American Citizen Services

• General Info
• Affidavits 
• Acknowledgements
• Authentications
• Refusal of Notarial Services
• Authentications of Documents Issued in the US
• W-7 Application 
• Authentication of American Academic Credentials for Use Abroad

General Information

Documents used for legal purposes in the United States may require notarization by a US Embassy notarizing official. The individual who needs to sign the document must appear in person at the American Citizens Services Section, present proper identification (a valid passport, or three valid official IDs such as a driver’s license) and pay the appropriate fee. There is no charge for documents required by the U.S. government, such as the statement of consent for issuance of a US passport to a minor under age 14.  If witnesses are required, you must bring your own. Do not sign the document until requested to do so by the notarizing officer.  Depending on the nature of the document, the notarizing officer will either take an acknowledgement that your signature was done freely and with an understanding of the document’s contents, or administer an oath whereby you swear or affirm the contents of a document are true. (Note: Notarizing officers do not certify that the contents of submitted documents are true.  A notarizing officer only certifies that you have signed and sworn or affirmed under oath that the contents are true.) Notarizing officers are prohibited from offering legal advice regarding the form or content of documents to be notarized.  BACK TO TOP

Affidavits 

An “affidavit” is a written declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the party making it, taken before an officer having authority to administer such oath or affirmation. Affidavits require the personal presence of the individual signing the document in order for the consular officer to administer the oath. Please bring a valid passport or three valid official identity documents that contain your name, signature, and photograph. 

Fee: $30 (or its peso equivalent) per transaction*   BACK TO TOP

An “acknowledgement” is to “acknowledge”, to admit, affirm, or declare; to recognize one’s acts, assuming obligation or incurring responsibility. For example, if you sign a deed before a notarizing officer, you acknowledge your signature.  Acknowledgements require the personal appearance by the person who signed the document in order to confirm that the individual signed the document. Please bring a valid passport or three valid official identity documents that contain your name, signature, and photograph. Fee: $30 (or its peso equivalent) per transaction* BACK TO TOP

The primary purpose of an authentication, which is a governmental act by a U.S. consular officer, is to certify the official seal, signature and/ or authority of foreign officials who perform an official act with regard to a document that is to be used in the United States. On December 11, 2006, U.S. consular officers will no longer authenticate the seals and signatures of any accredited Philippine notaries public.  Also, the U.S. Embassy will no longer offer to the public a list of registered Philippine notaries public for whom the Embassy maintains such information.  Only authentication requests for originally signed documents from key Department of Foreign Affairs and National Statistics Office officials will be authenticated.

Individuals seeking acknowledgments of signatures on documents for use in the United States, or who wish to execute an affidavit before a notarizing officer, may find it easier to go directly to the Embassy in Manila or to the Consular Agency in Cebu. If an individual insists upon authenticating the signature of a Philippine notary public he or she may do so by obtaining certification of the notary public from the accrediting court, followed by certification by the Malcanang Records Office, followed by certification from a Department of Foreign Affairs official.  An Embassy consular officer will then be able to authenticate the seal and signature of the Department of Foreign Affairs official.

A consular authentication of a document to be used in the U.S. in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing Philippine government official.  

Fee: $30 (or its peso equivalent) per transaction*  BACK TO TOP

Refusal of Notarial Services

Notarial services may be refused under the following conditions; it is prohibited by treaty or foreign Law; it is prohibited by U.S. law; the notarizing officer believes the document will be used for a purpose patently unlawful, improper or inimical to the best interests of the United States; the document is blank; the individual does not appear to be capable of understanding the nature or language of the instrument; the individual is unable to comprehend the significance of the act and/or is acting under duress;  the individual has invalid, inadequate or insufficient proof of identification; the proof of a corporate title or position is lacking or inadequate; and/or the service is a medallion signature guarantee.  (Only financial institutions can provide a signature guarantee/medallion guarantee service.) BACK TO TOP

Consular officers are not empowered to authenticate public documents issued in the United States or abroad. Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of records. When a certification or authentication of a true copy is requested, please contact the embassy or consulate of the country where the document was issued. For the authentication of US documents for use in the Philippines, please see Philippine Consular Establishments in the United States.

W-7 Application

The Embassy Consular officers can authenticate originally signed birth certificates and marriage contracts issued by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO) (Obtaining Public Documents) in Quezon City, Philippines in support of applications for US taxpayer ID numbers, ITIN (W-7) application (Tax Assistance). Other documents required by the ITIN (W-7) may be certified by the issuing agency or official custodian of the original record. 

Fee: $30(or its peso equivalent per transaction)* BACK TO TOP
 

Authentication of American Academic Credentials for Use Abroad

U.S. embassies and consulates cannot authenticate diplomas or other documents from universities and other schools in the United States or provide notarial services related to such credentials.

PROVISO: Effective January 1, 1983, the U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad ceased to authenticate or provide certified true copies of academic credentials, transcripts or degrees. The U.S. Department of Education determined at that time such documents are not required in the United States for persons who studied abroad who wish to attend primary or secondary school, or college in the United States.  This was announced in a joint release by the U.S. Departments of State and Education published in the NAFSA newsletter of December/January 1983.  The U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security also determined that authentication of foreign academic credentials generally is not/not required for U.S. immigration purposes.  BACK TO TOP

• * All fees are subject to change without notice. 

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