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How to get a document witnessed
The whole process, start to finish, and what to do when something does not go to plan. Most people finish in under ten minutes without needing any of this.
Before you start
- Your document as a PDF or Word file, unsigned.
- An Australian driver licence, or an Australian or foreign passport – the physical one.
- A device with a camera and a microphone.
- Usually about ten minutes somewhere you can be seen and heard.
The full guide
Step 1
Tell us which law applies, and what kind of document it is
The first question is which state or territory your document is made under. That is usually the state you live in, or whichever court or government body the document is going to. It is not necessarily where you happen to be sitting.
We then ask what kind of document it is, because the practitioner's witnessing endorsement differs between a statutory declaration, an affidavit and a deed. If you are unsure which it is, pick the closest and mention it on the call. We can't tell you which form you should be using.
Step 2
Choose a time, or go now
On demand connects you to whichever practitioner is free, usually within a few minutes. It costs from $39 and is available weekdays 12:15pm – 1:30pm and 5:30pm – 9:00pm, Saturdays 9:00am – 6:30pm and Sundays 9:00am – 8:30pm, Brisbane time. Outside those hours you can book ahead for the next available slot.
Booking lets you pick a time that suits. Appointments cost from $39; the price is shown against every slot before you choose. The earliest you can book is 30 minutes from now.
If you book, we ask for the signatory's name and email after you have chosen a time, so you can check a slot exists before handing over any details.
Step 3
Upload the document
Drag in a PDF or Word (.docx) file, or click to browse. Older .doc files need saving as .docx or PDF first. If you don't have a statutory declaration yet, you can make one with the free generator at /create.
Only have it on paper? On a computer, choose "Photograph a paper document" and scan the code on screen with your phone. Photograph each page in order and the pages come straight back to the computer as a PDF. If you are already on a phone, use the camera on the same device instead.
Photograph the whole page, flat, with nothing cut off, so every word is readable.
Step 4
Fill in the blanks, but do not sign
The document opens full screen and you can complete it here: type into fields, add the date, draw, or erase anything you have added.
If you are not sure whether a field is yours to fill in, leave it blank and ask whoever gave you the document. The practitioner can't advise you on its content.
Do not sign anything yet. Your signature has to be made while the practitioner is watching. If you sign beforehand the witnessing is not valid and the document has to be done again.
Step 5
Check your camera and microphone
You will see yourself on screen, pick which camera and microphone to use, and see a bar move when you speak. We also check your connection.
Your browser will ask permission the first time. If you miss the prompt or dismiss it, look for the camera icon in the address bar, allow access, and press the button again. If another app is using the camera, close it first.
Step 6
Verify your identity
Photograph the front and back of an Australian driver licence, or the photo page of an Australian or foreign passport, and take a selfie. The practitioner checks these against you on the call.
Photograph the physical card. A screenshot of a digital licence cannot be checked the same way. If a digital licence is genuinely all you have, bring it to the call and show it live instead.
This has to be the identity of the person who is actually signing. If somebody is booking on behalf of a colleague, the colleague does the identity step on their own device, with their own ID.
Step 7
Meet the practitioner and sign
Before you connect you will see the price and be asked to confirm two things: that the practitioner witnesses your signature but does not advise you on the document, and that the call is recorded and stored on Australian servers. No card details are needed at this point.
On the call the practitioner confirms who you are and which document you are signing, watches you sign it on screen, and then signs as your witness and adds the witnessing endorsement.
Step 8
Pay and download
Once the witnessing is complete you pay, and the signed and witnessed PDF is available to download along with a receipt. Both are emailed to you as well.
If you created an account, the document also appears under your account so you can come back for it later. You do not need an account to have a document witnessed.
If something goes wrong
- The camera or microphone will not turn on
- Check the camera icon in your browser's address bar and allow access, then try again. Close any other app that might be holding the camera, such as a video call in another window. On a phone, check the browser's own permissions in your device settings. If it still fails, switch to another browser or device rather than joining a call where nobody can see or hear you.
- My time slot disappeared before I could confirm
- Slots can only be booked 30 minutes or more ahead, so a time close to now can lapse while you are still filling in your details. We put you back on the calendar with the reason and the remaining times, so pick another and carry on.
- The upload will not accept my file
- We take PDFs and Word (.docx) files. An older .doc file needs saving as .docx or PDF first. If it is on paper, use the paper capture option instead of trying to convert it yourself.
- The document sat on "Preparing your document"
- That means we could not read the file. Check it opens normally on your own device, and try exporting it as a PDF again from whatever produced it. If it still will not go through, send us a message and we will look at it.
- I already signed the document
- The signature has to be made while the practitioner is watching, so a document signed beforehand cannot be validly witnessed. You will need a clean, unsigned copy. If you only have the signed one, start again from a fresh copy of the form.
- The name on my ID is different to the name on the document
- Tell the practitioner on the call rather than trying to fix it yourself. Depending on the document and the reason for the difference, they may be able to proceed, or they may not be able to witness it.
- Nobody joined my appointment
- The room opens ten minutes before your booked time, so check you are not early. If the time has passed and nobody has appeared, send us a message with your booking time and we will sort it out. You are not charged for a session that did not happen.
What we can't do
We do not witness wills or codicils, enduring powers of attorney, advance health or care directives, or land title and property transfer documents online. For those, see a solicitor or JP in person.
We do not cover Western Australia or Tasmania. Here is why.
We witness your signature. We do not advise you on whether what you have written is correct, or whether the document is the right one for what you are trying to do.
Still stuck
Send us a message with what happened and, if you can, which step you were on.