Notarials

Notarial services are available for all nationalities by appointment

Schedule an Appointment

Overview

Hand signing document Notarial services are for all nationalities and are by appointment only. Normally the document to be notarized is for use within the United States, although there may be exceptions. If you have multiple documents to be notarized, you should only make one appointment. You will pay $50 USD, at the Embassy or Consulate on your day of appointment, for each notary seal required.

On the day of your appointment, you must:

- - Bring the complete, unsigned documents to be notarized. Even if there are pages that do not require signature or seals, you must present the entire packet.
  - Present a valid government-issued ID such as a passport, driver’s license.
  - Pay $50 USD per notary seal.
  - Be of sound mind and understand the document you want notarized. Consular staff is not permitted to explain contents to you.
  - If your notary service requires a witness, you must arrange for your own witnesses. Consular staff cannot witness your documents.

Examples of Notarial Services Performed At No Charge

DS-3053: To notarize a DS-3053 Statement of Consent: Issuance of a U.S. Passport To a Minor Under Age 16 (PDF, 345K), please review the instructions listed on the form, the information fields that must be completed, and bring your original, valid, government-issued photo ID as well as a photocopy of both sides. As the U.S. Department of State requires that this form be notarized, this service is performed free of charge. Scales, Seal, Pen

Power of Attorney (in conjunction with U.S. passport applications): When both parents are unable to be personally present to apply for a minor’s U.S. passport, and they wish to designate a third party to do so, they may sign a power of attorney (POA) before a notary public. This POA must contain specific data fields; see a sample. Note that photocopies of both sides of each parents’ original, valid, government-issued photo ID must be included with the POA. As the U.S. Department of State requires that this form be notarized, this service is performed free of charge.

At the Direct Request of a U.S. Municipal, State or Federal Entity

At the Direct Request of a Foreign Government

AUTHENTICATION PROCESS FOR CHINESE DOCUMENTS FOR USE IN THE U.S.

Consular Officers at the U.S. Embassy and its consulates in China are able to authenticate certain Chinese documents that have been notarized by a Chinese notary. Such documents include powers of attorney, agreements, university diplomas, various local certificates, and business licenses. The process involves three steps:

1. Get your document notarized by a local Chinese notary.

2. Send the notarization to the local Foreign Affairs Office (FAO, 外办) or one of the agencies authorized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA, 中国外交部) to get your document authenticated. For detailed information the Chinese government’s procedures, please visit the Chinese MFA’s website at http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/lsrz/lsrzjjs/.

3. Make an appointment for notarial services and bring your authenticated document to the U.S. Embassy or one of the Consulates General for an additional authentication of the FAO official’s signature.