Need a document sworn? We commission affidavits and statutory declarations
Somebody has told you a document needs to be “commissioned” or “sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths”. Maybe it’s a court, maybe HDB, a bank, an insurer, or an employer. You’ve got the form. You just need someone qualified to watch you sign it.
I’m Wahab, and I’m a commissioner for oaths in Singapore. You can swear or affirm your affidavit or statutory declaration at our office in Chinatown Point. If the document is ready, it usually takes about 15 minutes.
The fee is set by law.
What a commissioner for oaths does
A Commissioner for Oaths is a person appointed to take oaths and affirmations. In practice that means witnessing two kinds of document:
- Affidavit. A signed written statement of facts, sworn to be true, usually filed in court. Litigants in person, and people whose case is run by another firm, often need one commissioned.
- Statutory declaration. A written statement declared to be true, used outside court. Government agencies, banks, insurers, schools and employers ask for these all the time.
The power comes from the Oaths and Declarations Act 2000. Commissioners are appointed and supervised under the Commissioners for Oaths Rules, which also fix the fees.
When you come in, I check your identity against your NRIC or passport. I make sure you understand what the document says. You then swear or affirm that the contents are true. You sign in front of me. I sign and stamp the document.
The oath is what gives the document its force. A false statement in a sworn affidavit or statutory declaration is a criminal offence, so read every line before you come in.
When a commissioner for oaths is the right person, and when it isn’t
A commissioner for oaths is right when the document will be used in Singapore. Common examples:
- A statutory declaration for a lost document, a change of address, or a relationship that a Singapore agency needs confirmed.
- An affidavit for a case in the State Courts, the Family Justice Courts or the Supreme Court.
- A supporting declaration for a name change. Our deed poll page covers the deed itself.
It isn’t the right route when:
- The document is going overseas. That needs a Notary Public, and often an apostille after that. Our guide to how to notarise a document in Singapore explains the difference and what to ask for.
- A.W. Law is already your lawyer on the same matter. The rules don’t allow a commissioner to commission documents in a case their own firm is handling. We’ll arrange for another firm to do it.
- You haven’t finished the document. We commission documents. We don’t fill in the facts for you as part of the commissioning fee. If you need an affidavit drafted, that’s legal work, quoted separately.
What to expect when you come in
How long it takes.
About 15 minutes for one person with a finished document. Longer if there are several people swearing, a lot of exhibits, or the document has to be read out to you in Chinese, Malay or Tamil. Interpretation, if we provide it, costs S$100 extra. Book a time first so you’re not waiting.
How much it costs.
S$25 for each person who swears or affirms, plus S$5 for each exhibit. A statutory declaration with one exhibit comes to S$30. These amounts are fixed by the Commissioners for Oaths Rules, so every firm charges the same.
What goes wrong.
Three things send people home to start again. Signing the document before coming in. Leaving the exhibits at home. Sending a family member in your place. The commissioner has to see you sign, after you’ve sworn or affirmed, with your original ID on the table. Nobody can do it for you.
How we commission documents at A.W. Law
- Wahab takes the oath himself. He’s the firm’s appointed commissioner.
- English, Malay, or Tamil. A commissioner can only take an oath in a language they speak themselves, and Wahab speaks all three. If the document needs to be interpreted for you, including into Chinese, we can provide that for S$100. For any other language, tell us first and we’ll explain what’s needed.
- Book on WhatsApp. Tell us what the document is, how many people are signing, and how many exhibits there are. We’ll confirm the time and the fee before you come.
- No extras on top of the fixed fee, apart from interpretation if you need ours.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point. Two minutes’ walk from Chinatown MRT, Exit E.
What happens next
Message us on WhatsApp at +65 8061 5149.
Tell us what the document is and who asked for it. We’ll confirm we can commission it and give you a time. Then bring it in unsigned, with your exhibits and your ID. You’ll leave with it sworn and stamped.
