NOTARIAL AND OTHER SERVICES

The Consular Section can notarize documents to be used in the U.S., such as affidavits and powers of attorney.  There is a $30.00 fee to notarize the first document, and a $20.00 fee for each additional seal provided at the same time in connection with the same transaction.  For detailed information on notarial services, please see: http://www.travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial_701.html.

Documents for Use in Azerbaijan
We cannot, by law, authenticate or provide certified copies of public documents -- such as marriage, birth, death, or divorce certificates -- issued in the United States.  Such documents must be authenticated in the U.S., first at the local then the state level.  See the web-site of your state’s Secretary of State for the proper notarial procedures:  http://www.nass.org/NPA/us/UnitedStates.htm.

Then, with a document referred to as an apostille, available from your state’s Secretary of State, your U.S. public document may be submitted directly in Azerbaijan without further action.  In 1961 many nations, including the United States and Azerbaijan, joined together to create a simplified method of "legalizing" documents for universal recognition, referred to as the Hague Convention (see http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php for more information).

In some cases, affidavits executed at the Consular Section may be used for legal purposes in Azerbaijan after the signature and the seal of the Consular officer has been authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Please contact the Consular Section for additional information.

For further information on Azerbaijani requirements, the consular section of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington can be reached by telephone at 202-337-5912 or by fax at 202-337-5913. Further information on authentications can be found on their web site at http://www.azembassy.us/.

Documents for Use in the United States
Legal documents issued in Azerbaijan, such as birth certificates, can be authenticated for use in the U.S.  They must first be notarized, then “legalized” by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice, then apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For more information on apostilles, please see: http://travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial_2545.html.