Nigeria is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. A U.S. document going to Nigeria needs legalization instead: certification by the state that issued it, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and then legalization by Nigeria’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S.
Nigeria has 3 missions in the U.S., and which one takes your document depends on its state. We confirm it before submitting. The mission is decided by the state that issued or notarized the document, not the state you live in.
At a glance
Which mission takes your document
| Mission | States it covers |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. Embassy of Nigeria |
Not published; we confirm per document |
| New York Consulate General of Nigeria |
Not published; we confirm per document |
| Atlanta Consulate General of Nigeria |
Not published; we confirm per document |
Checked October 2026. Where a mission does not publish its district, we confirm before submitting. For federal documents such as an FBI check, we confirm the mission before submitting.
Documents we legalize most for Nigeria
| Document | Usually for |
|---|---|
| Birth and marriage certificates | Civil matters and passports |
| Diploma and transcripts | Employment and NYSC |
| Power of attorney | Property and banking |
Things worth knowing
- Nigeria is not a party to the Apostille Convention, despite appearing on some lists that say it is.
- Legalization is handled mainly by the consulates, divided by state. We confirm which one takes your document.
How it works
Step 1
Notarize if needed
Private documents only. Vital records and court records skip this.
Step 2
State certification
By the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents skip this.
Step 3
U.S. Department of State
Federal authentication in Washington, D.C.
Step 4
Nigeria embassy or consulate
The mission for your document’s state.
Nigeria Embassy Legalization: common questions
Can I get an apostille for Nigeria instead?
No. Nigeria is not in the Apostille Convention, so it needs the legalization chain ending at its embassy or consulate.
Does it matter which consulate I use?
Yes. Missions only legalize documents from the states in their district, decided by where the document was issued or notarized. Use the consulate finder.
How long does it take?
The state and federal stages take one to three weeks together, and the embassy stage adds its own time, which varies. Plan for several weeks in total, and longer around holidays.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
HCCH Apostille Convention status table
Ready to get started?
Tell us the document and its state, and we will run the whole chain to the right Nigeria mission.
Related: Embassy legalization · Non-Hague countries · Country checker · Translation requirements