5.5 Notary Public

A Notary Public is a licensed legal functionary who certifies and authenticates documents and facts so that they can be trusted at home and abroad. In Nepal the office is governed by the Notary Public Act 2063 (2006) and regulated by the Notary Public Council. Eligibility and appointment: experienced advocates and other legally qualified persons are licensed by the Council after satisfying the statutory requirements and examination process; notaries work within their certified jurisdiction (working area). Functions of a notary (the exam list): 1. Attestation/verification of documents — certifying copies as true copies of originals; 2. Attestation of signatures and thumb impressions; 3. Certification of translations (Nepali ↔ English and other languages) by certified translators; 4. Administering oaths and declarations — affidavits, sworn statements; 5. Preparing notarial deeds — affidavits, powers of attorney, declarations, certification of photos attached to applications; 6. Witnessing execution of certain documents and certifying facts (place, date, identity); 7. Maintaining protocol records of every notarial act. Why notaries matter: they carry the trust of law into daily life — citizenship files, foreign-study applications, business papers, immigration documents — cheaply and quickly. Notarial act ≠ legal advice: a notary certifies authenticity, not legal sufficiency; and where a document must be registered (e.g., transfer of immovable property), registration law, not notarisation, governs validity.