Appearance
Being a Witness
Someone has asked you to witness a document being notarised. This guide explains what that means, what you need to do, and how long it takes.
You do not need a NotariseIt account. Everything happens through the private link in your invitation email.
The short version
Open the link in your email, verify your identity (about five minutes), then join the video session at the time given. Do the verification now, not on the day.
What a witness actually does
A notary public is confirming that a document was signed by the person who says they signed it. For some documents, the law requires a second person to be present and to attest to that.
That is you. During the session you will:
- appear on video alongside the signer and the notary
- confirm who you are, on the record
- watch the document being signed
- add your own signature as a witness
Your name appears in the session's audit trail as a participant. You are attesting that you saw the signing happen — nothing more. You are not agreeing to the contents of the document, and you take on no obligation under it.
Can you be a witness?
Requirements vary by document type and by where the document will be used, but the common rules are that a witness should be an adult, of sound mind, and not a party to the document or a beneficiary under it.
NotariseIt cannot tell you whether you qualify for a particular document. If you are unsure, ask the person who invited you, or the notary at the start of the session.
The four steps
| # | Step | When | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open your invitation link | As soon as you receive it | — |
| 2 | Verify your identity | Well before the session | ~5 minutes |
| 3 | Join the session | At the scheduled time | 15–45 minutes |
| 4 | Sign as a witness | During the session | ~1 minute |
Do step 2 today
This is the one thing worth acting on immediately.
A witness who has not verified their identity may not be able to take part, and a session that legally requires a witness cannot go ahead without one. If your verification fails on the day, there is rarely time to fix it — and the person who invited you may lose their booking fee.
Verifying takes about five minutes and can be done from your phone the moment you get the email.
What we ask you for, and why
| We ask for | Because |
|---|---|
| Your identity number, or a photo of your ID | The notary must be satisfied who is present |
| A short live capture of your face | It confirms a real person is there, not a photograph |
We do not ask you for a password, a bank detail, or a payment. Nobody from NotariseIt will ever call or email you asking for any of those.
What happens to my ID afterwards? →
If something is wrong
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The link does not work or says it has expired | Ask the person who invited you to resend it |
| You cannot make the session time | Tell them as soon as possible — the session may need moving |
| You do not think you should be a witness for this document | Say so before the session, not during it |
| You were not expecting this invitation | Do not verify. Contact [email protected] |
Is this genuine?
A reasonable question, and worth checking rather than assuming.
- Your invitation comes from notariseit.com and the link opens at
www.notariseit.com/witness-portal/… - You should be expecting it — somebody you know asked you to witness something
- We ask for identity details only, never a password or a payment
- The page shows your name, the session date, and the notary's name before asking you for anything
If any of that does not match, stop and contact [email protected].
Next
- Verifying your identity — the five-minute step
- The session — what happens on the day
- Your privacy — what we keep, and for how long