What is electronic notarization in the Philippines?

Quick answer

Electronic notarization is notarization where the document is a PDF instead of paper. A Philippine lawyer holding a special e-notary commission verifies who you are, watches you sign, and applies an electronic seal with a QR code. You can appear in person or by live video. It has the same legal force as traditional notarization.

Explain it like I'm 12#

The notary's table moved into a secure app.

Everything that made notarization meaningful is still there — a real lawyer, a real oath, a real check of your ID, a real record in a register. What changed is the paperwork and the travel. The document is a PDF. The seal is electronic and carries a QR code. And if you are both in the Philippines, the "table" can be a video call.

What did not change: the notary still has to be satisfied you are who you say you are, that you understand what you are signing, and that nobody is forcing you.

First, why does notarization matter at all?#

Most people never get told this part, and it explains everything else.

When you sign a document privately, it is a private document. If a dispute reaches court, someone has to prove the signature is genuine.

Notarization turns it into a public document. It carries a presumption of regularity — the law starts from the assumption that it was properly executed. That is why banks, agencies and registries ask for notarized documents. They are outsourcing the identity check to someone the legal system holds responsible for getting it right.

That is also why the rules around it are strict, and why a fake notarization is a serious crime rather than a paperwork problem.

The law in one sentence#

The Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC) were approved by the Supreme Court En Banc on 4 February 2025, published on 9 March 2025, and took effect on 24 March 2025.

Two things to keep straight:

• The Rules supplement the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice. They do not replace them. Paper documents with wet-ink signatures still go to a traditional notary.
• They repealed the 2020 pandemic-era Interim Rules on Remote Notarization of Paper Documents (A.M. No. 20-07-04-SC). That older, temporary system is gone.

The two modes: IEN and REN#

Not sure? The eligibility checker walks you through it in four questions.

The four electronic notarial acts, in plain language#

1. Acknowledgment — "I signed this, and I meant to." You confirm the signature is yours. The document can already be signed.
2. Jurat — "I swear the contents are true." You must sign it live, in view of the e-notary. A pre-signed document cannot be used for a jurat.
3. Oath or affirmation — you swear (or solemnly affirm, without religious wording) that something is true.
4. Signature witnessing — the e-notary witnesses you signing.

The jurat rule catches people out constantly. If your affidavit needs a jurat, bring it unsigned.

What documents qualify#

Yes:

• Any electronic document in PDF or PDF/A format.
• Scanned paper documents — a scan counts as an electronic document. If it is already signed in ink, that scan route works for an acknowledgment or an oath, but not for a jurat.

No — these are excluded:

• Notarial wills
• Depositions
• Paper documents with wet-ink signatures, which remain under the 2004 Rules

The security story, told as consumer protection#

Every requirement below exists because someone could otherwise cheat you.

• e-KYC to BSP standards and multi-factor authentication — so somebody cannot notarize something using your name.
• Liveness and anti-spoofing detection — so a photo of your face is not enough.
• Geolocation with VPN blocking — so nobody can pretend to be in the Philippines. Faking your location with a VPN is itself a punishable act.
• HD video, minimum 1280×720 at about 2 Mbps per person, everyone on camera the whole time — so the e-notary can actually see what is happening. Pre-recorded video is strictly prohibited.
• An auto-populated Electronic Notarial Book — the register fills itself, so entries cannot quietly go missing.
• A QR-coded electronic seal — so a receiving office can verify the document instead of trusting a rubber stamp.
• The Central Notarial Database — the Supreme Court's repository, which every e-notarized document is uploaded to as PDF/A. Not yet confirmed operational; during the transitional period e-notaries file monthly reports to the Electronic Notary Administrator instead.
• Recording is optional, and it exists for the principal's benefit. You may ask for it.

Does it have the same legal force?#

Yes. Under the Rules, an electronically notarized document has the same legal force and effect as one notarized the traditional way.

Whether a particular office will accept it is a separate, practical question — and the honest answer today is that most agencies have not announced a position. We track that on the rollout tracker. Before you rely on an e-notarized document for something with a deadline, ask the receiving office.

Where the rollout actually stands#

Where to go next#

• Your first e-notarization, step by step — the practical walkthrough
• IEN vs REN — pick your mode
• Can it be e-notarized? — four questions, one answer
• Glossary — every acronym, in English and Filipino