Embassy of the United States

Other Services

Notarial Services

Notarial Services are available to all U.S. passport holders and to foreign nationals with documents destined for use in the United States. They are executed by consular officers The consular officer can only notarize documents that will be signed in his or her presence. We generally do not legalize documents for private use in Argentina. Examples of documents consular officers sign and notarize include mortgages, contracts and agreements, lost check affidavits and forms from American courts.

Please, DO NOT COME TO THE EMBASSY, SET UP YOUR NOTARIAL APPOINTMENT BY SENDING AN E-MAIL TO Buenosaires-ACS@state.gov.

The American Embassy is no longer authorized to make True copies of documents, except in support of the IRS W-7 form. Please bring your original document and the copy. Fee.

There are three basic notarial services that a U.S. consular officer can perform and that are available in the American Citizen Services section: acknowledgments, attestations and affidavits.

The day of your appointment please bring:

• A valid passport or piece of identity issued by a government agency. E.g. : A driver's license is acceptable, a student ID is not.
• The name on this identification should be the same as that on the document to be signed.
• The documents to be notarized
• If your document must also be witnessed, please bring your own witnesses with you. Consular officers and staff may NOT be witnesses for notarial purposes.

An Acknowledgment is where an individual declares to a consular officer that a document was executed freely and voluntarily. The consular officer certifies that this individual appeared before him/her and executed the document freely and voluntarily. This is the most common form of notarial service. If there is not sufficient space on the document, a separate sheet can be attached for the acknowledgment. The consular officer will ask:

"Are you signing this document of your own free will?"

An Attestation is where an individual declares to a consular officer that he/she witnessed the execution of a document. The consular officer certifies that the witness appeared before the consular officer and stated that the witness observed the execution of the document and signed the document as an attesting witness. It is used by some states in lieu of an acknowledgment

An Affidavit is a written declaration or statement of facts made voluntarily by an individual, under oath or affirmation, before a consular officer. For example, a witness' statement of facts for use in a judicial proceeding would be made as an affidavit. In an affidavit, the consular officer administers an oath to the person making the statement. For any individual having conscientious scruples against taking an oath, an affirmation may be taken in place of an oath. The consular officer will ask a question in substance as:

"Do you swear (or affirm) that the statements which you are signing before me are true?"

The U.S. and Argentina are parties of the Hague Convention on the Legalization of Foreign Public Documents. In order to legalize public documents issued in Argentina for use in the U.S. (such as Argentine birth, marriage, and death certificates), you should use the apostille notarization procedure. The apostille stamp on the document can be obtained from the Foreign Ministry Office.

Argentine Civil Documents to be used in the United States

US consular officers do not certify the authenticity of Argentine civil documents. Under the Hague Convention on Civil Documents, to which both Argentina and the US are parties, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs certifies the signature seals on official documents issued by Argentine federal and local authorities that will be used in the United States, by affixing the Apostille.

U.S. Civil Documents to be used in Argentina

Under the Hague Convention, the usual practice for U.S. documents which will be used in Argentina is that the document (birth certificate, deed, etc.) is first certified and signed by the appropriate city, county or state authority (which often issues an official certified copy). The Secretary of State of the U.S. state in which the authority is located then certifies the signature and seal of the issuing authority, by affixing the Apostille.