Embassy of the United States

Other Services

Notarial and Authentication Services

Notarial services are available without an appointment at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece.

Office hours for this service are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., except Greek and American holidays.  We are also closed the last Wednesday of every month.

• Notarial services are provided for documentation of marriages in Greece, powers of attorney, affidavits of support, sworn statements and other documents.

• Notarial and Authentication services (legalization of documents) are available to all U.S. passport holders and foreign nationals with documents destined for use in the United States.

• Consular Officers perform notary services customarily provided by Notaries Public in the United States. Please note that a Consular Officer cannot witness a will, validate that a document is genuine, or that statements made are true. The officer can only attest to the oath taken by the person making the statements or presenting the documents.

A list of current fees is available on this website in the section Fees and Forms of Payment.

Please bring

• A valid passport or form of identity issued by a government agency — a driver's license is acceptable, a student ID is not;
• The document to be notarized - Documents to be notarized must be written in English. You may have a lawyer prepare these documents for you or you may prepare them yourself. Do not sign the documents until you are in front of the American Consul, and do not either fill any details at the bottom related to the American Consul who will authenticate the document;
• If your document requires the presence of a witness, please bring these persons at the time of signature.  The Consular Section is not required to provide witnesses for notarial purposes.

What is Authentication

An authentication is the placing of the consular seal over the seal of a foreign authority whose seal and signature is on file with the American embassy or consulate. A consular authentication in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing authority.

Examples of Notarial/Authentication Acts

• Acknowledgment: To "acknowledge" is to admit, affirm, or declare; to recognize one's acts, assuming obligation or incurring responsibility. For example, if you sign a deed before a notarial officer, you acknowledge your signature.
• Affidavit: A written or printed declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the person making it, taken before an officer having authority to administer such an oath.
• Affirmation: A solemn and formal declaration that an affidavit is true, that the witness will tell the truth, etc.
• Attestation: The act of witnessing an instrument in writing, at the request of the party executing the document, and subscribing it as a witness.
  Corporate Acknowledgment: Officials of corporations who desire to execute an instrument in their capacity as corporate officials before a consular notarizing officer must present adequate proof of their corporate identity.
• Oath: Any form of an attestation by which a person signifies that he or she is bound in conscience to perform an act faithfully and truthfully. A person who intentionally makes false statements under oath before a U.S. consular official is punishable for perjury (22 U.S.C. 4221).

Apostille Stamps

• Apostille stamps: Since the U.S. and Greece are part of the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, both Countries will accept an Apostille stamp on the certificate or official document concerned, as proof of legalization.  Apostille Stamps on a U.S. document are given by the respective U.S. State’s Secretary of State. To find the addresses of Secretaries of State and more detailed instructions on the procedure to be followed, please click on the following useful links:
  U.S. Secretaries of State:
  http://www.nass.org/NPA/us/UnitedStates.htm
  Authentication of U.S. documents:
  http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/
  U.S. State and Local government websites:
  http://www.statelocalgov.net

Examples of Services We Cannot Provide

• Medallion Signature Guarantee: Unfortunately, we cannot perform a Medallion Signature Guarantee.  Please contact your financial institution for guidance on this matter.  For further information on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Medallion Program, please visit: http://www.sec.gov/answers/sigguar.htm.

• True Copies/Translations of Academic Credentials:  The American Embassy does not make true copies or translations of academic credentials, college transcripts or diplomas. In addition, the Consulate cannot authenticate or provide copies of documents such as birth, marriage, divorce or death certificates, and U.S. driver's licenses.

To request vital records:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/  or
http://www.vitalchek.com/

For more information, visit the Department of State's Consular Affairs Homepage.