SINGAPORE, 12 September 2024 — Authenticating public documents for overseas use will become more convenient and less time consuming from 2025, when the process is digitised by the Singapore Academy of Law (“SAL”), in collaboration with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA”). This partnership represents a pioneering effort in the application of verifiable credential technology to the apostille process, aimed at enhancing the efficiency, security, and reliability of document authentication.

For members of public, it will remove the need for them to present their physical documents to SAL for authentication. Instead, they can upload documents online for digital verification at the SAL Legalisation Portal (https://legalisation.sal.sg/) directly at their convenience. After verification, an e-Apostille, which is a digital certificate of authenticity, will be emailed to them within minutes. A sample e-Apostille is attached in Annex A. The e-Apostille service will cost $10.70 (incl. GST) per document, which is the same as the cost of physically authenticating documents. SAL will continue to issue physical Apostilles as required. 

The first phase of e-Apostille will cover documents issued by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (“ACRA”), such as Business Profiles (BP) and Business Certificates (BC) (Incorporation/Registration)[1]. These ACRA documents, which made up about half of those submitted for legalisation, are used in various business-related activities requiring verification of key information about the business and the people involved in it. The new system taps on ACRA’s trustBar verification service to verify the authenticity of BPs/BCs before the legalisation of the documents and the issuance of the e-Apostille certification. Plans to support documents issued by other public agencies will be announced in due course.

With these developments, Singapore becomes one of the first countries in the world to authenticate public documents digitally through the e-Apostille Framework. The Framework is based on the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Verifiable Credentials (VC) specifications. Alignment with the W3C VC specification is critical for the global adoption of the e-Apostille Framework. The W3C VC standard is widely recognised and adopted, enabling better interoperability and acceptance by other countries. By adhering to this specification, the initiative aims to create a solution that is not only effective within Singapore, but also compatible with international systems and practices. 

“e-Apostille marks the latest step in SAL’s efforts to use technology to benefit, and bring greater convenience to our members and the public. Going digital will quicken the turnaround of documents and reduce the administrative burden for businesses and members of the public,” said Mr Yeong Zee Kin, Chief Executive, SAL.

“This partnership reflects the shared commitment of IMDA and SAL to modernise legal processes and enhance the delivery of legal services. By aligning with the W3C VC standard, we can better integrate and ensure worldwide recognition of Singapore-issued e-Apostilles, fostering international legal cooperation and trade,” said Mr Leong Der Yao, Assistant Chief Executive, Sectoral Transformation Group, IMDA.

Details of e-Apostille can be found at www.legalisation.sal.sg.