Notarial Services

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U.S. Consular Officers can provide notarial services for any person regardless of nationality if the document being notarized is required for use within the jurisdiction of the United States and is authorized by relevant U.S. law and Department of State policy.  As a courtesy, U.S. Consular Officers may also provide specifically to U.S. citizens certain notarial services for local use.  Effective January 1, 2022, customers who are not U.S. citizens who want a notarial service for a document that will be used outside of the United States – even if that document has a U.S. connection – must either pursue an Authentication Service from the U.S. Department of State or seek notarial services from local notaries or from their own nationalities’ consular representatives (if applicable).

For detailed information about Notarial and Authentication Services of U.S. Consular Officers Abroad please visit the U.S. State Department’s official website.

All notarial services are performed by appointment only.  You can access our Appointment System here.  Once you have scheduled an appointment, please print out the confirmation page to present at the building entrance on the appointment date.

If there are no slots available in the Appointment System, please check the system periodically for availability.  Appointment slots are opened approximately two weeks in advance, and additional slots are often added.

The notarization fee is $50 USD for each seal provided.  For further information, please see the Consular Schedule of Fees here.  All consular fees are payable in U.S. Dollars or Vietnamese Dong in cash, or with the following debit/credit cards in U.S. Dollars: Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.  We cannot accept checks.  In addition, we can only accept bills in good condition.  Notes that are taped, washed, torn, damaged, or have excessive marks or blemishes will not be accepted.

You must bring your passport or other government-issued photo identification for all notarial services.

  • Please print, organize, and complete the appropriate notary form before your appointment. There are no public printing or copying services at the Embassy and Consulate.
  • If you do not come with a prepared affidavit, you may obtain a blank copy of an affidavit in the waiting room on your appointment date.  Use of the blank version will lengthen your check-in time. There are blank affidavit templates available under the “Services We Can and Cannot Provide” tab.
  • If you request notarial services for your original documents, bring both an original and a photocopy.  If you do not bring a photocopy, you may be charged $1.00 for each page copied.

In order to receive notarial services from the Consular Section you must:

  • Understand your document.  Consular staff cannot explain the contents to you.
  • Complete the document with the appropriate names, places, and dates before you arrive (but do not sign it; you must sign in front of a Notarizing Officer).
  • Include all pages, information and accompanying documents.
  • Organize all pages in order and the page(s) that requires the notary seal must be clearly flagged on the edge of the document.
  • Ensure name of the individual signing the document matches the name on the presented identification (i.e., passport or other government issued ID).
  • If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, LLC, etc., you must bring proof that you are authorized to sign on behalf of the organization (e.g., business card and/or articles of incorporation etc).
  • Do not sign your document until requested to do so by a Consular Officer.
  • If your document requires the presence of witnesses in addition to the notarization, you are responsible for providing these witnesses and any additional information or instructions.  Consular staff cannot act as witnesses.
  • If your document requires witnesses, please ensure they each have made a separate scheduled appointment and appear with a valid government issued photo ID.
  • If you are not able to answer simple questions about the purpose of the document or how the document should be executed. Or if you cannot read the language in which it is written, you may be asked to reschedule the service.

Services we CANNOT provide:

U.S. law precludes the provision of notarial services in certain cases.  Among others, Notarizing Officers cannot provide notarial services in connection with:

  • Authentication, certification, or certified copies of public documents issued in the United States such as birth, residency, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; commercial records; driver’s license; other credentials.  Such documents must be authenticated in the United States for use overseas.  For additional details, please visit the Department of State’s Notarial and Authentication Services or the Office of Authentication or call +1 202-485-8000.  Please visit the National Center for Health Statistics webpage Where to Write for Vital Records for state-specific information on requesting copies of vital records.
  • Certified true copies of non-U.S. documents, such as Vietnamese birth certificates
  • Signature/ Medallion Signature guarantees:  A Signature Guarantee/ Medallion Signature Guarantee is not a notarial service, but rather a special procedure related to securities, which can only be performed by an authorized representative of a financial institution participating in a medallion program approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
  • Statements beyond the Consular Officer’s knowledge: e.g., that the document satisfies a specific legal requirement, that a person is the spouse of another, or an individual is an employee of a certain business or corporation.

Services we CAN provide:

Affidavits
The Vietnamese government may request the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City “certify” documents listed under “services we cannot provide.” Please note the Embassy and Consulate CAN notarize an affidavit for U.S. citizens which may or may not satisfy the Vietnamese requirement for “certification.”

An affidavit is a sworn statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the person making it.  Please note the Embassy and Consulate assume no responsibility for the veracity of the representations that appear in the affidavit.  Only the identity of the individual making the statement is validated.

The following affidavit templates are available for your convenience. It is prudent to confirm in advance if the end recipient will accept an affidavit.

Acknowledgement of signature
An Acknowledgement of signature verifies a particular person signed a given document such as a deed or bill of sale.  We can notarize only the signatures of those who are present to sign in front of a Notarizing Officer.  If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, LLC, etc., you are required to provide proof that you are authorized to sign on behalf of the organization.

Power of Attorney
A power of attorney allows you to designate someone to take legal action on your behalf, such as authorizing someone to buy or sell a property in the United States in your name while you are abroad.  You can use our blank Power of Attorney form: for Hanoi (PDF-7KB) or HCMC (PDF-7KB), or bring your own drafted one.  If you are signing on behalf of a corporation, LLC, etc., you are required to provide proof that you are authorized to sign on behalf of the organization.  Please be sure that you fully understand the permissions being granted through a power of attorney before appearing at the Embassy or Consulate.

Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent for issuance of a U.S. passport to a minor (No fee required)

Certified true copies of documents for use with Social Security applications, Federal Benefits Unit Manila

Certified true copies of a foreign passport for use with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) applications

  • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Applications:
    Please see the ITIN page at IRS.gov for additional information about the ITIN and the renewal process for expired numbers.

Please be aware that a consular officer may refuse any notary service when:

  • The document will be used in transactions that may be prohibited by U.S. law, treaty, or foreign law.
  • The host country does not authorize the performance of the service.
  • The document is blank or incomplete.
  • The officer believes that the document is suspicious, potentially illegal, or detrimental to the best interests of the United States.
  • The officer does not understand the document, due to language or any other reason.
  • The officer believes the customer does not understand the document or is acting under duress.
  • The officer providing the notarial service has a disqualifying interest.
  • The officer believes that invalid, inadequate, or insufficient proof of identification is presented, or proof of a corporate title or position is lacking or inadequate.

If you need to request an expedited appointment, you must first schedule an appointment online.  After successfully scheduling an appointment, you must visit our Inquiry Form to submit an expedite request.  Please include:

1) the reason your case is an extreme emergency and the need for an earlier appointment,

2) the date and time of your scheduled appointment and the date and time of your preferred appointment if your request is approved, and

3) supporting evidence/ reason why an earlier appointment will help resolve your emergency.

If you do not provide ALL the information listed above, your request will not be considered.  However, please be aware to ensure fairness to our customers, our office only expedites appointments when there is an urgent need or an extreme emergency such as a situation endangering a person’s health or well-being.     Please also note that while we recognize the importance of notary offerings to our customers, we generally cannot provide notarial appointments at times when exigent circumstances require us to offer only limited public services.

Please Note

U.S. Passport Applications and Applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad CANNOT be accepted during a “Notary or Other Services” appointment.

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