Frequently asked questions

Notarization where the document is an electronic file (PDF or PDF/A) instead of paper. A commissioned Electronic Notary Public verifies your identity, watches you sign where required, and applies an electronic seal carrying a QR or bar code.

As of 6 August 2026

Legit kung sumusunod sa Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC). Kailangang may hiwalay na e-notary commission ang abogado at accredited ang platform. May tatlo nang accredited na platform ang Korte Suprema: Twala, QLegal, at NotarizeIT. Pero wala pa ring pampublikong listahan ng mga indibidwal na e-notaryo.

Yes. Under the Rules it has the same legal force and effect. Whether a particular office accepts it today is a separate, practical question — ask them first.

IEN is in-person electronic notarization: you appear physically, the document is electronic. REN is remote electronic notarization: everyone appears by live video. A single session can mix both.

Naging epektibo ang Rules on Electronic Notarization noong 24 Marso 2025. Inaprubahan ito noong 4 Pebrero 2025 at inilathala noong 9 Marso 2025.

No. It supplements the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, which still govern paper documents with wet-ink signatures. It did repeal the 2020 interim rules on remote notarization of paper documents.

Hindi. Kailangan ng hiwalay na Electronic Notary Public commission. Iba ito sa traditional notarial commission — pwedeng may isa lang ang abogado, pwede ring pareho.

No. This is the biggest practical reform: an Electronic Notary Public can serve principals anywhere in the Philippines. The old territorial limits still apply to traditional paper notarization.

As of 6 August 2026

Nagkakaiba-iba. Ang walk-in affidavit ay madalas ₱100–₱500 depende sa lungsod. May online platform na naglalathala ng ₱488 kada dokumento kasama ang VAT. Ang consular notarization sa abroad ay mga US$25.

Karaniwan, oo. Pero may PAO at ilang LGU na libre ang notarial services para sa kwalipikadong mamamayan. Pwede ring i-waive ng e-notaryo ang bayad.

As of 6 August 2026

Not yet. The Supreme Court has not published one. E-notaries may charge, may waive fees, and may pass on reasonable telecommunication and incidental costs.

Because deeds are commonly priced as a percentage of the property value rather than a flat fee. Ask for the percentage and the value it applies to, in writing, before committing.

The fee itself is often similar. The saving is usually in travel, queueing and time off work. Our cost estimator shows both the fee and the effective cost.

Hindi. Advisory lang ito. Ang bawat notaryo ang nagtatakda ng sariling presyo.

As of 6 August 2026

Hindi mula sa bahay mo. Kailangan nasa Pilipinas ang lahat ng kalahok. Ang tanging exception: kung nasa loob ka mismo ng Philippine embassy, consulate o tanggapan ng Honorary Consul.

Because location is what makes the notarization checkable. Geolocation is verified and VPNs are detected and blocked — and using a VPN to fake your location is itself a punishable act under the Rules.

Tatlo: consular notarization sa Philippine embassy o consulate (mga US$25), local notary plus apostille, o REN mula sa loob ng Philippine post kung available doon. Pwede rin, mag-SPA ka para may umasikaso sa Pilipinas.

No. A document notarized at a Philippine post is already recognised for use in the Philippines. The apostille chain applies to the other route — a foreign notary's act being certified.

No. Notarize.com, DocuSign Notary and similar services operate under US state Remote Online Notarization laws. Their output is not Philippine notarization.

Oo, mga US$25 kada dokumento, plus pamasahe mo. Tanungin mo ang post mo dahil pwedeng mag-iba.

As of 6 August 2026

No — availability varies by post and may not exist where you are. Contact the post before you travel. Treat it as the route to ask about, not the route to plan around.

Buong pangalan mo at ng pinagkakatiwalaan mo, tiyak na mga kapangyarihan (huwag lang lahat ng kinakailangan), at petsa ng bisa. Maraming bangko ang ayaw tumanggap ng SPA na mahigit anim na buwan na.

Electronic documents in PDF or PDF/A format, including scans of paper documents. Excluded: notarial wills, depositions, and paper documents with wet-ink signatures.

Oo. Ang scanned na dokumento ay itinuturing na electronic document. Pero kung naka-pirma na ito sa tinta, para lang ito sa acknowledgment o oath — hindi sa jurat.

A jurat means you swear the contents are true, and you must sign live in view of the e-notary. An acknowledgment means you confirm the signature is yours — and the document can already be signed.

Notarial wills are expressly excluded under the Rules. The formalities for wills are strict for good reason. Traditional notarization is the route, and a lawyer is worth consulting first.

Hindi nag-eexpire ang notarization mismo. Pero nag-eexpire ang commission ng notaryo, at maraming ahensya ang humihingi ng dokumentong bago — kadalasan within six months.

Only for a jurat. For an acknowledgment or an oath, a pre-signed document is fine. If you are unsure which act you need, leave it unsigned — you can always sign during the session.

At least one valid, unexpired government-issued ID showing both your photo and your signature — passport, driver's licence, PhilID, UMID, PRC, postal ID, OFW/OWWA ID, seaman's book, PWD ID or senior citizen ID.

Hindi. Bawat kalahok ay kailangang may sariling account. Bawat isa ay hiwalay na ineberipika — iyon mismo ang punto.

At least about 2 Mbps per person, with video at a minimum of 1280x720. Everyone stays on camera for the whole session.

Recording is optional and exists for the principal's benefit. If you want a copy, ask before the session starts.

Yes, and sometimes they must — where identity cannot be established, where you appear to be under pressure, or where the document is irregular. That protection is what makes notarization worth anything.

Mga isang oras sa unang beses: 15–30 minuto para sa account at identity check, tapos 15–30 minuto para sa mismong session.

The electronic notarial certificate and QR-coded seal are applied, the entry is auto-recorded in the Electronic Notarial Book, and a PDF/A copy goes to the Central Notarial Database. Download your document and keep it with the e-receipt.

As of 6 August 2026

Ask for their commission and roll number. For a traditional notary, the RTC Executive Judge's office and the local IBP chapter hold the records. There is no convenient national public lookup yet.

Ilang red flag: hindi ka pinaharap, hindi tiningnan ang ID mo, pinapirma ka nang maaga para sa jurat, sobrang mura, at ayaw magbigay ng pangalan o roll number. Kung ayaw sagutin ang tanong mo, sagot na iyon.

Scan the QR or bar code on the electronic seal, read the certificate, check the roll number, and ask for the original PDF rather than a photo. Any person may also inspect a specific notarial book entry for a lawful purpose.

No. It certifies who signed and that they appeared. A notarized document full of false statements is still full of false statements.

Itigil ang paggamit ng dokumento, itago ang lahat ng ebidensya, i-report sa NBI at sa IBP kung may abogadong sangkot, at tumawag sa OBC-ENS helpdesk: (02) 8526-8119.

Yes. VPNs are detected and blocked, and using one to fake your location is listed among the punishable acts under the Rules. Turn it off before the session.

Apply through the eNotarization Portal on the Philippine Judiciary Platform with a ₱3,000 fee via JePS. You need Bar membership in good standing, MCLE and ULAS compliance, one year of Philippine residency and a Philippine place of work, and no moral-turpitude conviction. A virtual summary hearing follows.

No. The two commissions are independent, and you may hold both.

Two years, counted from 1 January of the commissioning year. Renewal is filed in a 30-day window and the ENA acts within 15 days.

Yes — one account on each. Accounts are personal and are never shared, including with your own staff.

Never. The e-notary must always be physically in the Philippines. Notarizing from abroad is a ground for revocation of the commission.

As of 6 August 2026

During the transitional period, monthly reports to the Electronic Notary Administrator within the first 10 days of the month, while the Central Notarial Database is not yet confirmed operational.