AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES

Notarials and Authentications

The U.S. Embassy in Managua provides notarial and authentication services for the items mentioned below.  We provide this service between 1:00 and 3:00 PM, except Nicaraguan and U.S. federal holidays.

Notarial and authentication services provided by the Embassy are primarily for the benefit of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (i.e. 'Green Card' holders). Foreign nationals may also have documents notarized, but only if the documents will be used in the United States.  For background information on notarials, click here.

Notarials

What you'll need to bring along...

For us to notarize your documents, you must:

• Have government-issued photo ID.  A passport is often your best option;
• 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 U.S. dollars and credit cards but not Nicaraguan córdobas. You may pay using your VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club or American Express card.

Provide witnesses, if required.

We will not notarize a blank form as document.

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 United States 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 advisor before coming to see us to have your power of attorney notarized.

Blank Power of Attorney forms are available online (requires Adobe Acrobat to view; download the free software), or you may use one supplied to you by your attorney, bank, or company.

Please fill out the form before you come to our offices, but do not sign it in advance. You will sign in the presence of a Consul.

Fee: $30.00 for the first Power of Attorney, $20.00 for each additional copy.

Affidavit
An affidavit is a sworn statement. Affadavits may be used in many different situations for many different purposes. Using our blank affidavit form (requires Adobe Acrobat to view; download the free software), you can write out any statement you may wish to make. Please remember not to sign the form before you come to the office. You will need to sign it in front of the consular officer.

We cannot advise you about the specific language needed in your affidavit, so please consult a lawyer or other advisor for that type of assistance before coming to have the document notarized.

Fee: $30.00 for the first affidavit, $20.00 for each additional copy.

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 more than two signatures are required on the document but all of the parties who must sign are not present. We can notarize (or acknowledge) only the signatures of those who are present to sign in front of us or appear in front of us and verify that they have signed the document.

Fee for acknowledgement: $ 30.00 for the first document, $20.00 for each additional copy.

Certification of True Copies of Documents
Occasionally, we 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 on this subject, please consult travel.state.gov.

Authentications
Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be "authenticated" before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document. Such documents range from powers of attorney, affidavits, birth, death and marriages records, incorporation papers, deeds, patent applications, home studies and other legal papers. The number and type of authentication certificates you will need to obtain depend on the nature of the document and whether or not the foreign country is a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Legalization of Foreign Public Documents.  The United States is a party to this multilateral treaty, Nicaragua is not; thus, different rules apply.

For information about authenticating documents originating in the United States for use in Nicaragua, please consult the Nicaraguan Embassy or Consulates in the United States.  By regulation, consular officials in U.S. Embassies and consulates cannot authenticate public documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates issued in the United States.  U.S. citizens requiring these services should contact the Secretary of State that issued the document.  Similarly consular officers are not authorized to authenticate academic degrees or credentials.  More information about the authentication process can be found on the State Department travel website.

For authenticating Nicaraguan documents intended for use in the United States, an authenticated "apostille" certificate is generally all that is required.  You can obtain this apostille certificate from the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry, after which a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy can authenticate it.

Fee for authentication: $ 30.00 for each document.