Notary Services

 1.       CATEGORIES OF NOTARIES

 Notaries shall be classified into the following categories:

1.       a civil servant in charge of the office of notary in the Ministry;

2.       the Ambassador or the First Secretary of Embassy in the absence of the Ambassador;

3.       an officer in charge of the office of notary in the Government Service in charge of investment promotion;

4.       a District officer in charge of legal affairs;

5.       a District officer at the Sector level in charge of complaints from the Public;

6.       the following officers in charge of land -related matters:

a)   Registrar of Land Titles;

b)   Deputy Registrar of Land Titles and an officer in charge of land registration and legal affairs within the land registration area in the absence of the Deputy Registrar;

c)    Head of the land office at the District level;

d)   Officer in charge of land at the Sector level;

7.       any other private person authorized by the Minister.

 2.  CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO BE A NOTARY 

For a person to practice the office of notary, he/she must satisfy the following conditions:

1.       to be a Rwandan national;

2.       to have reached the legal age of majority;

3.       to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in law or its equivalent;

4.       not having been definitively sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than or equal to six (6) years which has not been nullified by amnesty or rehabilitation;

5.       not having been dismissed from duties as a result of disciplinary sanctions;

 3.       INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH THE OFFICE OF NOTARY

The notary shall not be allowed to practice the following offices:

1.       judge;

2.       Prosecutor;

3.       court bailiff;

4.       court registrar;

5.       any other public or private office unless he/she is empowered to do so by the Minister.

More details can be found in the law N0 13 bis/2014 of 21/05/2014, in official gazette of the Republic of Rwanda N0 special bis of 29/05/2014 Click here to download the law