Getting a document notarized in the Philippines no longer has to mean standing in front of the notary. The Supreme Court’s electronic notarization (eNotarization) opened to the public nationwide on October 19th, the court says, letting a notary certify a PDF over a live video call or in person. It runs through three platforms the court has accredited: NotarizeIT by UNAWA, TWALA by Ohelio and QLegal by Quanby Solutions.
Electronic notaries can take clients from anywhere in the country, unlike traditional notaries, who can only notarize within their own territory.
Everyone, witnesses included, needs their own account on the platform, which checks each person’s identity first with multi-factor checks such as facial recognition and one-time passwords. You can let the platform pair you with any available notary, which the court’s FAQ page compares to ride-hailing apps, or book the one you want.
The video has to be live: pre-recorded clips of anyone signing are banned, and you and any witnesses stay on camera throughout. The platforms use geolocation to confirm you’re in the Philippines and can detect and block VPNs. Faking your location with one is punishable by law.
Documents have to be PDF or PDF/A files, and a scan of an ink-signed paper counts, unless it must be signed before the notary. When it’s done, the notary attaches an electronic certificate, with their electronic signature and seal, to your PDF. You can ask to record the session and download it, and anyone holding a printout can verify it on the issuing platform’s site.
The Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will take these documents too, under agreements signed with the court on October 13th. Deeds of sale and real estate mortgages are among the most common filings at the Registers of Deeds, LRA Administrator Gerardo Sirios said at the signing.
Notarial wills and depositions are excluded and stay with traditional notaries. From abroad, you can only use it from inside a Philippine embassy, consulate or honorary consul’s office, with an officer there confirming you’re on the premises.
The court’s working group studied e-notarization in countries including Japan, South Korea and the US, and judged the US framework the most compatible and comprehensive. The court approved its rules in February 2025, five years after it first allowed remote notarization of paper documents as a pandemic stopgap.
