How to Become a Notary in England and Wales

Notaries are one of the oldest branches of the legal profession in England and Wales, regulated through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury under the Notaries (Qualification) Rules 2017. Qualification is a rigorous, multi-stage process combining academic study, professional training, and a period of supervised practice — reflecting the standing and responsibility that comes with the role.

Stage One: Academic Training

Before beginning professional training, applicants must satisfy the Faculty Office's academic requirements across eight prescribed subjects. Graduates of a qualifying law degree, GDL, LPC, or SQE typically hold exemptions for most of these subjects — but two are treated differently, and every applicant must study them specifically as part of notarial qualification, regardless of prior legal training: Roman Law and Private International Law.

Roman Law

Roman Law forms the historical and conceptual foundation of the civil law systems used throughout most of Continental Europe and much of the rest of the world — in contrast to the common law tradition of England and Wales. A notary's work is, by its nature, cross-border: documents notarised in England and Wales are typically intended for use in civil law jurisdictions. Studying Roman Law equips a notary to understand the underlying legal concepts, structures, and reasoning that shape those jurisdictions' legal systems, rather than approaching foreign legal documents purely through a common law lens.

Private International Law

Private International Law, sometimes called Conflict of Laws, governs how legal disputes and transactions are handled when more than one jurisdiction is involved — determining which country's law applies, which courts have jurisdiction, and how foreign judgments and legal instruments are recognised. This is directly relevant to cross-border structuring, succession, and corporate work: understanding how English law interacts with the law of another jurisdiction is essential to structuring an arrangement that will actually be recognised and enforceable where it needs to be.

Together, these two subjects distinguish notarial training from standard solicitor or barrister qualification, and reflect the fact that a notary's role is inherently international in scope. This grounding is what allows a notary to advise with confidence on matters spanning multiple legal systems, rather than simply executing documents without understanding the cross-border legal context they sit within.

Stage Two: The Notarial Practice Course

Applicants who satisfy the academic stage proceed to the Notarial Practice Course, a two-year distance learning course delivered on behalf of the Faculty Office by University College London (UCL). This is followed by a one-day Office Practice Course covering the practical administration of a notarial practice.

Stage Three: Admission to the Roll of Notaries

On completion of professional training, candidates apply to the Faculty Office for admission, submitting a Certificate of Fitness, a Certificate of Good Character, and references. Successful applicants are admitted to the Roll of Notaries and appointed under the authority of the Master of the Faculties.

Post-Qualification Supervision

Newly appointed notaries must practise under the supervision of an experienced notary for their first two years, and are required to attend ongoing professional development throughout their career, maintaining professional indemnity insurance and complying with the Notaries Practice Rules.

Scope of Practice

Once qualified, a Notary in England and Wales is authorised to practise across all areas of law throughout England and Wales, with the sole exception of the conduct of litigation, and holds the additional authority — not held by solicitors or barristers — to notarise documents for use internationally. There are approximately 800 practising notaries in England and Wales, making it a genuinely specialist branch of the profession.

Why This Matters for Clients

The rigour of this pathway — spanning academic study, a dedicated professional course, examination, and supervised practice — reflects the level of trust placed in a Notary's authentication of documents for use across jurisdictions worldwide. For clients navigating international tax, corporate, and private wealth matters, working with a Notary who also holds specialist qualifications in tax and private wealth means structuring advice and document execution can be handled by the same practitioner, in-house, without instructing a second professional.

About the Author

Sheikh Najam TEP is a City of London Notary advising private clients and corporates on international tax, cross-border succession, and corporate legal structuring. He holds an M.A. in Tax Law from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London, and the STEP Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Private Wealth Advice, completed at the University of Oxford. He has over ten years' experience as a qualified TEP (Member of STEP), advising on private wealth and international tax matters.