Notarials

Notarial Services

Notarial services are provided by appointment only. Walk-in services are not available.

Notice:

Please note: The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this lis

Overview

Consular Officers perform notarial services for all U.S. Passport holders, and for foreign nationals on documents destined to be used in the United States. Notarial services are executed by Consular Officers and may include documents signed before them, statements made under oath, powers of attorney, affidavits and acknowledgments.

Appointments are required for all notary services. To schedule an appointment for passport or citizenship services, go to U.S. Citizens Services Appointment System (this appointment calendar is ONLY to be used when you are appearing at the U.S. Embassy in Barbados; it is NOT to be used when a Consular Officer is visiting your island).

Similar to a public notary in the U.S., the consular official requires the personal appearance of the person requesting the notary service.
Notary services may be performed for any person regardless of nationality as long as the document is to be used within the Jurisdiction of the United States.
Proof of identity is required (i.e. passport, identification card)

Fee: USD $50.00 or BDS$101.00 per notarization (i.e. $50.00 for the first seal and $50.00 for each additional seal)

Preparation for a notary appointment:

Bring a valid government issued photo ID, such as a passport or government issued Identification card which proves your identity.
Make sure you understand your document. we are not allowed to explain the document’s contents to you.
Please complete the document with the appropriate names, before you arrive (Do not sign the form; you will sign it at the Embassy in front of a Consular officer).
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, please come to the appointment fully prepared.
Pay the appropriate fee. All fees are payable in U.S. dollars or Barbados dollars at the Embassy’s exchange rate. The Embassy also accepts payment by 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.

Services We Provide

Acknowledgement: To “acknowledge” is to admit, affirm, or declare; to recognize one’s acts, assuming obligation or incurring responsibility. For example, if you sign a deed before a consular officer, you acknowledge your signature.
Affidavit: A written or printed declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the person making it, taken before a consular officer having authority to administer such an oath.
Oath (or affirmation):Any form of an attestation by which a person signifies that he or she is bound in conscience to perform an act faithfully and truthfully. A person who intentionally makes false statements under oath before a U.S. consular official is punishable for perjury. Affirmation is a solemn and formal declaration that an affidavit is true, that the witness will tell the truth, etc.
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, so you may wish to consult a lawyer or other appropriate advisor before coming to see us to have your power of attorney notarized.
Benefit Verification: To obtain a benefit verification letter for social security, you must make an appointment by sending an email to BridgetownACS@state.gov. You cannot make a notary appointment for this service.

Services We Do Not Provide

Due to government regulations, we cannot provide services regarding vital records (i.e. birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, police records, etc). To replace these types of documents, please contact your vital records office. To replace a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) follow the instructions found on Travel.State.Gov. To replace a Naturalization Certificate, visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

Apostilles (authentications):An apostille must be obtained from either the state or federal authority in which the U.S. document was issued. Please visit the Department of State’s Authentications Office or the National Association of Secretaries of State for instructions on how to receive an U.S. apostille stamp on a document.
Criminal Records checks: United States nationals can obtain criminal records checks from their local police in their State of residence in the United States.
Signature Guarantees (Medallion”): Consular officers may not authenticate Barbadian civil documents. Both the U.S. and Barbados are signatories of the 1961 Hague Convention which abolished the requirement that U.S. consular officers authenticate Barbadian documents for use in the United States.

The Government of Barbados through the Registrar’s Office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can place an apostille stamp on the Barbadian civil document (i.e. birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees and documents executed by Barbadian schools, universities or Notary Publics).

Please be aware that 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.

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