Notarized copy

A notarized copy is a photocopy of a document that a notary public certifies as matching the original. The notary sees the original document, compares it with the copy, and applies an endorsement with a stamp and signature.

When you need one

You ask for a notarized copy when an institution wants a certified copy but you do not want to, or cannot, hand over the original. It comes up often with administrative files, study enrolments, or procedures in which the original has to be kept.

How it is done

You present the original to the notary, who makes or checks the photocopy, compares it with the document, and applies the copy legalization endorsement. The resulting document can be used in place of the original for many procedures.