Notarial Services

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Note that Dutch notary services are generally available throughout the Netherlands: https://www.notaris.nl/.  For presentation in the United States Dutch notary services must have an Apostille. Your Dutch notary can advise you on how to have the Apostille attached to your Dutch notary service.

We only notarize documents for presentation in the United States.  (Please note that many U.S. states now recognize remote online notarizations.)  You must come with all documents properly prepared for the notary to sign. We cannot attach Apostilles to U.S. or Dutch documents. If you come unprepared we may not be able to help you.

COME PREPARED FOR YOUR NOTARY SERVICE:

  • UNDERSTAND YOUR DOCUMENT(S). If a document is not clear, check with the office or organization requiring the notarized document or your legal adviser.  Consular staff cannot explain your document(s) to you.  If the notary is not sure you understand your document we cannot notarize it.
  • VALID PHOTO ID REQUIRED.  A passport is best.  Make sure your name in your document(s) matches the name in your identity document. A name discrepancy may prohibit the notary from notarizing your document.
  • MARK EVERY PAGE THAT THE NOTARY NEEDS TO SIGN, with a marker or a sticker protruding from the right side of the document. We do not require you mark the page(s) where you have to sign but you may mark them with a different marker or sticker for your convenience.
  • MULTIPLE PAGE DOCUMENTS must be clipped together.  For example, if pages are marked 1 of 3, 2 of 3 and 3 of 3, clip them together with a paper clip.  These pages will be attached together with a grommet (metal eyelet) at the Consulate.
  • FILL IN YOUR DOCUMENT(S) with the appropriate names, places and dates and other information.  DO NOT SIGN your document(s).  You will be asked to sign under oath at the Consulate General in front of the notary.
  • BRING YOUR ENTIRE DOCUMENT(S).  For example, if the notary page is listing page 3 of 3, do bring pages 1 and 2, even if only one page is to be notarized.
  • WITNESSES – If your document requires witnesses, you must bring them with you.  You can bring up to two witnesses if your document requires it.  Consular staff or other customers cannot serve as witnesses or help you find a witness.  Witnesses cannot be relatives and must present a passport to enter the Consulate.  On your document(s) write in the name(s) of your witness(es) but do NOT have her/him/them sign.  If your document has a space for a witness to sign, but you did not bring any, you can either visit the Consulate on another Friday or proceed without a witness.  If you do the latter, the Consulate will prepare the document stating no witness was present.
  • FEE TO BE PAID BY CREDIT CARD, U.S. DEBIT CARD, OR CASH EURO.  Credit/U.S. debit cards are preferred. Foreign PIN card payments cannot be processed.  If you pay in cash, then you must pay the euro equivalent.  Click here to go to our consular services fees and payment instructions page.  Note that the fee must be paid for each time a notarizing officer must put a signature on your document(s).
  • DOUBLE CHECK to ensure you have your document(s) fully prepared!  Remember, DO NOT SIGN, until the notarizing officer asks you to do so.
  • Information on consular notary services on the State Department’s website.


Types of Notarials Available

A power of attorney allows you to empower someone to act in your place.  You may use any power of attorney document supplied to you by your attorney, bank, company, etc.  Please fill out your power of attorney document before you come to our office, but DO NOT SIGN it in advance.

An affidavit is a sworn statement, made by you. Using our blank form (PDF 148 KB), write out the statement you wish to make, but DO NOT SIGN it. We cannot advise you on the specific language needed in your Affidavit, please consult a lawyer or other legal advisor for that type of assistance before coming to us to have the document notarized.

The U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam and U.S. Embassy in The Hague do not offer affidavits of civil status. Such an affidavit is a citizen’s own statement on his or her civil status, required for instance to register with the Dutch authorities for residence and/or marriage.  Such a statement can be made at the town hall of your Dutch municipality. For more information please contact your Dutch town hall.

In most cases, both parents must appear and sign the passport application form before a Consular Officer. In the event that one parent cannot appear before a Consular Officer, a notarized Statement of Consent (click to download form DS-3053) must be signed and submitted with the passport application within three months from the date is was notarized.  There is no fee for this service.

An administration of oath is used on documents that require a sworn affidavit (PDF 33KB).

An Acknowledgement of Execution (PDF 165KB) is used for legal agreements, business documents, etc.  It is also used when more than two signatures are required, but not all of the parties who must sign the document are present. We can only acknowledge (notarize) the signatures of those present to sign the document in front of us and verify that they have signed the document.

We can’t help you with signature guarantees. Consular Officers are not authorized to provide a signature guarantee/medallion guarantee services. A Medallion Signature Guarantee is not a notary service, but 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 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may be contacted at www.sec.gov.

U.S. passports – A true copy of your U.S. passport can be made. Note this does not include true copies of U.S. passports for Social Security purposes. Please bring your passport and the means to pay the appropriate fee.

Foreign passports – We can only make a true copy of a foreign passport if you must apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Please bring your passport and the means to pay the appropriate fee. We CANNOT make true copies of foreign passports for any other purpose than in support of the ITIN application.

When presenting U.S. Saving Bonds for notarization, please use the form available at: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/bond-redeem.htm to prepare for your visit to the Consulate General.

Notary Services at the U.S. Consulate General in Amsterdam are available on a walk-in basis, Friday mornings from 8:00 to 8:30, except the first Friday* of the month and U.S. and Dutch holidays.  This applies exclusively to notary services.  All other consular services require an appointment!

  • Arrive on time.  Only if you are at the Consulate between 8:00 and 8:30 AM on a Friday* morning can you be admitted for a notary service.  If you arrive after 8:30 AM, you will be asked to return on another Friday.

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