NOTARY PUBLIC AND LEGALISATION IN MALAYSIA (SIMPLE GUIDE)
What is Document Legalisation?
Document legalisation is a process that makes your Malaysian documents officially accepted in another country.Because Malaysia is not part of the Apostille system, you must go through 3 steps:
1. Notarisation
2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) verification
3. Embassy authentication
This creates a chain of trust so foreign authorities know your document is genuine.
DOCUMENTS COMMONLY REQUIRED FOR LEGALISATION, inter-alia:-
• Power Of Attorney, Affidavit, Statutory Declaration, Authorization Letter.
• Single Entry Visa application Letter of Support.
• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) naturalization documentations and Affidavits.
• Documents for Application for loan in India and other countries.
• British Birth and marriage Certificates for National Registration Department (JPN) Malaysia.
• Medical Reports, Medical Certificate (MC) from Private Hospital
• Personal Documents
• Birth or marriage certificates
• Divorce or death certificates
• Academic certificates (degree, transcripts)
👉 Example: Studying, working, or getting married overseas
• Business Documents
* Company registration (SSM)
* Contracts or agreements
* Power of attorney
* Trade documents
👉 Example: Expanding business overseas
• Legal Documents
* Affidavits
* Court orders
* Statutory declarations
👉 Example: Using documents in foreign court cases
STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
STEP 1: NOTARISATION (NOTARY PUBLIC)
A Notary Public (lawyer) will attest your documents as instructed which include: -
1. To Certify True Copy of the Original
2. To authenticate the authenticity of the Documents
3. To attest the signing of documents esp for documents which require it to be signed before an attesting officer (Notary Public).
4. And any other instructions which relate to the Notarial acts.
STEP 2: WISMA PUTRA (MOFA) ATTESTATION
This is the Malaysian government verification step.
What they do:
Confirm the notary’s signature OR
Confirm the original government document.
What to bring:
Original document
IC or passport
Cost: RM10 or RM20 per document (depending on type of documents)
Processing time: Usually same day
⚠️ Important: Only original documents are accepted (no photocopies)
STEP 3: EMBASSY AUTHENTICATION
Final step: the destination country’s embassy verifies your document.
What to do:
Go to the embassy of the country you’re dealing with
Book appointment (if required)
Submit document with Wisma Putra stamp.
Requirements:
Original document
Identification card OR SSM (Company’s Registration Search) if any,
Application form (if needed)
Payment
Cost: Varies widely (RM20 to a few hundred) (depending on the fees charged by the Respective Embassy.
Processing time:
Same day to 3–5 working days
Important Tips
✅ Always check embassy requirements first
✅ Do NOT remove staples or stamps on documents
✅ Use certified translators if translation is needed
✅ Prepare extra copies if needed
Simple Summary
To use a Malaysian document overseas:
👉 Step 1: Notary Public (if required)
👉 Step 2: Wisma Putra stamp
👉 Step 3: Embassy authentication
Once all 3 steps are done, your document is valid overseas ✅
