Starting October 19, you can get a contract, affidavit or deed notarized over a live video call instead of lining up at a notary's office — as long as the document is a PDF. The Supreme Court switched on electronic notarization nationwide on Monday, Newsbytes.PH reported, with three accredited platforms already operating and joint rules in place so the Land Registration Authority (LRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will accept e-notarized paperwork.
What changed on October 19
The rollout puts the Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC) into full operation. The Supreme Court En Banc approved those rules on February 4, 2025, under its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027. JAM Online notes that the framework is permanent — it formally replaces the interim videoconferencing rules issued during the pandemic.
Two modes are now recognized:
- In-Person Electronic Notarization (IEN) — you appear physically before an electronic notary, but the document and signatures are handled digitally.
- Remote Electronic Notarization (REN) — the whole transaction happens over a live audio-video session. Pre-recorded videos are barred, per JAM Online.
The two modes can also be combined, so one party can appear in person while another joins by video.
A commissioned Electronic Notary Public (ENP) may now serve clients anywhere in the Philippines. That removes the territorial limits that bind traditional notaries, who can only act within the city or province that commissioned them.
The first e-notarized document was signed on launch day between the University of the Philippines College of Law and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, per Newsbytes.PH — witnessed by, among others, Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and new DICT Secretary Jay de Claro, who took over the department just days earlier.
How to get a document e-notarized online
You cannot simply hop on Zoom or Google Meet with a lawyer. JAM Online reports that generic video tools are not allowed on their own — every transaction must run through an accredited Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF). Three providers are accredited so far, per Newsbytes.PH:
- NotarizeIT by UNAWA
- Twala by Ohelio
- QLegal by Quanby Solutions, marketed as NotarioPH
The process, as outlined by Gadget Pilipinas and PhilSTAR L!fe:
- Prepare the document as a PDF or PDF/A file.
- Create an account on an accredited platform. Any required witnesses need accounts too.
- Join the notarization session, in person or over live video, together with the notary and witnesses.
- The notary verifies your identity and confirms you are signing voluntarily. Platforms run electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) checks and biometric verification, and signatures use tamper-evident cryptographic digital certificates, per JAM Online.
- Once the act is complete, the platform automatically transmits the notarized document to the Supreme Court's Central Notarial Database.
What you can and cannot e-notarize
Only documents in PDF or PDF/A format qualify. Three things are expressly excluded, per Newsbytes.PH:
- paper documents bearing handwritten signatures and marks;
- notarial wills;
- depositions.
E-notarization supplements traditional notarization rather than replacing it, so the familiar paper route remains available — and remains required for the excluded documents above.
Property deeds and SEC filings will be accepted
On October 13, the Supreme Court signed joint memorandum circulars with the LRA and the SEC setting out how e-notarized documents are accepted, verified and processed, per Newsbytes.PH. JAM Online reports this means e-notarized property deeds, corporate filings, board resolutions and commercial agreements are to be recognized without wet-ink signatures and dry seals — the paperwork that previously forced a trip to a notary even for routine corporate housekeeping.
How much does it cost, and can OFWs use it?
Fees were not stated in any of the launch coverage we read, and the accredited platforms set their own onboarding — so check a provider's rates before committing to a session. The Supreme Court's eNotarization portal lists the rules, accredited facilities, commissioned electronic notaries and application procedures, per Newsbytes.PH.
For Filipinos abroad, access is narrower than the "notarize from anywhere" headline suggests. JAM Online reports that a signatory outside the country can use remote e-notarization only if physically present at a Philippine Embassy, consular office, or the office of a Philippine Honorary Consul, with a Philippine electronic notary handling the act. Wider access for overseas workers from home has not been announced.
If you need something notarized this week and it already exists as a PDF — a service contract, a board resolution, an affidavit — the practical first step is to create an account with one of the three accredited platforms and compare their rates. For wills and depositions, you still need ink.
