U.S. Embassy in Nepal

OVERVIEW

Local notarial services are widely available in Nepal.  The Embassy does not recommend specific notaries.  Learn more on the Nepal Notary Public Council website.

We can provide notary services for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (i.e., green card holders), or non-U.S. citizens requiring notarization of documents for submission in the United States.  The Embassy provides notarial services, regardless of nationality, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  It is necessary to schedule an online appointment for any notarial service.  The fee for notary services is $50.00 for each consular signature.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are seeking other services or have a visa-related question, please refer to the appropriate section on our website.  We will not provide any visa-related services or address any visa-related questions during an appointment for a notary service.

If you have any questions or concerns about notarial services U.S. Embassy Consular Information & Service MS Form: 

PREPARATION FOR A NOTARY APPOINTMENT

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID (passport preferred) that includes your signature. The name on the documents must be the same as the name on your ID.

• Make sure you 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 do not sign the form; you will sign it at the Embassy in front of a Consular officer). If you have multiple documents, please sort them prior to your appointment.
• Please mark the pages where you and the notary need to sign. The Consular staff cannot advise you in any way on what is required of you for your documents so come to the appointment fully prepared.
• The fee for notary services is $50 for each consular signature. Consult with the consular officer to determine how fees will be calculated with respect to your specific document.  Fees may be paid by U.S. credit card or in cash (either U.S. dollars or Nepalese rupees).
• If your document requires the presence of witnesses in addition to the notarization, you are responsible for providing these witnesses. Consular staff cannot act as witnesses.

SERVICES WE PROVIDE

• Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry

Nepali law requires foreign citizens who marry in Nepal to present an “Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry.”  Lawful permanent residents (‘Green Card’ holders) who do not have a Nepali citizenship card may also find this form useful.  The affidavit is available from the Embassy by scheduling an online appointment.  Pay the $50 fee and present your U.S. passport or Green Card at the time of the appointment.  We recommend you take the affidavit shortly before your marriage ceremony and register your marriage soon after.  If you wait more than two weeks from the day the affidavit was signed by a Consular Officer, you may find that local officials ask you to get a new affidavit.  Individuals who have been previously married may be asked to present a legal divorce decree or their spouse’s death certificate.  You may also need to submit a copy of the marriage law of the state you reside in.  You can search the internet to obtain your applicable marriage law.

• U.S. Driver’s License Affidavit

Nepali law requires that any driver – including U.S. citizens – have a valid Nepali driver’s license to legally operate a motor vehicle in Nepal.

Please Note: The Department of Transportation (DOT), Nepal has currently halted the conversion process of an international driver’s license into Nepali driver’s license.  The international driver’s license holder must go through the regular process of getting Nepali driver’s license.  For detailed information, please see: https://www.dotm.gov.np/. American Citizens can make a direct inquiry about current requirements by calling DOT at 01-4474921; 01-5193173.

In some instances, the Nepali Department of Transportation may still issue a Nepali driver’s license based on a valid U.S. state-issued or international driver’s license, if you also present a “U.S. Driver’s License Affidavit.” However, this will be at the discretion of the DOT office, and it is not guaranteed. This affidavit is available from the Embassy if you make an online appointment. Pay the $50 fee and present your valid U.S. driver’s license at the time of the appointment.  After the affidavit is notarized, present it with your license at any Department of Transportation office that processes driver’s licenses, currently Ekantakuna (Lalitpur), Chabahil (Kathmandu), Jagati (Bhaktapur), and Thulo Bharyang (Swayambhu). You will be required to take an eye examination, but you will be exempted from the written exam and driving test based on your valid U.S. driver’s license.

• “No Objection” Letters

American citizens conducting routine business in Nepal are sometimes asked to present a “Letter of Introduction” or “No Objection Letter” from the Embassy.  These requests are common, for example, when a U.S. citizen tries to buy a vehicle in Nepal or apply for a visa to a third country.  Please note that the Embassy does not issue individual letters and Embassy permission is not, in reality, required for these purposes.

The Embassy has notified the Government of Nepal of this policy through an official diplomatic note.  American citizens may print this document (see sidebar) and present it to the authority that has requested a letter.  The citizen may also print this page of the Embassy website.  This information may help the authorities to understand the Embassy’s policy against the issuance of such letters. Download the U.S. Embassy Diplomatic Note re: No Objection Letters (PDF 77KB)

American citizens who require a “No Objection” letter in order to register a local marriage should make an online appointment to sign an “Affidavit for Eligibility to Marry.”  Citizens are always welcome to make a notarial appointment to sign a self-serving affidavit before a notary at the Embassy.  We have both common affidavits and blank templates available.  An affidavit – a formal legal document on Embassy letterhead with signature and seal – may prove helpful in a variety of settings.

• Affidavit

An affidavit is a sworn statement.  Please note that the U.S. Embassy cannot verify the statement made by the affiant or the information in any attached document of the sworn statement. We will only confirm the identity of the individual making the statement.  This service is available from the Embassy by making an online appointment.

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.  We cannot advise you on the specific language or content of a power of attorney, so you may wish to consult a lawyer or other appropriate advisor before coming to see us to have your power of attorney notarized.  This service is available from the Embassy by making an online appointment. You must bring your own document(s).

• Acknowledgement of Signature

An Acknowledgement of Signature or Acknowledgement of Execution is a notarial service 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 not all the parties who must sign are 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.  This service is available from the Embassy by making an online appointment. You must bring your own document(s).

• Certified copies of U.S. passports

The U.S. Embassy or Consulates can certify true copies of U.S. passports.  Please make sure to bring the original U.S. passport to your appointment.

• Certified copies of documents for Social Security Number (SSN) application

Please refer to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in Manila for instructions on how to apply for SSN for children under the age of 12. Along with the application, the minor child’s passport (signed by the applying parent), Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and the applying parent’s signed passport or government issued photo ID are generally required.  If you prefer to keep the original documents and submit certified copies to FBU instead, the U.S. Embassy can certify your originals at no cost.

SERVICES WE DO NOT PROVIDE

• Authentication of Education Documents

Consular officers cannot authenticate or certify copies of foreign academic credentials for use in the United States.  Similarly, consular officers cannot authenticate U.S. academic credentials for use overseas.  A detailed explanation and full instructions are available on the State Department’s Authentication of American Academic Credentials for Use Abroad page.

• U.S. Apostille

The Embassy cannot offer any apostille services.  Please see this page for further information about apostilles.

• Authentication/Notarization/Legalization of public documents issued in the United States.

Such documents include vital records (birth, marriage, death, and divorce), as well as academic, commercial, or other credentials.  Consular officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of these records.

• Signature (or “Medallion”) Guarantees

Consular officers are not authorized to provide signature guarantee/medallion guarantee service.  A Medallion Signature Guarantee is not a notarial service, but rather a special procedure related to securities, which can only be performed by an authorized representative of a financial institution participating in a medallion program approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE CONSULAR OFFICER MAY REFUSE ANY NOTARIAL SERVICE WHEN:

• The host country does not authorize the performance of the service.
• The document will be used in transactions that may be prohibited by U.S. law.
• The officer believes that the document will be used for a purpose that is unlawful, improper, or inimical to the best interests of the United           States.
• The officer does not understand the document, due to language or any other reason.
• The officer believes the customer does not understand the document to be notarized, due to language or any other reason.