Notarial Services

A U.S. Consular Officer may provide the following services as a Notary Public regarding documents to be used in the U.S.

As of June 1, 2002 there are new fees for the notarial services provided by the U.S. Embassies.

• Affidavits/Acknowledgements. - First service: A Consul may witness or "notarize" a signature on a document. The person signing the document must have a photo ID (Passport, Driver's Licence, etc) and must sign the document in the Consul's presence -- $30.
  
  Each additional seal provided at the same time in connection with the same transaction -- $20.00
  
  
• Certification of a true copy - First Copy: $30.00
  
  Each additional copy provided at the same time -- $20.00
  
  
• Apostille information The "Apostille" is a validation stamp ensuring that a certain document is recognized in certain foreign countries (countries that signed the Hague Convention treaty).
  
  Basically, a document is only valid in the country in which it was issued. Validation for recognition in another country used to be a very complicated and time-consuming matter and involved, in hierarchical order, several authorities of the issuing country, and as a final step, validation by the Consulate of the country, in which the document was to be recognized.
  
  In order to facilitate recognition of a document abroad, an international treaty regarding mutual recognition of documents was signed by many countries, including the U.S. and Estonia.
  
  This treaty is called the Hague Convention.
  
  According to that treaty a document originating in one Convention country is recognized in all other Convention countries if it bears the so-called "APOSTILLE" stamp, which is a validation performed by the superior office in the country and state (province where it was issued. In the United States the Secretary of State and the Deputy Secretary of State of the individual U.S. states provides the "Apostille".
  
  In cases where one or both countries are not part to the Hague Convention, the old validation procedure involving the consulates is still used.
  
  Please note that in cases where both countries have signed the Hague Convention, the "Apostille" procedure has to be followed. The Convention expressly rules out the old validation procedure performed by the Consulates.
  
  
  • Apostille information (Hague Convention)
    
    
  • Where to obtain an Apostille in Estonia (this pertains to documents issued in Estonia after October 1, 2001 only)
  
  If the document was issued before October 1, 2001 the regular chain authentication applies, meaning that a document needs to be certified by the Estonian Ministry of Foregn Affairs (they are located at Islandi väljak 1 in Tallinn, tel: 6317-440) and finally by a U.S. Consul in Tallinn.