Notary Services
Update
The Government of Kuwait notified the Embassy of changes for the submission of foreign vital records. The new rules require a number of changes including the verification of the information contained in U.S. issued documents, such as birth certificates, divorce decrees, and driver’s licenses.
The U.S. Embassy does not have the legal authority to certify the informational content of such documents. In the United States, many of the records affected are not maintained centrally and can only be certified by the custodian of record. Authentication of U.S. public documents for use overseas should therefore be undertaken in the United States.
Please visit the Department of State website for more information on authentication of documents: http://travel.state.gov/law/judicial/judicial_701.html
Under U.S. law, we can continue to provide the same notarization services as we have in the past. However, if the Government of Kuwait office does not accept the letter/statement, we cannot make changes nor can we issue refunds.
The U.S. Embassy will continue providing notarization services for affidavits, acknowledgements, and documents to be used for legal purposes in the United States. The Embassy will also complete authentication requests for originally signed documents by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait.
Notary Services
Notarial services are available by appointment only and require a non-refundable fee of $50 (15 KD) per signature. Payments can be made with cash or credit.
When arriving at the Embassy, plase provide Consular staff with a passport, or other form of identification written in English. A second from of identification will be needed to obtain a Visitor's Access Badge for entry to the Embassy grounds.
Parent’s notarizing their child’s birth certificate must each bring their passports for identification to the Consular Staff.
It is possible to have several services performed during the same visit to the embassy. Please make a separate appointment for each individual service.
To make a notary appointment, please click here.
For information about marriage requirements in Kuwait, please click here.
Authentications
American citizens planning to reside in Kuwait with their family members should have their U.S. Documents (marriage certificates, children’s birth certificates, divorce decrees, custody orders, educational degrees, police clearances) authenticated before coming to Kuwait.
U.S. documents are first authenticated at the state level. They must then be sent to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. (information available here). After this, the documents must be authenticated by the Kuwait Embassy in Washington, D.C.
For Kuwaiti documents to be used in the United States, Consular Officers may only authenticate the stamp and seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait on such documents. The documents should be taken to the Ministry’s Consular Department (Ph: +965 2484-2099) located in the Shuwaikh area of Kuwait City, adjacent to the Kuwait News Agency. Documents may be authenticated at the U.S. Embassy once they have received this seal.
To make an notary appointment, please click here.
True Copies
The Consular Section does not certify true copies, except in the case of applications for taxpayer identification numbers. The original tax form and passport must be brought for the appointment.
To make an notary appointment, please click here.
Translations
U.S. Consular Officers are NOT permitted to translate documents, certify to the correctness of translations, or authenticate translators’ signatures. A list of translators is available here.
Fingerprints
Please note that U.S. Embassy - Kuwait does not offer fingerprinting services for outside applications or police clearances.