Notarial and documentary services guide for Mauritius
Documents, certificates, letters and notes available at British consulates in Mauritius.
Information
British consular officers in commonwealth countries have no powers under the Commissioners for Oaths Act 1889 to undertake notarial acts, administer oaths or take affidavits which will be effectual in the United Kingdom. With Mauritius being a Commonwealth country, the British High Commission Port Louis cannot perform notarial acts or legalise documents.
If there is no specific formal requirement for a notarial service or certificate to be provided by the British High Commission, local notaries or lawyers can sometimes provide these services more conveniently, more quickly and cheaper than at the British high commission. It is essential to check with the relevant authority (eg registry office, tax authorities, local Immigration, Prime Minister’s office, etc), either in the UK, Mauritius or a third country, where the document will be produced that the service will be accepted.The British High Commission Port Louis cannot confirm this information, only the relevant authorities can provide this confirmation.
The British High Commission cannot confirm this information, only the relevant authorities can provide this confirmation.
Fees for consular services are paid at the high commission when you call for the service. Refunds of consular fees are not given for certificates or consular services that are not accepted by the requesting authority. Fees for consular certificates and documents must be paid in cash only and in local currency.
If you cannot find what you are looking for in the list below please consult the British High Commission website
Births and Deaths registration are now done in the UK.
Services
We do not provide the following services:
- we do not sign life certificates for DWP pensions. This can be signed by anyone authorised to sign on a British passport application
- we do not certify copies of British passports for for Tax purposes or as required by Banks in the UK.
- we do not legalise documents issued by UK authorities (e.g UK birth, marriage certificates as this need to be sent to Legalisation Office in the UK)
- we do not legalise foreign documents for non represented Commonwealth citizens
- we do not confirm residency requirements or identity as we do not hold this type of information.
Services provided by other authorities in Mauritius:
- ‘Apostille’ on local documents (done by the local Prime Minister’s Office)
- signing life certificates for pensioners receiving pensions from overseas. This can be done by anyone authorised to sign on passport application form
- certifying copies of original documents. This can usually be done by a Notary public.
Disclaimer
This information is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the high commission by the relevant local authorities and may be subject to change at any time with little or no notice. Accordingly the FCDO and the British High Commission Port Louis will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. British nationals wishing to obtain any further information must contact the relevant local authority.
Updated February 2015
Last updated 29 March 2018 + show all updates
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This document is updated with the most recent information.
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Minor Changes
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Changes add more information on consular services offered by the British High Commission in Mauritius
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Update on consular services following review
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First published.