Bank Statements

A bank statement is a document that shows the amount of money in an account at a given time i.e a monthly or weekly period. This will show a detailed record of all the transactions, in and out of the account over a certain period. These transactions will be accompanied by their date and the method of payment used to complete the transaction. A transaction is the movement of money in and out of an account.

The bank statement should include the following information:

• Bank name
• Branch address
• Statement period
• Deposits
• Withdrawals
• Payments
• Service Charges
• Beneficiary names
• Contact information

Only the account holder should have access to the bank statements and are not allowed to be shared with unknown third parties without consent.

Modern-day banking means that bank statements are usually electronic so to have them certified you will need to print them out.

A certified bank statement is mostly requested when clients are asked to provide proof of address.

A certified bank statement can be ideal as it will show your name, address and recent date.   Most requests for proofs of address require the document to be dated within 3 or 6 months.  In an age where it is normal to provide identity documentation for KYC purposes, a certified bank statement is becoming increasingly common.

Aside from being used as proof of address, a bank statement can be required for several reasons.  A certified copy of a bank statement is usually requested when working with:

• Investors
• Creditors
• Lenders
• Business Managers
• Financial Institutions
• Purchasing a home
• Large purchases

A copy of a certified bank statement may be required by organisations as a means of getting an overview of a person’s spending habits and investments. 

A certified bank statement is also frequently used as proof of tax returns. They are especially useful when filing business or employment tax returns. It can also be used as proof if a tax audit is required.

Property transactions require a certified bank statement as they are high-risk and involve moving large amounts of money.

Bank statements can be issued in two ways:

1. Electronically.  They can be downloaded from your banking website or app. These may be called an “e-statement”.  If you cannot download it, you can usually request a copy to be emailed to you as a PDF document.
2. Paper statements. Bank statements may be posted to your home address in paper format. 

The notarisation process will depend on how the bank statement was issued:

1. Electronically – you will need to log in to your banking website or app, and show the notary step by step where you downloaded the PDF copy of the bank statement from. The notary will then notarise a copy of the electronic statement confirming that it is an authentic document.
2. Paper statements – you would need to provide the notary with the original paper bank statements. The notary will inspect the original paper statements, make a copy, and notarise the copy as a true and accurate copy of the original.

Once a bank statement has been notarised, it may need to be apostilled if it is going to be used in certain countries. We always recommend checking with whoever is requesting the bank statement to see whether they will require the apostille.  If you do need an apostille, we would love to help and offer a Premium apostille service for urgent matters, and a Standard service if you have time on your side.

After being apostilled, the notarised document may also need to be legalised by the Embassy of the country where it will be used.  Common countries include China, UAE and Qatar.  Please check Country Requirements for more information.

If you need a bank statement notarised or issued with an apostille, we’ll handle all the steps for you. Get in touch using the form below.