Americans abroad regularly need a signature notarized for use back home: a power of attorney so family can sell a house, a deed, an affidavit for a court, a form for a U.S. bank or brokerage. The U.S. notary down the road is not an option, and embassy appointments can be weeks out.
There are three routes. A U.S. embassy or consulate can notarize your signature, which is accepted in the U.S. without anything further. A local notary in the country you live in can do it, after which that country’s apostille is needed for the U.S. to accept it. Or a U.S. notary can notarize you remotely, over a recorded video call, from wherever you are.
Remote online notarization is usually the fastest, because there is no appointment to wait for and no foreign apostille to obtain. It is also the one we offer directly.
At a glance
The three routes compared
| U.S. embassy or consulate | Local foreign notary | Remote online, U.S. notary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accepted in the U.S.? | Yes, as it is | Yes, with that country’s apostille | Yes, as a normal U.S. notarization |
| Wait | Appointment, often weeks | Usually quick, plus the apostille | No appointment queue |
| Travel | To the embassy city | Local | None |
| Cost | Embassy fee per seal | Local fee plus apostille | $25 per document with us |
| Best for | Documents that insist on a consular notarization | When the foreign apostille is quick and cheap | Most U.S. powers of attorney, affidavits and bank forms |
Some U.S. institutions, county recorders in particular, have their own rules about remote notarizations. Check with whoever will receive the document if in doubt, and we will check too.
How remote online notarization works
- You upload the document and we confirm it can be notarized remotely.
- You join a recorded video call with a commissioned U.S. notary, show your passport, and sign electronically.
- The notarized document is returned electronically, with a paper copy available if the recipient needs one.
- Going to a third country? The notarized document is apostilled by the notary’s state. See power of attorney apostille.
How it works
Step 1
Send us the document
And tell us who will receive it.
Step 2
We confirm the route
Remote online where it will be accepted; we say so if it will not.
Step 3
Video call with a U.S. notary
Passport in hand, signed electronically.
Step 4
Returned, apostilled if needed
Electronically, by courier, or apostilled for a third country.
Notarizing a U.S. Document From Abroad: common questions
Can I be notarized by a U.S. notary while I am outside the U.S.?
Yes, by remote online notarization, in states whose law allows a signer located abroad for a document used in the U.S. We confirm your document qualifies before booking.
Does a document notarized by a foreign notary need an apostille?
For use in the U.S., yes, from the country where it was notarized, if that country is in the Hague Convention. Otherwise it needs that country’s legalization through the U.S. embassy.
Will a county recorder accept a remote notarization for a deed?
Most do, but rules vary by state and county. Tell us where the deed will be recorded and we will check before you sign.
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.
U.S. Dept. of State, notarial services abroad
Ready to get started?
Send us the document and we will book a remote notarization.
Related: Power of attorney apostille · Getting married abroad · Retiring abroad