How to Notarize Documents Online in the Philippines: Step-by-Step Guide
The Supreme Court's new eNotarization system lets Filipinos have qualifying electronic documents notarized remotely, here's what you need to know before getting started.
Image: Supreme Court of the Philippines – Public Information Office (SC PIO)
UPDATE: August 9, 2026 – the system is in its rollout phase and ENP applications open August 10.
Getting a document notarized traditionally means printing it out, finding a notary public and personally appearing before them. That process is about to become much more convenient as the Supreme Court of the Philippines rolls out its electronic notarization system.
Under the Supreme Court’s Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC), qualifying electronic documents can be notarized using an accredited Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF) and an Electronic Notary Public (ENP). Remote Electronic Notarization (REN) allows the parties to appear before the notary through videoconferencing.
What documents can be notarized online?
The system covers electronic documents in PDF or PDF/A format. This can include documents originally created electronically as well as scanned copies of paper documents with wet signatures.
However, there are important exceptions. Notarial wills and depositions cannot be electronically notarized under the new rules. Paper documents that still require traditional wet signatures continue to fall under the existing 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice.
The electronic notarial acts covered include acknowledgment, affirmation or oath, jurat, and signature witnessing.
What do you need?
Before starting an online notarization, prepare the following:
- Your document in PDF or PDF/A format
- A valid form of identification
- A smartphone or computer with a working camera and microphone
- A reliable internet connection
- An email address
- Any supporting documents required for your particular transaction
- Your witnesses, if the document requires witnesses
Each principal and witness must have their own account with the chosen ENF because the platform must independently verify each participant’s identity.
The Supreme Court’s rules also require accredited ENFs to use security measures such as electronic KYC, multi-factor authentication, liveness detection and geolocation. The system can also detect and block VPNs used to disguise a participant’s actual location.
Step 1: Prepare your document
Complete your document before uploading it.
Save it as a PDF or PDF/A file and make sure all pages, names, dates, amounts and other important details are correct.
There is one important distinction when it comes to signing.
Documents requiring a jurat1 generally should not be signed before uploading because the electronic signature must be made in the presence of the ENP.
For documents requiring acknowledgment, affirmation or oath, a document may already be electronically signed before uploading, although the signer must confirm the signature before the ENP.
Step 2: Choose an accredited eNotarization platform
This is one of the most important parts of the process.
You should only use an Electronic Notarization Facility accredited by the Supreme Court. The ENF is the secure platform that connects you, the ENP and any witnesses during the electronic notarization.
The Supreme Court maintains an official eNotarization section containing the directories for accredited facility providers and commissioned Electronic Notaries Public.
Do not simply search Google for “online notary Philippines” and assume that every website offering remote notarization is legally authorized.
Supreme Court eNotarization Portal
Step 3: Create an account
Once you select an accredited ENF, create your account on its platform.
The exact registration procedure will depend on the provider, but the Supreme Court requires ENFs to have identity-verification and authentication mechanisms.
If witnesses are required, each witness must create their own account rather than simply joining through the principal’s account.
Step 4: Upload your document
Upload the PDF to the ENF together with the identification and supporting documents requested by the platform.
The ENF is designed to securely handle the uploading, viewing, signing and downloading of documents before, during and after the notarization.
At this point, the platform may also ask you to select an available ENP or schedule a notarization session.
Step 5: Complete identity verification
Before the actual notarization, the system will verify your identity.
Depending on the ENF, this can involve government IDs, facial recognition, biometrics, one-time passwords and other authentication mechanisms.
For remote notarization, your actual location also matters. Do not use a VPN to change or hide your location. The ENF is required to have geolocation capabilities and the rules prohibit using technology intended to alter the user’s actual location.
Step 6: Meet the Electronic Notary Public online
For Remote Electronic Notarization, you and any required witnesses will appear before the ENP through the platform’s videoconferencing system.
The ENP will review the document, verify the participants and perform the appropriate notarial act.
The Supreme Court allows an ENP to perform remote electronic notarization for principals located anywhere in the Philippines, so you don’t necessarily need to be in the same city as the notary.
Step 7: Sign the document electronically
Once the ENP instructs you to proceed, you will electronically sign the document through the ENF.
The ENP will then affix the required electronic notarial signature and seal.
Once completed properly under the Supreme Court’s rules, an electronically notarized document has the same validity, force and effect as a notarial act performed under the traditional rules.
Step 8: Download your notarized document
After the transaction is completed, the ENF should allow you to access and download the electronically notarized document.
Keep the original electronic file somewhere safe. Avoid simply printing the document and treating the printed copy as the only version, particularly when the receiving agency specifically requires an electronically notarized document.
The ENF is also designed to provide mechanisms for authenticating and verifying electronically notarized documents.
What about notarization from abroad?
There is also a limited option for Filipinos or other principals who are outside the Philippines.
An ENP may perform remote electronic notarization for someone abroad only when the principal is physically inside a Philippine embassy, consular office or Philippine Honorary Consul’s office, and a designated officer confirms the person’s presence.
1Jurat – is a certification clause added to a sworn legal document such as an affidavit or deposition, stabbing that the signer personally appeared, showed valid ID, signed the document in front of an authorized officer or notary public, and formally swore or affirmed that the contents are true.
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