U.S. Embassy & Consulate
in Spain and Andorra

Overview

Notary services are available by appointment only.  If you need something notarized urgently, consider using a Spanish notary service.  Spanish notarizations are acceptable and recognized for use in the United States in compliance with the Hague Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Convention).

Documents that carry a Hague Apostille issued by Spain are entitled to recognition in any other convention country without further authentication.  The United States, Spain, and Andorra are party to this convention.  U.S. federal courts and state authorities should accept documents with the Hague Apostille.  For private transactions, please check with the other party first to make sure they will accept notarization under the Spanish system.

Notarization under the Spanish system is a three-step process:

Step 1:  Sign the document in front of any notary public (notario público).  You may find an English-speaking notary on this website.

Step 2:  Next, visit the website for the Spanish Ministry of Justice and follow the instructions to have a Hague apostille affixed to your document.

Step 3:  If your document is written in Spanish, have it translated by a certified/sworn translator (traductor jurado).

If you do not wish to have your documents notarized under the Spanish system, or need a U.S. consular notary:

To make an appointment in Madrid, please email NotaryServicesMadrid@state.gov.
Follow this link to make an appointment for a notary service at U.S. Consulate General Barcelona.
Follow this link to make an appointment for a notary service at one of the U.S. consular agencies in Spain.

On the day of your appointment, you must have with you:

• Your printed appointment confirmation. Note that you will not receive an email confirmation of your appointment.
• Valid passport or other form of valid, government-issued photo ID.
• The documents that require your signature. These documents must be UNSIGNED, fully assembled, and ready for notarization.  If the documents already have been signed, or are otherwise unprepared for notarization, we will be unable to provide the service, and you will be required to make another appointment and return with documents ready for notarization. Even if there are pages that do not require signature or seals, you must present the entire document.
• Ensure that you understand the content of your documents, as we are prohibited from explaining them to you.  We cannot provide legal advice related to notary services.
• Verify in advance whether your document requires witness signatures.  We are prohibited from serving as or providing witnesses.  You may bring up to two additional people to your appointment to serve as witnesses.  Your witnesses must bring valid proof of their identity, such as a passport or other government-issued photo ID.
• Remember that the Spanish authorities deem some documents valid only for a period of 90 days.  Take this into consideration when making your notary appointment.
• Fee payment. The fee for notarial services is $50 (or the Euro equivalent) for each signature, payable in cash or by credit/debit card.
• Keep in mind that the notary process may take up to 90 minutes. 

Documents we notarize:

• Statement of Consent:  Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16 (Form DS-3053).
• Sworn statements or affidavits.
• Certification of U.S. Savings Bonds.
• Financial or real estate transaction documents, such as grant deed, warranty deed, bill of sale, closing affidavit, assignment of lease, or disbursement instructions.
• Power of Attorney. We cannot advise you on the specific language or content of a power of attorney.  You must consult a lawyer or other appropriate advisor before making an appointment to have your power of attorney notarized.
• True copy of a U.S. passport.
• Certified Copy of a Foreign Valid Passport to request ITIN number:  We can certify copies of foreign valid passports in relation to ITIN applications only.  We are prohibited from making certified copies of foreign passports for any other purpose.(for more information visit irs.gov).
• Self-Proving Wills:  We cannot execute your will.  We can acknowledge your own and your witness’ signature on a self-proving will, but this is not execution of the will itself.  If you have questions about whether yours is a self-proving will, or other issues related to your will, you should speak with an attorney in the jurisdiction where the will is to be in effect.  Before you make your appointment for a notary service to acknowledge a self-proving will, remember:
  • A self-proving will must already have been signed by the testator and the witnesses.
  • You must provide your own witnesses, and have the forms prepared in advance with their names. They must bring valid ID with them.
  • You and your witnesses must appear together before a U.S. consular official to make an affidavit on a separate document.  In this document:  the testator affirms that this is his or her last will and that it has (already) been signed freely and knowingly; the witnesses attest that the testator appeared to be of sound mind and made the will voluntarily; and the testator and the witnesses acknowledge their (previous) signatures on the will.

Documents We Do Not notarize:

• Sworn Statements of Civil Status for marriage or civil union in Spain: We cannot provide a document proving your freedom to marry.   You may download the following statement about civil status certificates in Spain, or about civil status certificates in Andorra, to present to the civil registry to demonstrate that the U.S. government does not provide such a certificate/statement.
• Certificates of Consular inscription: We cannot provide a document proving your registration with the Consular Section/Consulate/Consular Agency. You may download the following statement about Consular Inscriptions (PDF 85K) to present to the Spanish authorities requiring such a document/statement. To prove your physical presence in Spain you can register with the town where you are residing through the municipal registry (padrón municipal). A valid U.S. passport is proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Wills.
• Hague Apostille:  We do not have the authority to affix an Apostille to your U.S. documents.  Do not schedule an appointment to request this service. Only the Secretary of State of the U.S. state that issued the document is authorized to affix the Apostille. For information on Apostilles in the U.S., please click here.
• U.S. academic credentials such as diplomas or transcripts: For more information on how to notarize these documents, please click here.
• Medallion/Signature Guarantees: Medallion signature guarantees are often required by U.S.  We are prohibited from performing a signature or Medallion guarantee.  It can only be performed by an authorized representative of a financial institution participating in a Medallion program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
• Translations: Please see the list of Spanish certified translators
• Criminal Records:  We do not provide background check services.  For information about an FBI criminal background check, please see the FBI background check website.  To authenticate FBI background check documents and affix the Hague Apostille, please see the State Department website.  For a state/local police background, check please consult with your state of residence in the United States.

If you have questions regarding notary services that are not addressed on this page, please email NotaryServicesMadrid@state.gov or BarcelonaACS@state.gov