Notarial Services
Notarial services provided by U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou are primarily for the benefit of American citizens. Under U.S. law, foreign nationals may also have documents notarized if the document requiring notarization is for use in the United States.
- Step 1: Please read the instructions below
- Step 2: Please make an appointment online (If you need more than one service during your visit, please be sure to make separate appointments.)
What will I need to bring to the Consulate?
- Acceptable Identification. Please provide a valid, government-issued form of identification.
- The document(s) requiring notarization;
- Witnesses, if your document requires witness signatures;
- Notarial Service Fee, $50.00 USD per seal and signature. (See Payment Options)
In order for the Consulate to notarize your documents, the requestor must:
- Present a valid, government-issued form of picture identification as proof of identity. Please be sure the identification presented matches the name on the document to be notarized. The consular officer cannot notarize the signature of "Jane Lee", if Ms. Lee can only present identification showing the name “Elizabeth Lee” or "Lee Huey-Pei";
- Demonstrate that he or she understands the contents of the document to be signed and is signing voluntarily. The consular officer can neither explain the document’s contents to the requestor nor give legal advice on its validity;
- Bring witnesses should the document to be notarized require the presence and signature of witnesses. Consulate staff cannot act as witnesses.
Types of Notarials
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney allows you to designate someone to take legal actions on your behalf. A common example of this is designating someone else to buy or sell property in the U.S. in your name while you are overseas. Since we cannot advise you on the specific language or content of a power of attorney, please consult a lawyer or other legal advisor before coming to the Consulate. Please fill out the form prior to your scheduled appointment time, but do not sign it. You will sign the document in front of a consular officer.
Affidavit
An affidavit is a sworn statement. Affidavits may be used in many different situations for many different purposes. We cannot advise you about the specific language needed in your affidavit, so please consult a lawyer or other advisor for assistance before coming to the Consulate for notary services.
Corporate Affidavits and Acknowledgements
Often, customers include a title, or "corporate identity," when signing these types of documents. Examples of corporate identities would be "president," "managing director," or "representative." If you wish to sign with a corporate identity, please be prepared to present adequate documentation to prove that identity to the notarizing officer. Business cards and letterhead will not be accepted as proof of corporate identity.
Alternatively, you may wish to alter the language of your document to include language such as "who acknowledged himself to be the (TITLE) of (CORPORATION NAME)." or be prepared to cross out references to corporate identities within the document to be notarized.
Acknowledgement of Execution
An Acknowledgement of Execution is a notary which verifies that a particular person signed a given document. It is often used for legal agreements, business documents, etc. It is also used when one or more individuals required to sign the document are not present at the Consulate to have their signature witnessed. Consular officers will only notarize or acknowledge documents to which they have witnessed an individual’s signature.
Certification of True Copies of Documents
The Consulate is only able to Certify as True Copies documents issued by the U.S. Department of State, namely U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad certificates.
Occasionally, we get requests to certify true copies of other documents such as school transcripts, bank statements, court documents or other documents issued in the U.S. Should you wish to obtain certified copies of these documents, your request should be addressed to the office which issued the document in question. For more information on this subject, please consult the U.S. State Department's website.
Limitations on Notarial Services
Authentication of American Academic Records for Use in China
U.S. Consulate Guangzhou cannot authenticate diplomas or other documents from universities and other schools in the United States or provide notarial services related to such credentials. For information on how to present U.S. academic credentials for use abroad, please visit the U.S. State Department's website.
Certifying Documents Issued in the United States
Occasionally, the Consulate receives requests to certify true copies of birth certificates, school transcripts, bank statements, court documents or other documents issued in the U.S. Consular officers cannot certify these documents or provide notarial services related to the issuance of these documents. For information on how to use U.S. documents in China, please visit the U.S. State Department's Office of Authentication.
Medallion Signature Guarantees
Consular officers cannot perform Medallion Signature Guarantees. A Medallion Signature Guarantee is not a notarial service, but rather a special type of signature acknowledgement related to the exchange of securities. A Medallion Signature Guarantee can only be obtained from a financial institution participating in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Medallion Stamp program. The Consulate does not keep a list financial institutions participating in this program, however you may contact the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for this information via the internet, by phone at 1-800-SEC-0330 (investor assistance and complaints) or by mail at Mail Stop 11-2, 450 Fifth Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549.