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SAL Authentication Explained: What It Is, Why It’s Required, and What It Costs
The final, mandatory step for every notarised translation submitted to ICA Singapore
If your notarised translation doesn’t carry SAL authentication, it’s not valid — full stop. Since 1 October 2019, every notarial certificate issued in Singapore must be authenticated by the Singapore Academy of Law. This page explains exactly what SAL authentication is, what it costs, how long it takes, and why skipping it is one of the most common (and entirely avoidable) reasons ICA rejects an otherwise-correct translation.
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Current SAL fee
Payable to the Singapore Academy of Law through your Notary Public, on top of the Notary’s own fee.
Oct 2019
SAL authentication became mandatory
S$87.20
Current authentication fee (incl. GST)
~700
Notaries Public regulated by SAL
Same-day
Authentication turnaround at SAL counter
The basics
What is the Singapore Academy of Law, and what does it authenticate?
The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is the statutory body that appoints and regulates Notaries Public and Commissioners for Oaths practising in Singapore. SAL itself does not notarise documents — that’s the Notary Public’s role. What SAL does is verify, after the fact, that the Notary Public who signed your notarial certificate is genuinely and currently licensed to do so.
In practice: a Notary Public witnesses your translator’s signed declaration and issues a Notarial Certificate. That certificate is then taken to SAL’s counter, where SAL checks the Notary’s credentials and affixes an Authentication Certificate (or, since 16 September 2021, an Apostille) to the back of it. Without this final step, the notarised document is considered invalid — not just unreliable, but legally not a valid notarisation under Singapore’s Notaries Public Rules.
Quick facts
Governing rule
Notaries Public Rules, r.8(3)(c)
Mandatory since
1 October 2019
Who notarises
Notary Public (not SAL)
Who authenticates
SAL (not the Notary)
SAL counter location
The Adelphi, 1 Coleman St #08-06
Why this step exists
The full chain, step by step
SAL introduced mandatory authentication specifically to close a fraud risk: without it, anyone could forge a Notary’s seal and there was no easy way to check.
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1
Translation
A qualified translator produces the English translation and signs a Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
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2
Notarisation
A Notary Public witnesses the translator’s signature and issues a Notarial Certificate, after sighting the original document.
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3
SAL Authentication
SAL verifies the Notary is validly licensed and affixes an Authentication Certificate (or Apostille) to the Notarial Certificate.
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✓
Valid for ICA
The fully chained document is now valid for submission, and anyone can verify it via SAL’s online search register.
SAL’s own statement introducing the rule in 2019 explained that mandatory authentication lets recipients confirm a notarised document was validly certified by a genuine notary. Anyone can verify a notarised document via SAL’s public search register.
What it costs
The complete fee breakdown
SAL authentication is one line item in a larger fee structure. Here’s every cost in the chain, so there are no surprises.
Per additional attachment/exhibit
Typical total per document
This is paid in addition to translation costs. When you order notarised translation through us, all of this — translation, Notary Public fees, and the SAL authentication fee — is bundled into one flat price, so you don’t need to track down a Notary or visit the SAL counter yourself.
The risk of skipping it
What happens if you submit without SAL authentication
- ICA reviews the notarial certificate and finds no SAL Authentication Certificate or Apostille attached
- The document is treated as not validly notarised — under SAL’s own rules, it’s invalid, not just incomplete
- Your application is returned for resubmission, even though the translation itself may be perfectly accurate
- You now need to take the existing Notarial Certificate back to the SAL counter for authentication before resubmitting
- This typically happens when a Notary is engaged directly without ICA-specific experience, or when SAL authentication is assumed to be optional or automatic
SAL authentication is never optional for ICA submissions, and we never skip it. Every notarised translation we deliver includes SAL authentication as standard — not an upsell, not an add-on.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about SAL authentication from Malaysians submitting documents to ICA Singapore.
- Last updated: June 2026
No. Notarisation is performed by a Notary Public, who witnesses your translator’s signed declaration and issues a Notarial Certificate. SAL authentication is a separate, subsequent step where the Singapore Academy of Law verifies that Notary’s credentials and authenticates the certificate itself. SAL does not perform notarial services — only authentication of a Notary’s signature and seal.
The current SAL Authentication Fee is S$87.20 (including GST) per notarial certificate, paid through your Notary Public. This is separate from the Notary Public’s own fees, which are fixed by the Notaries Public Rules at S$75 for the Notarial Certificate plus S$40 for notarial execution for the first person, with S$10 per additional attachment.
No. A representative can submit the Notarial Certificate for authentication on your behalf — you don’t need to attend in person. When you order notarised translation through a full-service provider, this step is typically coordinated for you as part of the overall process.
Authentication at the SAL counter can be completed on the spot, often the same or next working day, meaning only one trip is needed instead of two. Combined with notarisation (typically 15–30 minutes per document), the full chain from translation to a SAL-authenticated document is usually achievable within a few working days.
SAL authentication is required for every document that requires notarisation in Singapore, regardless of document type. Whether your notarisation requirement comes from ICA, a court, or another authority, if the document needs a Notary Public’s involvement, that notarial certificate must be SAL-authenticated to be valid.
Yes. Since the rule took effect, anyone receiving a notarised document — including ICA officers — can verify its authenticity through SAL’s online search register, which checks both the Notary Public’s appointment and the Authentication Certificate or Apostille itself.
Not sure if your document needs SAL authentication?
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