Notarial Services for All Nationalities

 

Our office provides notarial services for any individual, regardless of nationality.  To schedule an appointment, click here.  If you have an immediate need for a notarial service and do not find any slots available on our online appointment calendar, please email DhakaACS@state.gov and explain the nature of your emergency to request an emergency notarial appointment.

The fee for notary services is $50 U.S. dollars (USD) or the equivalent in Bangladeshi taka (BDT) per notary seal.  All fees must be paid in cash.  Please note currency exchange rates can fluctuate.

Frequently requested notarial services:

1. Notarization of DS-3053 (Statement of Consent: Issuance of a U.S. passport to a child): Complete the form in black ink.  Bring your valid government-issued photo ID, a photocopy of the ID you plan to use, and a copy of your child’s birth certificate.  Photocopies must be clear and printed on A4 size paper.  This is a free service.
2. Authentication of a Bangladeshi document: Before we can authenticate Bangladeshi documents, you must obtain an appropriate authentication seal from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Government of Bangladesh.  In general, the first step is to get the document certified by a local notary public.  Second, contact the Bangladesh Ministry of Law to verify the initial authentication.  Third, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s Department of Consular Services, which will verify the authentication done by the Ministry of Law.  The U.S. Embassy authentication will be the final step of the process, confirming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs verification. You may contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Authentications Office by telephone at (880) (2) 9574055.  Bring your photo ID, the document that needs to be authenticated and the appropriate fees, as determined by the number of notary seals required.
3. Certified photocopies for Social Security Administration (SSA) purposes: Please bring all SSA correspondence to your notarial appointment.  It should specifically mention which documents require certified copies.  You should bring the original document and a photocopy of the same document along with your valid photo ID.  Photocopies must be clear and printed on A4 size paper.  Please note some SSA-related notarial services are free while other require submission of standard fees, as noted above.  Email DhakaACS@state.gov to confirm whether your service requires a fee.
4. Certified photocopies for U.S. tax purposes: We provide certified true copies of foreign passports for submission with Form W-7 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).  You should bring the original passport, a copy of that passport, and the appropriate fees.  Photocopies must be clear and printed on A4 size paper.
5. Acknowledgement of signatures on documents to be used in the United States: We can witness and provide a notary on documents such as property-related deeds, titles, powers of attorney, etc.  Consult a lawyer prior to seeking notarial services if you have questions or concerns regarding the document you would like notarized.  Please bring the relevant documents, a valid photo ID, and the appropriate fees, as determined by the number of notary seals required, to your appointment.
6. Executing affidavits and oaths: We can, in some cases, administer oaths and notarize affidavits.  Consult a lawyer prior to seeking notarial services if you have questions or concerns about the document you would like us to notarize.  Please bring the relevant documents, a valid photo ID, and the appropriate fees, as determined by the number of notary seals required, to your appointment.

Instructions for Notary Services

Documents used for legal purposes in the United States may require notarization by a U.S. Consular Officer.  Here are the requirements for using notarial services:

1. The individual who needs to sign the document must appear in person at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section, present proper identification — e.g., a valid passport, a national ID, a driver’s license displaying the bearer’s signature — and pay the appropriate fee.
2. The fee for notary services is $50 U.S. dollars (USD) or the equivalent in Bangladeshi taka (BDT) per notary seal.  Currency exchange rates can fluctuate.  Please check your document and bring the appropriate amount in cash to your appointment.
3. If witnesses are required, you must bring your own.  Witnesses should bring their valid government-issued photo IDs.
4. Do not sign the document until requested to do so by the notarizing officer.  Depending on the nature of the document, the notarizing officer will either take an acknowledgement that your signature was done freely with an understanding of the document’s contents or administer an oath whereby you swear or affirm the contents of a given document are true.
5. Notarizing officers do not certify that the contents of submitted documents are true.  A notarizing officer only certifies that you have signed and sworn or affirmed under oath that the contents are true.
6. Notarizing officers are prohibited from offering legal advice regarding the form or content of documents to be notarized.

Services we cannot provide:

1. Foreign academic credentials for use in the United States: U.S. Consular Officers cannot authenticate or provide certified true copies of foreign academic credentials, transcripts, or degrees for use in the United States.
2. U.S. credentials for use abroad:  Some foreign countries continue to require authentication of U.S. academic credentials.  See here for guidance on obtaining such records.

We may refuse to provide notarial services if:

• Your request is prohibited under U.S. law.
• You plan to use the notarized document in transactions prohibited under U.S. law.
• You plan to use the notarized document in a way that is unlawful, improper, or inimical to the best interests of the United States.
• You cannot understand the document you are submitting for notarization.