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Notarial Services
Notarial services are provided by appointment only. Walk-in services are not available.
Overview
Preparation for a Notary Appointment
Services We Provide
Services We Do Not Provide
Useful Information

Overview

Notarial services are provided by appointment only – please access the appointment page here.  If you arrive at the Embassy for a notarial service without an appointment, you will not be allowed to enter.  Notarial services are not considered emergencies.

You may consider the following alternatives before scheduling a notarial appointment at the Embassy:

  • eNotary/remote notarial and authentication services – United States Embassies and/or Consulates do not provide remote notarial nor authentication services. You should determine whether a remote notarial is in accordance with the laws of the U.S. state that commissioned the notary public and the laws of the state or country where the document is notarized. Some foreign states may impose civil and criminal penalties for participation in a remote notarial that is performed without legal authorization in their jurisdiction by a foreign notary public. More information on remote notaries is available here.
  • Local Korean Notary – Providing a certified Korean language translation of your document and using a Korean notary public may be an alternative.
  • Certified Copies – No appointment is needed to obtain certified copies of documents for Social Security Number (SSN) applications/benefits, or to certify a copy of a valid US driver’s license. Please mail the documents to us via the ILYANG courier service. Please see Services We Provide for more information on what documents the Embassy can certify..

When scheduling an appointment online, you must provide the names of all signatories in your documents, including names of witnesses and co-signers. If you have witnesses or co-signers, please enter the principal signer’s full name under “Applicant’s Surname” and others’ full name(s) under “Applicant’s Given Name”. Witnesses and co-signers will not be granted access to the Embassy unless they are listed under “Applicant’s Given Name” when you schedule your appointment online.

Notarial services are provided by appointment only. Notarial needs are not considered to be an emergency.

Preparation for a notary appointment:

Applicants visiting the Embassy will be allowed to check in only one cell phone and one set of electronic car keys before entering the building. No other devices will be permitted, and the Embassy has no capacity to store them.  Please leave these items at home or store them before arriving for your appointment.

    • Bring a valid government-issued photo ID.  The name on the documents must be the same as the name on your ID.
    • Make sure you understand your document.  We are not allowed to explain the contents to you.
    • Please complete the document with the appropriate names, places, and dates before you arrive (but do not sign the form; you will sign it at the Embassy in front of a Consular officer).  If you have multiple documents, please sort them prior to your appointment.
    • Please mark the pages where you and the notary need to sign. The Consular staff cannot advise you in any way on what is required of you for your documents so come to the appointment fully prepared.
    • Pay the appropriate fee: $50 per seal.  All fees are payable in U.S. dollars or Korean won at the Embassy’s exchange rate.  A combination of U.S. dollars and Korean won will not be accepted.  The Embassy also accepts payment by US or International credit card.
    • If your document requires the presence of witnesses in addition to the notarization, you are responsible for providing these witnesses. Consular staff cannot act as witnesses.

Click Here to Make an Appointment

Services We Provide

  • Scales, Seal, PenCertified copies of documents for Social Security Number (SSN) applications
    Please refer to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in Manila for instructions on how to apply for SSN for children under the age of 12.
    • In addition to the Form SS-5-FS – Application for a Social Security Card, certified copies of the minor child’s passport (signed bythe applying parent), Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and the applying parent’s signed passport or government issued photo ID are required.
    • Please send us your original documents to us at your expense via ILYANG courier service, with a letter requesting certified copies, and we will certify your originals at no additional cost.
    • For active-duty military customers, it may be more convenient to obtain certified copies at your Military Passport/Visa Office.
    • IMPORTANT: The child’s passport MUST be signed by a parent in order to be valid (sign the parent’s name and state the relationship)Certified copies of documents for Social Security Number (SSN) application
  • Affidavit
    An affidavit is a sworn statement. Please note that the U.S. Embassy cannot verify the veracity of any statement made by the affiant or the information in any attached document of the sworn statement. Like a notary, we will only confirm the identity of the individual signing the statement.
  • Power of Attorney
    A power of attorney allows you to designate someone to take legal actions on your behalf. A common example of this is empowering someone else to buy or sell property in the United States in your name while you are overseas. We cannot advise you on the specific language or content of a power of attorney. Please consult a lawyer or other appropriate advisor before coming to see us to have your power of attorney notarized.
  • Acknowledgement of Signature
    An Acknowledgement of Signature or Acknowledgement of Execution is a notarial service which verifies that a particular person signed a given document.  It is often used for legal agreements, business documents, etc.  It is also used when more than two signatures are required on the document but all parties who must sign are not present.  We can notarize (or acknowledge) only the signatures of those who are present to sign in front of us or appear in front of us to verify that they have signed the document.  We can provide an Acknowledgement of Signature form.
  • Certified copies of U.S. passports
    We provide certified copies of U.S. passports free of charge for SSN applications or for active military members.
  • Certified copies of a valid U.S. driver’s license
    We provide certified copies of U.S. driver’s licenses. Information on obtaining a Korean Driving’s License is available here.

Services We DO NOT Provide

  • U.S. Apostille
    The Embassy cannot offer any apostille services.  Please see this page for further information about apostilles.
  • Authentication/Notarization/Legalization of public documents issued in the United States.
    Such documents include vital records (birth, marriage, death, and divorce), as well as academic, commercial, or other credentials. Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing authority or the seal of the custodian of these records.
  • Certification of True Copies of Non-U.S. Documents
    The Embassy cannot certify documents issued by a foreign government. Please contact the relevant issuing agency (i.e. the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or respective foreign embassy or consulate) of your foreign document. Please note, copies of Korean civil documents, such as a Korean family census registration or basic certificate, can be obtained from any Korean civil registry district office. If an apostille is required, please contact the Korean Apostille Issuing Authority for guidance.
  • Signature (or “Medallion”) Guarantees
    Consular officers are not authorized to provide signature guarantee/medallion guarantee service. A 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).

THE CONSULAR OFFICER MAY REFUSE ANY NOTARIAL SERVICE WHEN:

  • The host country does not authorize the performance of the service.
  • The document will be used in transactions that may be prohibited by U.S. law.
  • The officer believes that the document will be used for a purpose that is unlawful, improper, or inimical 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 to be notarized, due to language or any other reason.

Useful Information

Notarial Services or U.S. Consular Officers Abroad

U.S. Birth Certificate Apostilles