In global sport, contracts, transfers and business ventures often span several jurisdictions. When documents need to be recognised abroad, our two notaries public, qualified in England and Wales, can help ensure your paperwork is valid and enforceable wherever it needs to go.

When might a sports professional or organisation need a notary?

Notarial services are often essential in international sports dealings, for example:

  • signing a power of attorney for use abroad;
  • opening a foreign bank account to receive payments or salaries;
  • setting up a player’s image rights company abroad for tax and commercial purposes;
  • transferring ownership stakes across jurisdictions;
  • visa, work permit or player registration documents for federations that require notarised copies.

The scope of a notary’s work is broad and often intersects with sports law and commercial arrangements.

What will the notary do?

A notary will:

  • identify the person appearing before them;
  • ensure the signatory has the capacity to understand and sign the document;
  • confirm their authority to sign the document;
  • ensure the signer understands and intends to be bound by the document.

For this reason, the document must be in English or in a language that both the signatory and the notary understand.

  • Powers of attorney
  • Contracts or agreements signed outside England and Wales
  • Certified copies of passports, qualifications or licences
  • Incorporation documents for new ventures overseas
  • Memoranda and articles of association
  • Certificates of incorporation or good standing
  • Board meeting resolutions

Notary fees

Fees depend on:

  • the type and complexity of the transaction;
  • the number of people signing;
  • the urgency of the appointment;
  • the time needed to prepare and bind the documents.

We can often provide an estimate by email once we have seen the documents in question, or drafts of them. See our notarial fees page.

Legalisation and apostille service

Many sports-related documents, once notarised, are accepted immediately in Commonwealth and former Commonwealth jurisdictions and by state-level bodies in the United States.

However, most European countries and many others, including Spain, Portugal, Germany and France, require an apostille from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). We offer a secure, hand-delivered legalisation service, avoiding postal delays and reducing the risk of losing valuable documents.

Some countries, for example the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, require further consular legalisation, which we can also arrange. See legalisation and apostille.

Contact us

Our notaries, Jason Winton and Stephen Thirsk, see clients by appointment at our Mayfair and Woodford Green offices. Contact us for further information or to send us your documents for an estimate.

This article is for general information only and reflects the law at the date of publication. It is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. For advice on your own circumstances please contact us.