Appearance
Verifying Your Identity
Before the session, the notary has to be satisfied who you are. This takes about five minutes and you can do it from your phone.
Do this now
Not on the day. A verification that fails an hour before the session usually cannot be fixed in time, and the session may not be able to go ahead.
Opening your link
Tap the link in your invitation email. It opens a page showing your name, the session date and time, and the notary's name. Check those look right before going further.
The link is private and it expires
Treat it like a password — it is the only credential you have, so do not forward it or post it anywhere.
It stops working shortly after the session ends. If yours has expired, ask the person who invited you to send a new one; the old link stops working the moment they do.
Step 1 — Choose how to verify
You will see several options. The recommended ones are instant — we check the number against the official record and you are done in seconds.
| Method | What you need |
|---|---|
| NIN (recommended) | Your National Identification Number |
| BVN (recommended) | Your Bank Verification Number |
| Voter's Card (recommended) | Your INEC voter identification number |
| Passport | Your international passport number and surname |
| Driver's Licence | Your FRSC licence number |
You only need one. Pick whichever you can lay your hands on.
Which should I choose?
NIN is the most widely held and the quickest. If a number is rejected, check it digit by digit before trying a different method — a mistyped number is by far the most common cause of a failed check.
Step 2 — Enter your number
Type the number and continue. The check runs against the official record and usually takes a few seconds.
If it does not pass, you can try again or switch methods. You have a limited number of attempts before the link locks — if you reach that point, ask the person who invited you to send a fresh invitation.
Uploading a document instead
If none of the live checks work for you, there is an Upload a document option at the bottom of the list. It is a fallback for when live verification is unavailable, not the normal route — the instant methods are faster and more reliable.
If you use it, take a clear photo or scan of a government-issued ID. PDF, JPEG and PNG are all accepted, so a photo taken on your phone is fine.
The notary reviews an uploaded document by hand, so leave more time if you go this way.
Step 3 — Done
That is the whole thing. You will see a confirmation, and the person who invited you can see that you are ready.
Nothing else is needed until the session. You do not need to keep the page open, and you do not need to check back.
If verification fails
Do not leave it and hope.
- Check the number carefully — a single wrong digit is the usual cause.
- Try a different method. If NIN does not work, BVN often will.
- Try the document upload fallback.
- Tell the person who invited you. They can send a fresh invitation, add a different witness, or move the booking.
The notary can, at their discretion, admit a witness whose automated check did not complete — but they must record a written reason for doing so, and they are not obliged to. It is not something to rely on.
Next
- The session — what happens on the day
- Your privacy — what we keep, and for how long