Chua Tan Associate Lawyers
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Melbourne Notary Public

We provide notarial services, arrange apostilles and NAATI translations, from our office in the Melbourne CBD.

Contact us
Call 03 9602 3988 to book a notary service
About Kin Wee Chua

Public Notary

A Notary Public since 2001

Kin Wee Chua was appointed a Notary Public by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2001 and by the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2002. For more than twenty years we have notarised documents for use in China for Melbourne's Chinese community, as well as documents for use in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, India, the United States and elsewhere.

We explain every step in Mandarin, Cantonese or English, and can arrange translations, apostilles and international courier.

英文公证服务及更多信息，请访问我们的 Notary Public Services 网站（melbournepublicnotary.com.au）。

NAATI certified translator logo
Fellow of the Society of Notaries of Victoria logo

Australian Apostille process:

  • Step 1: Have the document notarised by a Notary Public. Kin Wee Chua has notarised documents for use in China since 2001, knows the requirements, and can issue anotarial certificate in Chinese, so the certificate itself does not need translating.
  • Step 2: Lodge the document with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for anapostille. Once the document is notarised, we can lodge it with DFAT for you.
  • Since 7 November 2023, documents for use in mainland China no longer need legalisation by a Chinese embassy or consulate – an apostille is generally enough. Documents that are not notarised correctly can be rejected in China, so it pays to use a notary who knows the Chinese requirements from the start. Call 03 9602 3988 to book an appointment.

Our services


Melbourne CBD International Notary Lawyer

  • Notarize various documents issued by the Australian government
  • Witness the signature of a document in front of a notary public for its use in a foreign country
  • Arrange NAATI level 3 translation of Chinese and English documents
  • Arranging for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade authentication or apostille
  • Arrange for consular office certification
  • Arrange for international express delivery of notarized documents to foreign countries

 • Australian passport notarisation
 • Australian citizenship document notarisation
 • Proof of marital status notarisation
 • Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia divorce order notarisation
 • Australian marriage certificate notarisation
 • Australian death certificate notarisation
 • Birth Certificate notarization
 • Will notarisation
 - Court judgements
 • Bank statements notarisation
 • ASIC company searches notarisation
 • Australian university academic records notarisation
 • Other documents not mentioned(Contact us)

  • Power of attorney for sale and purchase of property
  • Giving up Inheritance Rights
  • Letter of attorney
  • Power of Attorney for Foster Children
  • Affidavit
  • Statement
  • Other affidavits, declarations, instructions(Contact us)

We can prepare and notarize the following documents:
 • Proof of Single Status;
 • Proof of One and the Same Person;

 - Proof of Australian citizenship

 - Proof of permanent residence in Australia

 - kinship notarisation

 • Other documents not mentioned(Contact us)

  • Registration documents
  • Director's Certificate
  • Proof of existence
  • Company Contract
  • Power of Attorney
  • Other documents not mentioned(Contact us)
  • Wills and Deceased Estate Administration
  • Contracts
  • Agreements
  • Court Notice
  • Bill of complaint
  • Power of attorney
  • Other documents not mentioned(Contact us)

Requirements for documents used in different countries

Where a document will be used determines what is needed after it is notarised. As a general guide:

  • Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau:notarisation and a DFAT apostille are generally all that is needed
  • Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines:all are parties to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is generally enough
  • Taiwan:after notarisation and DFAT authentication, documents generally also need verification by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
  • Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and other non-Convention countries:documents generally need DFAT authentication and then legalisation by that country's embassy or consulate in Australia
  • We can arrange NAATI-certified translations and courier the completed documents overseas

The receiving authority may have its own requirements, such as translation format or how recent the document must be, so check with them first. If you're unsure, contact us and we'll help.

Frequently asked questions

A Notary Public is a lawyer appointed to notarise documents for use overseas so that they are recognised abroad. Not every business offering 'notary services' has a Notary Public – some are only agents.

Check that the person notarising your document is an appointed Notary Public and not just an agent, and that they know the requirements of the country where it will be used, such as mainland China. Kin Wee Chua has been a Notary Public since 2001 and has long notarised documents for use in China for Chinese-speaking clients.

Depending on the type of your notarized documents, we may need you to prepare identity documents, drafted power of attorney, declarations, company documents, etc. Of course, we can also help you draft or prepare power of attorney, declarations, and company documents. We can issue a notarized certificate in Chinese so that you can use it directly in China.

For declarations, letters of attorney, etc. that require your signature, you need to come to the office and sign under the witness of notary lawyer Kin Wee Chua.

After the notarization is issued by a public notary lawyer, the document needs to be submitted to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for apostille before it can be used. We regularly help clients submit documents to DFAT for Apostille certification every week.

Once your documents are ready, we can usually issue the notarial certificate within one business day. How long DFAT then takes to issue the apostille depends on how it is lodged and current processing times – we'll tell you the latest timeframe when we lodge it.

Generally not. The Apostille Convention has applied to China since 7 November 2023, so a document notarised in Australia with a DFAT apostille can generally be used directly in mainland China.

Taiwan and Malaysia are not parties to the Apostille Convention, so documents generally need notarisation and DFAT authentication, followed by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office or the Malaysian High Commission. We can arrange the whole process.

Yes. You need to bring photo ID to our office and sign in front of the Notary Public. We can also help draft the document.

Google Reviews

I would highly recommend Chua Tan & Associates for their extremely attentive, professional and speedy service on an urgent notarisation and legalisation matter. If you are looking for someone that goes the extra mile, takes care in their work and also speaks Chinese, look no further!

Jennifer Tutty IP Lawyer (Google Review)

Their notary Service is very good and the notary public kin wee Chua has been very polite and humble and has patiently actioned my multiple requests for a very reasonable price. Highly recommended for people needing notary services in Melbourne.

sandhya

"I contacted Chua Tan Associates for notary services. The price Chua Tan Associates charged me was very reasonable compared to other companies. Their work was very fast, accurate, and professional. I highly recommend Chua Tan Associates."

Brian Tak

Engage an expert Melbourne notary public to give you peace of mind.

Our office is located in the heart of Melbourne, contact us today to have your documents notarized.

Contact us

Clients in Indonesia · 印尼客户

Need Australian documents notarised and apostilled for use in Indonesia, or Indonesian documents used in Australia? See our pages for families and businesses in Indonesia.

需要将澳洲文件公证、办理海牙认证后在印度尼西亚使用，或将印尼文件用于澳洲？请参阅我们为印度尼西亚家庭和企业设立的专页。

Australian lawyers for Indonesian families · Pengacara Australia untuk keluarga Indonesia · 印尼华人澳洲法律服务

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