Notarials - U.S. Embassy in the Philippines - Set an appointment for notarial services

Notarials

Services we provide

Operating Status During COVID-19 Crisis

Routine passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and notarial services are limited as of March 18. Individuals with appointments after March 18 may be asked to reschedule their appointments for a later date.

Schedule an Appointment

Important Reminder

Appointments are required for all notarial services. Walk-ins are not accepted. Please bring your appointment confirmation sheet and arrive at the Embassy or Consular Agency 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow time for security screening

Appointments for Cebu cannot be honored in Manila or vice-versa.

Overview

U.S. notarial services are available by appointment only. Documents for notarization must generally be of U.S. origin or intended for use within the United States, with limited exceptions. Only one appointment is required for multiple documents. The fee for each notarial service (notarial signature) is $50 USD.

Notarial Appointments

Notary hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in Manila, and between 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Cebu, Monday through Friday, except for U.S. and Philippine holidays. You can schedule an appointment via the Embassy’s online appointment system:

Embassy Manila

Consular Agency in Cebu

The online appointment system will not send an email confirmation, so please print or save the “Appointment Details” page displayed once the appointment is made online and bring it with you to your appointment for entry into the Embassy or Consular Agency.

On the day of your appointment, you must:

Arrive fully prepared with your documents printed, organized, and complete (but do not sign or initial them beforehand). We will not review, print, or copy documents for you, so if you are unprepared, we will ask you to reschedule. Please mark the places that require signatures/notarization.

Present a valid passport or other government-issued photo ID and photocopies as required. The name on your identification must match your name on the document(s) you need notarized.

Signatories must be of sound mind and understand the documents to be notarized. Consular staff are not permitted to explain document contents to signatories.

If your notary service requires a witness, you must arrange for your own witnesses. Consular staff cannot serve as witness for your documents.

Bring enough money for the notary ($50 USD per notary seal). We accept cash (USD and PHP) or credit card (paid in USD).

We reserve the right to ask you to reschedule your appointment if you arrive late or are unprepared.

Do not bring electronic devices/gadgets (i.e.: cellphone, laptop, tablets) with you as these are not allowed inside the Embassy/Consular Agency

Legal Capacity to Marry

Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage:

The United States government does not maintain marriage records and cannot issue certificates of U.S. citizens’ legal capacity to marry. However, we can notarize a citizen’s statement of their own legal capacity as an ordinary affidavit. For your convenience, we offer templates for these statements here (for Manila / for Cebu), and strongly recommend you fill a statement out fully and prepare it for signature before your appointment to avoid having to reschedule.

You are not required to use these templates for your affidavit if you prefer to write your own. Please note that, as with all notary acts, you must have a fully completed and properly prepared affidavit (except for your signature) before arriving for your appointment to avoid being asked to reschedule.

Legal and valid marriages contracted abroad generally are valid in the United States. If you get married abroad and need to know if your marriage will be recognized in the United States and what documentation may be required, contact the office of the Attorney General of your state of residence in the United States.

U.S. diplomats cannot perform marriages. Marriage is a function reserved solely to local governments and is beyond the authority of U.S. diplomats, who are federal officials. There is no requirement to register your marriage in the Philippines with the U.S. Embassy or Consular Agency in the Philippines.

Services We Provide

Affidavits

Various Philippine government offices may request “certification” or “authentication” of documents,” which we cannot provide (for more details, please see “Services we CANNOT provide” below). However, the Embassy CAN notarize an affidavit which may or may not satisfy the Philippine requirement for “certification,” including affidavits of legal capacity to contract marriage.

An affidavit is a sworn statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by oath or affirmation. Please note the consular staff assume no responsibility for the veracity of the representations that appear in 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 only notarize 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. 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.

Certified True Copies of U.S. Passports

You may schedule a notarial appointment for certified true copies of original documents and foreign passports for use with Social Security applications when requested by the Manila Federal Benefits Unit (No fee required).

You may schedule a notarial appointment for Form DS-3053: Statement of Consent for issuance of a U.S. passport to a minor (No fee required).

You may schedule a notarial appointment for certified true copies of a foreign passport for use with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) applications. More information is available on the ITIN page at IRS.gov .

Notarization of ITIN applications:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has designated acceptance agents around the world that can assist with ITIN applications. You can find the acceptance agent for the Philippines on the IRS website.

Services We Do Not Provide

Document Authentication or Apostille: The Embassy cannot authenticate or apostille any U.S. civil documents. As both the United States and the Philippines are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, U.S. documents may be authenticated with an apostille issued by either the government of the state that issued the document or, for certain federal documents, by the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C. Please see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/apostille-requirements.html for more information.

- If requested, the Embassy or Consular Agency can notarize your own sworn statement that the documents you present are authentic. Please have this affidavit (optional template available here) and the documents you are declaring authentic prepared in advance of your interview.

Certificate of Legal Capacity to Adopt/Affidavit of Legal Capacity for Local Adoption: Please check our website for information on adoption in the Philippines. The U.S. Embassy and Consular Agency in the Philippines do not issue Certificates of Legal Capacity to Adopt. We also cannot notarize Affidavits of Legal Capacity for Local Adoption. American citizen prospective adoptive parents should contact the Philippine National Authority for Childcare to satisfy requirements for “foreign domestic adoption law” or any similar document, as the U.S. Embassy does not provide authenticated copies of U.S. law.

Remote Online (Electronic) Notarization (United States):

Electronic notarization is currently authorized in 36 of the 50 states.  Many of these states allow remote notarization over videoconference.  Refer to your specific State Notary Handbook for more information. Please verify with the intended recipient of your documents that this form of notarization is acceptable before engaging an online notary. The U.S. Embassy and Consular Agency will accept electronic notarization of form DS-3053  (Statement of Consent for the Issuance of a Passport to a Child under the Age of 16), provided the notarization was completed in accordance with the policies of the state that commissioned the notary public. More information concerning remote notarial and authentication services is available on the Department of State’s website .

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U.S. Embassy in the Philippines

Operating Status During COVID-19 Crisis

Important Reminder

Overview

Useful Information

Legal Capacity to Marry

Services We Provide

Services We Do Not Provide

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