Signing witness
Some documents have lines for witnesses to sign (“Signed in the presence of”). If you’re one, you’re a recipient of the document’s envelope and sign it on Twala before the session, then appear before the notary like everyone else.
Be a witness
Asked to be a witness? Here’s what to do.
Someone has named you as a witness on their document on Twala. You’ll create a free account under the email you were invited at, verify your identity, and join a short session with them and an Electronic Notary Public.
What a witness needs: a Twala account under the email the invite was sent to and a current identity verification. The witness then joins the session at the scheduled time. The act can be performed once every principal and witness is verified.
Your role
What your role is, and what it isn’t
A witness appears before the notary with the principal and, depending on the document, signs it on Twala too. The notary handles the notarization itself.
As a witness, you
- Appear before the notary with the principal
- Sign the document on Twala first, if it has a line for you
- Have your name, address, and ID entered in the notarial register
You’re not
- Vouching for what the document says
- Giving legal approval
- Doing the notarization: the notary handles that
Appearing witness
You’re named on the notarization as a witness and appear before the notary, but the document has no line for you. Your details are entered in the notary’s notarial register, and you don’t see the document in Twala.
You should not be a witness if you’re a party to the document or you benefit from it. If you’re unsure, ask the notary.
Four steps
From invite to done
Step 1 of 4
Open your invite
Once the notary confirms the appointment, you get an email saying you’re invited as a witness. If the document needs your signature, you also get its envelope to sign before the session. Create a free Twala account with the same email address the invite was sent to.
The invitation email, Appointment scheduled, says the notary scheduled a session and you are invited as a witness, and asks you to create a Twala account with the same email address and verify your identity. Signing in with that email sends a verification code.
The four steps, each shown with a live view of the product: open the Appointment scheduled email and create an account with the same email; verify your identity with your National ID or a government-issued ID and a face scan; join the session after a location check; then stay while the notary performs the act, and follow the notarization, without its document, until it is notarized.
Checklist
Have these ready
Setting up takes a few minutes, so the session itself goes quickly.
- Your Philippine National ID, or a government-issued ID that hasn’t expired
- The email address your invite was sent to
- A phone or computer with a working camera and microphone
- A stable connection of at least 2 Mbps
- No VPN, proxy, or Tor (sharing your device’s location is optional)
- A current browser: Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox
Your information
What happens to your information
A witness’s details become part of an official record, so here’s exactly what that means.
- Your name, address, and the ID you verified with are entered in the notary’s notarial register and filed with the Supreme Court, as the Rules require.
- The notary may ask to record a remote session. Nothing is recorded unless everyone in the session, including you, consents. Only the notary can open the recording.
- Your ID details and face scan are seen by you, by the notary of each act you appear in, and by Twala’s support and review staff. Nothing is collected until you tick the consent box.
- If the notary’s records are ever lost or compromised, the Rules require the notary to notify witnesses within 72 hours.
Security
Built so nobody can pretend to be you
Identity verification
Your National ID or a government-issued ID, matched to a face scan, plus two-factor authentication at sign-in if you turn it on.
Real location
Your connection is checked as you join, and VPNs, proxies, and Tor are blocked.
Tamper-evident signatures
If you sign the document, your signature is sealed into it with a digital signature and anchored with HashOrigin Technology.
Does it cost anything to be a witness?
Creating an account is free. Identity verification has its own fee, shown before you start, except when you’re verifying to sign an envelope whose sender requires it.
Do I have to be in the same place as the person signing?
No. In a remote session, each person joins from their own device.
Can I witness from abroad?
Yes, without a VPN, proxy, or Tor. Only the notary has to be in the Philippines.
Who can be a witness?
Anyone with a valid ID who isn’t a party to the document and doesn’t benefit from it. If you’re unsure, ask the notary.
Why do I need to verify my ID if I’m only witnessing?
The act can’t be performed until every principal and witness is verified, and your name, address, and ID details are entered in the notary’s notarial register.
Will I see the document?
Not on the notarization. A witness sees its status, participants, and register details, but not the document. If the document has a line for you, you sign it through its envelope before the session.
Can I join on my phone?
Yes, in the phone’s browser, if it has a working camera, a microphone, and a connection of at least 2 Mbps.
What if my connection drops?
Open the same link again. If the session has ended, the notary can start a new one, and you’re told by email and in Twala.
Will I get a copy of the document?
Not automatically. Once it’s notarized, open it under Notarizations, click Request copy, and give your purpose. The notary approves it, free or for a fee, or denies it with a reason. You follow it under Copy requests, and an approved copy can be downloaded once.
Twala is a technology provider and does not give legal advice. Notarial acts are performed by commissioned Electronic Notaries Public.
Got an invite?
Let’s get you set up.
It takes a few minutes to create your account and verify your identity, so the session itself goes quickly.