The Short Answer
You have two usual ways. You can sign in person at a Philippine embassy or consulate, where a consular officer notarizes it like a notary back home. Or, if the country you are in is a member of the Apostille Convention, you can sign before a local notary there and then get an apostille from that country's government. Either way, send the original paper home, not a scan or a photo.
Example: The Garcia Siblings Sell Their Lot in Tarlac City
Names and details in this example are made up.
Marites and Joel Garcia inherited a small lot in Barangay San Vicente, Tarlac City. Their brother Ramon, who lives in Tarlac, has found a buyer willing to pay ₱1,200,000. Marites works as a caregiver in Milan, Italy. Joel is a driver in Dubai. Neither can fly home for the signing.
Step 1: agree on the wording first. Ramon asks the buyer and the Registry of Deeds what they need. They want a Special Power of Attorney (SPA, a signed paper that lets someone act for you in one specific matter) from each sibling. It must name Ramon, describe the lot by its title number, and say he may sell it, sign the Deed of Sale, receive the price and pay the taxes. Ramon emails a draft based on the SPA to sell property template.
Step 2: Marites in Italy. Italy is a member of the Apostille Convention, so Marites has a choice. She can book an appointment at the Philippine Consulate General in Milan and sign there. Or she can sign before an Italian notary and then get an apostille from the Italian office that issues them. The consulate is near, so she books it, brings her Philippine passport and the unsigned SPA, signs in front of the consular officer and pays the consulate's fee. No apostille is needed after that.
Step 3: Joel in Dubai. Joel checks whether the United Arab Emirates is a member of the Apostille Convention. If it is not, an SPA signed before a local notary there would still need certification (authentication) by the Philippine consulate. So the simpler route for him is to sign at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.
Step 4: send the originals. Both send the signed originals home by courier. Ramon keeps them safe, because the buyer, the BIR and the Registry of Deeds will each want to see them. Ramon signs the Deed of Sale for all three of them before a notary in Tarlac City.
Way 1: Sign at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate
Philippine embassies and consulates can notarize documents meant for use in the Philippines. That includes an acknowledgment (you confirm before the officer that you signed a deed or SPA) and a jurat (you swear to the truth of an affidavit). The DFA says its posts still do both, whether or not the country is a member of the Apostille Convention. A document signed this way needs no apostille.
Embassies and consulates (often called posts) set their own rules, but they commonly ask you to:
- book an appointment, since many posts do not take walk-ins;
- appear in person;
- bring the document unsigned, and sign in front of the consular officer;
- bring your valid Philippine passport (original and copy), and your dual citizenship papers if you have them;
- pay the post's fee. Philippine posts in the United States list US$25 per document; others charge in local currency.
Check your embassy or consulate's own website before you go.
Way 2: Local Notary, Then an Apostille
The Philippines joined the Apostille Convention (an international agreement on accepting each other's public documents) on 14 May 2019. If you are in another member country:
- sign the document before a local notary in that country;
- get an apostille (a certificate confirming the notary's signature and seal) from that country's apostille office;
- send the original, with the apostille attached, to the Philippines.
The DFA says documents from member countries with an apostille no longer need to be certified by the Philippine embassy or consulate. But a Philippine embassy cannot issue an apostille; only the country where you signed can. A few countries objected to the Philippines joining, so if you are unsure, ask your Philippine embassy or consulate.
If the country is not a member, a document signed before a local notary there must be certified (authenticated) by the Philippine embassy or consulate covering that area. In that case, signing at the consulate itself is usually simpler.
For the steps and papers, see signing a document abroad for use in the Philippines.
What About Notarizing Online?
Supreme Court rules published in 2025 allow electronic notarization, with the service opening on 19 October 2026: a notary can notarize a PDF, either with you in the same room or over a video call through a platform the Supreme Court has approved. But if you are abroad, the rules say you must be at a Philippine embassy or consulate for it. You cannot do it from your home or workplace abroad. It also does not cover wills or documents signed in ink on paper. See notarizing online.
A notary in the Philippines who notarizes a paper you signed abroad and sent home, without you appearing, is breaking the notarial rules. A document notarized that way can be challenged. See getting a document notarized.
Before You Sign: Get the Wording Right
- Ask the office first. The bank, Registry of Deeds, LTO, SSS or other office where the paper will be used may have its own format, or may want an SPA signed recently. Ask before you sign, so you do not have to do it twice.
- Be specific. For land, give the land title number (the TCT or OCT number on the title), the lot and its location. Name each act: to sell, to sign the deed, to receive the price, to pay taxes. Under the Civil Code, permission to sell does not include permission to mortgage (Art. 1879).
- Name your agent (the person you authorize) fully, with their address and ID, so offices can check who they are.
- Send the original. Keep a scan for yourself, and send the signed original by courier.
Start from our Special Power of Attorney or SPA to sell property templates. See also Special Power of Attorney (SPA): letting someone act for you.
Common Questions
Pwede bang I-scan Ko na lang at Ipa-notaryo ng Kapatid Ko Dito?
No. The notary must see you sign, or hear you confirm your signature, in person. Notarizing a paper you signed abroad and sent by email or chat breaks the notarial rules, and the document can be challenged. Sign at a Philippine consulate, or before a local notary with an apostille.
Can the Philippine Embassy Put an Apostille on My Document?
No. The DFA says embassies and consulates cannot issue apostilles. Only the apostille office of the country where you signed can. What the embassy can do is notarize the document itself, which then needs no apostille.
Is an SPA Signed at the Philippine Consulate Valid Back Home?
Yes. Consular officers notarize documents for use in the Philippines, so it needs no apostille. The office where it is used may still check its wording and date.
Can I Notarize My SPA Online From Abroad Through a Video Call?
Not from your home or workplace abroad. Under the Supreme Court's 2025 rules on electronic notarization, a person abroad must be at a Philippine embassy or consulate for it.
Magkano ang Bayad sa Consulate Para sa SPA?
It depends on the post. Philippine consulates in the United States list US$25 per document; other posts charge in local currency. Check your embassy or consulate's website for its current fee.
Not legal advice. This is general information. For advice on your own situation, consult a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) or an IBP legal aid office may help for free.
Government fees, rules and requirements change, so always check with the office concerned before you go. This page explains the general rules; it cannot tell you how they apply to your own family or case. Last reviewed October 8, 2026.