Notarial Services at U.S. Embassies and Consulates Abroad

Notarial services at U.S. embassies and consulates work much like a visit to a notary public back home, and the notarization carries the same legal weight in the United States. The fee is $50 per consular seal.¹ Any person, regardless of nationality, can use the service when the document is intended for use in the United States.² Americans abroad most often use it for powers of attorney, real estate documents, and affidavits that need a notarized signature at home.

What a Consular Officer Can Notarize

Consular officers are authorized by federal statute to perform any notarial act a domestic notary public can perform.³ Two acts cover almost every request.

An acknowledgment is used for deeds, powers of attorney, and business contracts. The officer confirms your identity, verifies that you understand what you are signing, and confirms you are signing voluntarily.² The officer does not evaluate whether the document’s claims are true or whether the deal is wise. The focus is on whether the signature is genuine and freely given.

Oaths and affirmations are used for affidavits and sworn statements headed to a court or agency. The officer administers an oath (or a non-religious affirmation) confirming you understand you are making the statement under penalty of perjury.²

Consular officers also certify true copies, but many U.S. states do not accept these certifications. Check with the receiving office before relying on one.

Who Can Use the Service

For documents intended for use inside the United States, consular officers must generally provide notarial services to any person regardless of nationality.² A foreign national signing a contract with a U.S. company can walk into a U.S. consulate and have that signature notarized.

Documents intended for use in a third country are different. The officer has discretion and will typically proceed only if there is reason to believe the notarization will be recognized where it is going, the service is genuinely needed, and nothing looks irregular. These situations may also require additional authentication from the Department of State’s Office of Authentications before the document is accepted abroad.

What to Bring to Your Appointment

Missing one item can cost you the slot. Come prepared with the following:

The document itself, printed and filled in completely except for the signature line. Signing beforehand invalidates the process. If a field genuinely cannot be completed because a specific figure is unavailable, the officer can proceed and add a written waiver noting what was blank at the time of execution.⁴²
Photo identification, preferably a current passport. The officer compares the signature on your ID to the one on the document. Social Security cards are not accepted as proof of identity, and if your only ID is weak or lacks a photo, bring multiple forms.²
Any required witnesses. You bring your own; consular staff generally do not serve as witnesses for private documents. Each witness needs valid photo ID and should be prepared to give a full legal name and address.⁴
At least one clean backup copy in case of a signing error.
Payment of $50 per consular seal, including each additional seal applied during the same visit. Accepted payment methods vary by post, so check ahead.¹

Rescheduling can mean more travel and weeks of delay depending on appointment availability at your post.

Booking and What Happens at the Window

Most overseas posts require you to book through the online American Citizen Services appointment system. Each embassy or consulate manages its own calendar, and some in high-demand cities have wait times of several weeks. If you have a filing deadline, plan ahead.

On arrival, expect security screening with metal detectors and bag X-rays. At the consular window you present your documents and ID. The officer conducts a short conversation to confirm your identity, verify that you understand the document, and assess whether you are acting freely.² If the officer suspects duress, incompetence, or instability, they will pause the process and consult the Department of State before proceeding.

After you sign, the officer prepares a notarial certificate that is inserted into or appended to your document and applies the official consular seal. Without the written certificate, the notarial act is legally invalid, so verify that every name, date, and detail on the certificate is correct before you leave.²

When a Consular Officer Will Refuse

Federal regulations set out several grounds for refusal:

Host country restrictions. If local law or treaty provisions in the country where the consulate sits prohibit foreign notarial acts, the officer must decline.⁵
U.S. sanctions or trade restrictions. If the transaction involves a party or country subject to sanctions or trading-with-the-enemy prohibitions, the officer will refuse.⁵
Unlawful or improper purpose. If there are reasonable grounds to believe the document will be used for something illegal or harmful to U.S. interests, the request is denied.⁵
A completely blank document. An officer will not notarize a document with no content at all.²
Signs of duress or incompetence. If the signer appears pressured, unstable, or unable to understand the document, the officer will stop and consult the Department before proceeding.

If you are bringing an unusual document type or a transaction involving a sanctioned country, contact the post before your appointment to avoid a wasted trip.

What Consulates Cannot Do

Several commonly requested services fall completely outside a consular officer’s authority.

Medallion signature guarantees are the biggest source of frustration for Americans abroad trying to transfer securities. A medallion guarantee is not a notarial act. Only financial institutions enrolled in an SEC-approved medallion program can provide one, and no consulate participates in these programs.⁶ A consular notarization cannot substitute for one. If you need a medallion guarantee overseas, contact local branches of U.S. banks, international brokers, or the SEC directly.

Legal advice and document drafting are also off the table. Consular officers will notarize what you bring, but they will not tell you what kind of document you need, draft language for you, or recommend a course of action.

Apostilles are another point of confusion. Embassies and consulates do not issue them. If you need a U.S. state-issued document apostilled for use abroad, the certification must come from the state that issued it. The Department of State’s Office of Authentications only issues apostilles for documents bearing the signature of a federal official, a consular officer, or a military notary.⁷

Authentication of academic documents works differently than people often assume. The Department of State does not verify that you completed a degree program. An authentication certificate only confirms the signature and seal of the issuing authority. For diplomas and transcripts, the document must first be authenticated by the state that issued it before the federal level gets involved.⁸

Notarization or Apostille — Which Do You Actually Need

These solve different problems, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes.

A consular notarization verifies the identity of the person signing and confirms the signature was voluntary. It is used primarily for documents headed back to the United States. An apostille is a government-issued certificate that authenticates the signature and authority of the official who signed or sealed a document, and it exists under the Hague Apostille Convention for recognition between member countries.⁷

In many cross-border scenarios, notarization comes first and the apostille comes second. You get the document notarized, then the notarization itself is apostilled to prove the notary was legitimate. If the receiving country is not a Hague member, you may need consular legalization instead, involving authentication through that country’s embassy.

Before booking anything, figure out what the receiving party actually requires. A title company in Ohio might need a consular notarization. A government office in Germany might need an apostille. A ministry in Saudi Arabia might need full consular legalization. Getting the wrong one means starting over.

Remote Online Notarization as an Alternative

Over 40 U.S. states now permit remote online notarization, where you appear on a live video call with a commissioned notary rather than in person. For Americans abroad, this can be faster than traveling to an embassy, especially if the nearest consulate is hours away or has long backlogs.

The key limitation is jurisdictional. The notary must be commissioned in a state that authorizes remote notarization, and some states restrict their notaries from serving signers who are physically outside the United States. The Department of State acknowledges that some states allow remote notarization but warns that they may limit the practice to documents notarized within their physical jurisdiction.⁴ Confirm with both the U.S. state and the foreign country where you are located that the remote notarization will be accepted.

The Department of State itself does not offer remote or virtual notarial services. If you specifically need a consular notarization, you must appear in person.⁴

State Acceptance and the Wills Warning

Federal law establishes the consular officer’s authority, but whether your county recorder, title company, or probate court accepts the document depends on the rules of the state where you file it. Some states have specific formatting requirements for notarial certificates. Others accept certificates only from consular officers and not from other designated notarizing officials.²

Wills are the highest-risk document in this category. Every state has its own requirements for how a will must be executed, including the number of witnesses, whether witnesses can also be beneficiaries, and whether notarization is sufficient or merely supplemental. A consular notarization does not override these state-specific execution requirements. The Foreign Affairs Manual advises consulting legal counsel in the state where the document will be used, or that state’s Notary Public Administrator, before showing up at a consulate.

For any high-stakes document, contact the office that will ultimately receive it and ask exactly what they need. A closing agent, county clerk, or probate attorney can tell you whether a consular notarization meets their requirements and flag formatting issues before you travel to an embassy.

1
eCFR. 22 CFR Part 22 – Schedule of Fees for Consular Services
2
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 7 FAM 830 Notarial Acts in General
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 4215 – Notarial Acts, Oaths, Affirmations, Affidavits, and Depositions; Fees
4
U.S. Department of State. Notarial and Authentication Services at U.S. Embassies and Consulates
5
eCFR. 22 CFR 92.9 – Refusals of Requests for Notarial Services
6
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 7 FAM 890 Unusual Notarial Requests
7
U.S. Department of State. Preparing a Document for an Apostille Certificate
8
U.S. Department of State. Get U.S. Academic Credentials Authenticated