Certain documents must be notarized. When purchasing a home, transferring a car, providing power of attorney, authorizing consent for a minor to travel abroad, or executing other important transactions, it’s essential that everyone can trust the documents and your signature.

The notary public is a commissioned representative of a state government and is charged with verifying your identity as the signer, ensuring you sign under your own free will, and witnessing the signing event. Their role is to prevent fraud and to ensure the appropriate people execute documents freely. Institutions rely upon notaries so they may have full faith in important documents.

In the U.S. Consular section in Lome, we officially certify legal documents by a notary public. The purpose of having a legal document notarized is to ensure the authenticity of the signatures that appear on the document. Documents used for legal purposes in the United States may require notarization by a U.S. 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 U.S. passport to a minor. If witnesses are required, you must bring your own. However, due to space limitations people not needed to witness or sign documents during the notarial service will not be able accompany the applicant to the ACS section and should not come to the Embassy.  Fiancées of Americans seeking legal capacities to marry do not need to appear.

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.

***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 list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.

Step 1:

The Embassy only offers notarial services during a notarial appointment.  If you are also applying for a passport and/or Consular Report of Birth Abroad, you must take a separate appointment for those services.

Step 2:

Book an appointment by clicking here. Please make only one appointment – Embassy Lome will cancel all but one appointment for people who reserve multiple appointments.  Please select “Request notarial and other services not listed above.” Print the confirmation of your appointment.  As there are many people seeking appointments, we ask you to please cancel your appointment if you will be unable to come to the Embassy.  You may cancel your appointment by clicking here.

Step 3:

Bring confirmation printout, documents to be notarized, and a valid passport, or three valid official IDs.

Fee: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)  A separate charge applies to each notarized document.

In order for us to notarize your document you must:

• Have government-issued photo ID (Carte d’identité/passport-name should be exactly the same as on your document).
• Understand your document. We are not allowed to explain the contents to you.
• Complete the document with the appropriate names, places, and dates before you arrive (but don’t sign it; you’ll sign it at the Embassy in front of a Consul).
• Pay the appropriate fee (see below). We accept cash payments in CFA and dollars. We do not accept checks.
• If your document requires the presence of witnesses in addition to the notarization, you must supply these witnesses. Our staff cannot act as witnesses.
• We can only provide notary services for American citizens, legal permanent residents, their spouses and dependents, or when the documents to be notarized will be used in the United States. We are usually unable to notarize documents brought in by foreign nationals to be used outside of the U.S.

Affidavit

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: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)

Note: Each additional seal provided at the same time in connection with the same transaction there is additional fee of $50.

Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry

Any foreigner who wishes to marry in Togo is required by the Togolese Government to obtain from his/her Embassy a “Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage” before filing an application for a marriage license at the local City Hall.

Fee: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)

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 empowering 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 appropriate adviser before coming to see us to have your power of attorney notarized.

Fee: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)

Acknowledgements

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: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)

Note: Each additional seal provided at the same time in connection with the same transaction there is additional fee of $50.

Other Documents

Other documents that a Notary Public at the US Consulate in Lome can notarize are:

Department of State forms, Department of Defense forms, Contracts, Land and property transactions, shipping documents and Bank documents for example.

Fee: $50 (or its CFA equivalent) per transaction (seal) – Pay cash or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club only)

Note: Each additional seal provided at the same time in connection with the same transaction there is additional fee of $50.

        Notarial services may be refused under the following conditions:

• 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.)
• 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.

Authentication of Vital Records, Academic, Commercial or Other Credentials Issued in the U.S.
U.S. Consular officers are not empowered to authenticate public documents issued in the United States. Such documents include vital records (birth, marriage, death, and divorce), as well as academic, commercial, or other credentials. Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of these records.
For more information on Authentication of Documents, Apostilles, or Copies of Birth, Death, Marriage, or Divorce Records, please consult the Department of State Travel site.

Authentications of Documents Issued in the United States

Consular officers at the US Embassy in Togo  are not empowered to authenticate public documents issued in the United States or outside Togo. Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing offices or the seals 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 authentication of documents issued in the United States for use in Togo, please contact the Togolese Embassy in the United States. For further information, visit the Embassy of Togo, Washington, DC website.

.

Certification of True Copies of Documents
We often get requests to certify true copies of educational transcripts or diplomas, bank statements, court documents, or other such official records. Unfortunately, our offices cannot ordinarily provide certified true copies of documents. Such requests should usually be addressed to the office which issued the document in question. For example, certified true copies of academic records should be requested from the registrar of the institution that originally issued them. For more information, please consult the Department of State Travel site.

Certified Copy of Academic Credentials

The Embassy and Consulate cannot provide this service.   Please do not schedule an appointment for this.  Please contact the issuing educational institution. More information is available from the Department of State website here.

 

The Embassy and Consulates do not provide Criminal Background Check nor Translation services.