Notary Public Services in Nepal 2082/83 (2026)

Not on its own. For foreign use it must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then legalised by the destination embassy. Nepal does not issue an apostille.

A Nepali citizen who is a law graduate, meets the experience requirement, passes the Notary Public Council's examination and training, and holds a Council licence.

Notaries are governed by the Notary Public Act 2063 (2006) and the Notary Public Rules made under it, which set qualifications, the licence, permitted acts, conduct and fees. The Act establishes the Nepal Notary Public Council as the regulator that licenses notaries, conducts the examination, sets fee ceilings, maintains the register and handles discipline. Much of the operational detail is prescribed in the Rules rather than the Act itself.

The Nepal Notary Public Council (Notary Public Parishad) is the statutory regulator of notaries created under the Notary Public Act 2063. It licenses notaries, runs the qualifying examination and training, prescribes fee ceilings, maintains the public register of notaries, and exercises discipline over them. It is the authority a prospective notary applies to for a licence, and the body that sets the standards a practising notary must follow.

A notary can attest signatures and thumbprints, certify that a copy is a true copy of its original, certify translations between Nepali and English, record affidavits, oaths and statements, and authenticate a power of attorney, among other acts under the Act. These cover most of what individuals and businesses need for banks, offices, courts and foreign use. The precise list and any conditions are set by the Act and the Council's rules.

No. Notarisation requires the party to appear in person before the notary, because the notary is attesting to the genuineness of the signature or the act. Online or video notarisation is not recognised in Nepal at present. This is why arranging notarisation for someone abroad usually involves a power of attorney executed and attested through the proper chain, rather than the notary acting on a document for an absent party.

Notarisation fees are set within ceilings prescribed by the Nepal Notary Public Council and vary by the type and number of documents, while the notary licence and examination carry their own Council fees. Because these amounts are fixed administratively and can be revised, a figure quoted in an older article may be out of date. Confirm the current notarisation and licence fees with the Council or your notary before relying on a number.

No. Notarisation is the notary certifying a document within Nepal; an apostille is a single international certification used by countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. Nepal is not a party to that Convention, so no Nepali authority issues an apostille. For foreign use, a notarised document instead goes through attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the destination embassy, which is the chain that replaces the apostille.

Have the document notarised (with a certified translation if needed), then attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal, and then legalised by the embassy of the country where it will be used — in that order. Because Nepal does not issue an apostille, this MoFA-plus-embassy chain is what makes the document acceptable overseas. Skipping or reordering a step is the most common reason a notarised document is rejected abroad.

Drafting and registering immovable-property sale deeds is generally handled through the land-revenue and registration process rather than as a notarial act, and such deeds are reported to fall outside ordinary notarial practice. A notary can, however, certify copies, attest signatures and authenticate a power of attorney used in a property matter. Because the boundary between notarial acts and deed registration matters, take legal advice on the correct route for a property document.

A notary licence is issued for a fixed term and must be renewed before it expires, with the renewal applied for through the Notary Public Council and a late renewal typically attracting additional conditions. The exact term and renewal requirements are set by the Council, and have been described differently across sources, so a notary or applicant should confirm the current licence term and renewal procedure directly with the Council rather than rely on a general figure.

Yes. Certifying translations — typically between Nepali and English — is one of the recognised notarial acts, and certified translations are frequently needed for documents used abroad, such as certificates, affidavits and academic records. The notary certifies that the translation corresponds to the original. For foreign use, the certified translation then follows the same MoFA and embassy attestation chain as the underlying document, so plan the translation and attestation together.

Commonly notarised documents include affidavits, declarations, power of attorney, certified copies of citizenship, passports and academic certificates, translations, and various undertakings required by banks, offices and foreign authorities. The notarisation makes the document credible for the body that will rely on it. Where the document is for use abroad, notarisation is only the first step, followed by MoFA and embassy attestation, so it helps to identify the end use before notarising.

No. A notary is expected not to act where they have a personal interest in the matter or a close-relative connection to a party, because notarisation depends on the notary's impartiality. Acting in such a situation would undermine the credibility the notarial act is meant to provide and can be a breach of the notary's duties. If a conflict exists, the document should be taken to a different, independent notary.

Not currently. Notarisation in Nepal requires the party's physical appearance before the notary, and online or remote video notarisation is not recognised, unlike in some other jurisdictions. For a person who cannot appear — for example someone living abroad — the usual solution is to execute a power of attorney that is itself notarised and attested through the proper chain, so that a representative can act in Nepal. Confirm the current position before relying on any remote option.

A notary public is a lawyer who additionally holds a Notary Public Council licence to perform notarial acts such as attestation and certification. Every notary is a lawyer, but not every lawyer is a licensed notary. A lawyer advises, drafts and represents clients, while the notarial licence adds the authority to formally certify documents. For a document that needs both careful drafting and notarisation, a lawyer who is also a notary can handle both in one place.

Frequently, yes. Banks, government offices, courts and foreign authorities often require notarised copies, affidavits or powers of attorney to be satisfied that a document is genuine and that a signature is authentic. The requirement depends on the office and the transaction, so it is worth asking what exactly they need — a certified copy, an attested signature, or a notarised affidavit — so the correct notarial act is performed and the document is accepted without a repeat visit.

A notarised and properly attested power of attorney is commonly used to authorise a representative to act in property, banking, court and administrative matters, especially for people living abroad. The wording must match the intended use, and for a power of attorney executed abroad or to be used abroad, the attestation chain applies. Because an inadequately drafted power of attorney can be rejected by the office relying on it, it is best prepared with legal advice.

Involve a lawyer when the notarised document carries real consequences — a power of attorney, an affidavit, a contract, or anything destined for use abroad. A lawyer drafts the document correctly, notarises it, arranges a certified translation, and handles the MoFA-and-embassy attestation chain so it is accepted where you need it. Getting the wording and sequence right at the outset avoids a rejected document and the cost of redoing it from another country.