad de adquirir la nacionalidad británica depende del cumplimiento de ciertos requisitos (por ejemplo, la residencia en el Reino Unido durante una serie de años). En el portal del gobierno británico puedes comprobar si tienes derecho a adquirir la nacionalidad británica.

Un dato muy importante para los españoles que adquieran la nacionalidad británica es que, después de adquirirla, es necesario hacer un trámite adicional para conservar la nacionalidad española.

Los mayores de edad tienen actualmente un plazo de tres años para realizar este trámite, que consiste en presentar cierta documentación a las autoridades españolas y hacer una declaración de voluntad expresando que no se quiere perder la nacionalidad española. Para residentes en el Reino Unido, este trámite de conservación de la nacionalidad española se lleva a cabo ante el Consulado español.

En nuestra notaría (Vanner Perez Notaries) ayudamos a muchos españoles que han adquirido la nacionalidad británica y no quieren perder la española, ya que conocemos bien la documentación a presentar al Consulado y podemos ayudar con gran parte de ella. Concretamente, podemos ayudar con los siguientes pasos:

– Copia apostillada del certificado de naturalización (certificamos la copia cumpliendo con los requisitos para que pueda ser apostillada y, si lo deseas, tramitamos también la apostilla)

– Traducción jurada del certificado de naturalización

– Compulsa de los pasaportes británico y español

Estas son algunas de las ventajas de encargar esta documentación a Vanner Perez Notaries:

– A diferencia de otros notarios, preparamos la copia certificada directamente en español, de modo que la certificación notarial no necesita ser traducida posteriormente.

– Gestionamos apostillas a diario a través de los servicios ordinario y exprés, y contamos con un traductor jurado en el despacho, lo que facilita y agiliza el trámite.

– Si bien la compulsa de los pasaportes puede hacerse con otros profesionales o servicios (solicitors, Post Office, etc.) la ofrecemos por una tarifa muy reducida a quienes la solicitan junto a los otros documentos para que lo puedas completar todo en el mismo despacho.

– Si no quieres desprenderte de tu certificado de naturalización original, dada la importancia de este documento, tendrás la opción de traerlo en persona a nuestro despacho en Bank/Monument para que lo copiemos y te lo puedas llevar en mano. No obstante, también ofrecemos envíos por correo o mensajero, y se puede organizar esa parte del trámite remotamente si no vives en Londres o no te resulta conveniente una visita en persona.

Además de los documentos indicados, actualmente se han de presentar también el Consulado un formulario de solicitud y una certificación literal de nacimiento. La certificación literal de nacimiento tiene que haber sido expedida con menos de 6 meses a la fecha de presentación de la documentación. Los nacidos en España pueden obtenerla de manera gratuita a través de la web del Ministerio de Justicia.

Siempre es importante comprobar con las autoridades españolas (el Consulado, en el caso de residentes en Reino Unido) los requisitos para cualquier trámite de este tipo, ya que en ocasiones pueden cambiar los documentos a presentar, la forma de envío, el procedimiento de reserva de cita (en su caso), los plazos, etc.

Es recomendable no apurar el plazo con este trámite para no perder accidentalmente la nacionalidad española. No obstante, conviene saber que para los españoles de origen existe un procedimiento de recuperación de la nacionalidad en caso de haberla perdido.

Si vas a solicitar la conservación de la nacionalidad española y te gustaría que desde Vanner Perez Notaries te ayudemos con los documentos que necesitan traducción, certificación y legalización, no dudes en escribirnos a info@vpnotaries.co.uk y te responderemos enseguida con toda la información que necesites.

The post Conservación de la nacionalidad española (documentation to retain Spanish nationality) appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

While this is a rather new process for British citizens and requirements can evolve, our Spanish department have identified a number of recurring issues that clients have encountered and we have prepared a short guide explaining some of the most common hurdles. We hope that these tips will help applicants achieve the legalisation and sworn translation of their documents without too much trouble, in a manner that is acceptable to the Spanish authorities.

Please have a look at the guide and do not forget to always check the complete list of requirements provided by the Spanish authorities for the type of visa you are applying. If you need help with the legalisation or sworn translation of your documents, do not hesitate to contact our team on info@vpnotaries.co.uk

Click below to read or download the guide:

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We continue to assist many clients who need to appoint someone to represent them in Spain in relation to the purchase or sale of property over there. To make sure we provide the best possible assistance, we have made some updated on our guide to granting a power of attorney for use in Spain.

Here is a reminder about the content of the guide:

Buying and selling property in Spain can be challenging at times. Spanish legal and administrative procedures can differ substantially from those in the UK and sometimes there can be a language barrier too. On top of that, it might not be convenient to travel back and forth to Spain in order to complete the process.

For all these reasons, many people choose to appoint advisors in Spain (usually, lawyers) to act as their attorneys, oversee the process and sign the relevant documentation. If you are thinking of doing this, you will need to grant a power of attorney, which will need to comply with very specific formalities for it to be accepted in Spain. This is something we can help you with.

Our Spanish Department deals with this type of enquiry on daily basis and will be happy to assist with your power of attorney needs. We recommend you to read our guide on the topic, which provides the essential information about granting a power of attorney for use in Spain and answers most commonly asked questions.

Guide on granting a power of attorney for the purchase or sale of property in Spain.

The post Updated Guide: powers of attorney for buying or selling property in Spain appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

You will usually be asked to have the following documents notarised:

• Power of Attorney – to appoint an attorney to act on your behalf to appear at the office of the Registrar of Deeds in South Africa to pass the transfer of the land
• Personal Affidavit – to confirm your marital status and details of the property you are transferring
• Affidavit by Seller – this is normally required to confirm your name, residential address, South African income tax registration number and contact details.

In addition to the above documents, you may also need to have your ID (passport/South African ID card) and a proof of address notarised.

You may also be asked to have the documents, particularly the power of attorney, apostilled in addition to the notarisation. However, documents notarised by a UK notary public do not require any additional legalisation/apostille (r. 63(2)(e) of the South African Uniform Rules of Court (version as of 26th June 2009)).

In addition to the notary, you will also need to sign the power of attorney in front of two witnesses. We can usually provide the additional witnesses, although you may wish to check that we have capacity for this depending on your appointment time.

You will also need to initial the bottom right-hand corner of each page of the power of attorney and sign on the last page. The notary and the two witnesses will also need to initial each page.

Lastly, when signing documents for use in South Africa, you should always use black ink. If you use any other colour ink, your documents may be rejected in South Africa.

To find out more on how we can assist with the notarisation of your documents for use in South Africa, please do give us a call on 020 3668 6626 or email info@vpnotaries.co.uk.

The post Notarisation of documents for a property sale in South Africa appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.

Buying and selling property in Spain can be challenging at times. Spanish legal and administrative procedures can differ substantially from those in the UK and sometimes there can be a language barrier too. On top of that, it might not be convenient to travel back and forth to Spain in order to complete the process.

For all these reasons, many people choose to appoint advisors in Spain (usually, lawyers) to act as their attorneys, oversee the process and sign the relevant documentation. If you are thinking of doing this, you will need to grant a power of attorney, which will need to comply with very specific formalities for it to be accepted in Spain. This is something we can help you with.

Our Spanish Department deals with this type of enquiry on daily basis and will be happy to assist with your power of attorney needs. We recommend you to read our guide on the topic, which provides the essential information about granting a power of attorney for use in Spain and answers most commonly asked questions.

Guide on granting a power of attorney for the purchase or sale of property in Spain.

The post Powers of attorney for buying or selling property in Spain appeared first on Vanner Perez Notaries - Notary Public in London.