Notarial Services

The American Citizen Services section provides notary services similar to those performed by a notary public in the United States.  This service is available to American Citizens, and to foreign citizens who need to have documents notarized for use in the United States.

Notary services are provided by appointment only from 8:00am to 10:00am, Monday through Friday, except American and Peruvian holidays.  To schedule or cancel an appointment, please click here.

If your notary service requires a witness, please register their name when making your appointment.

The types of notary services the section provides are:

• Basic Notary Service – notary service for persons who wish to execute documents in the presence of a U.S. consular officer;
• Acknowledgment – verifies that a particular person signed a given document.  It is often used for legal agreements, deeds, powers of attorney, bills of sale, and business documents.  It is also used when more than two signatures are required on a document, but all of the parties who will sign are not present.  We can only notarize (acknowledge) the signatures of those who are present to confirm their previously-signed document, and who have proven their identity; and
• Affidavit – a sworn statement, made by the affiant (you).  Affidavits are used in many different situations for many different purposes.  We cannot prepare affidavits, and we cannot advise on the specific language needed in individual cases.  Please consult a lawyer or other advisor for that type of assistance before bringing affidavits to be executed.

Please note:  As of 1 October 2010, there is no need for authentication of documents, or certified true copies.

On 1 October, the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents goes into effect in Peru.  The purpose of the Convention was to abolish the requirement of consular legalization for public (vital records or notarized) documents originating in one country for use in another.  The Convention calls for the use of a single signature by a designated certifying official.  Under the Convention, the standard certification is called the apostille.  It is possible to have documents notarized by a local notary public for use in the United States if the notary public’s signature is authenticated with an apostille.

Apostilles for United States documents to be used in Peru can be obtained by the Secretary of State of the U.S. State where the document was issued.  A list of contact information for each state can be found at The Hague Convention website.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services, Vital Records Section affixes apostilles to Consular Reports of Birth, Death and Marriage of U.S. Citizens abroad.  Information about how to obtain an apostille for one of these documents is available by clicking here.

An apostille for Peruvian public documents can only be provided by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  For questions about authenticating Peruvian documents, contact the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), or visit the MFA website.

Persons seeking notary services who do not have an appointment will not be granted access to the Embassy.  Notarial services are not handled on an emergency basis.

The day of your appointment please bring:  

• The documents to be notarized;
• A valid passport or piece of photo identity issued by government agency: A driver's license, passport, DNI are acceptable, a student ID is not;
• When a document requires your signature the name on the identification should read the same full name the document reads and MUST bear your current  signature; and
• If your document must also be witnessed, please bring your own witnesses. Consular officers and staff cannot act as witnesses.

Fee: US$50.00 for each seal needed on the document

Starting October 1, 2011

Every applicant requesting a consular report of birth abroad, passport and/or notary services, must bring their own set of copies along with the original documents.  Unfortunately, as per US government regulations we are required to charge US$1 per copy taken at the Embassy.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Updated: March 5, 2012