Please note: The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.

A U.S. consular officer may perform notarial services similar to those performed by a notary public in the United States. Such services include taking acknowledgments of signatures on documents for use in the U.S. (such as deeds, powers of attorneys, and bills of sale), taking affidavits and protests of negotiable papers, and taking depositions. Consular officers can also authenticate certain signatures of Moroccan officials and U.S. Department of State documents such as a U.S. passport or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

The Consular Section CANNOT notarize any state-issued documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, academic records, or any other document previously notarized in the United States. Such documents need to be first notarized by the Department of State, Authentications Office in Washington, D.C. and then by the Consulate of the country in which the documents will be used.

To have a document notarized, you must come in person with the following:

1. Valid passport or photo identification card.

2. The document(s) to be notarized.  Please DO NOT SIGN the document(s) until you are asked to do so in front of a consular officer.

3. Witnesses, if required by your document.  Consulate staff cannot act as witnesses.

4. Fees – notarial services cost $50.00 U.S. dollars or equivalent in local currency for each use of the notarial seal, payable in U.S. or Moroccan cash or major credit card.

Fees:

• Taking of oaths: $50
• Acknowledgements: $50
• True Copies – $50
• Authentications: $50

Please be aware that the consular officer may refuse any notarial service when: (1) the host country does not authorize the performance of the service; (2) the document will be used in transactions that may be prohibited by U.S. law; or (3) the officer believes that the document will be used for a purpose that is unlawful, improper, or inimical to the best interest of the United States. Consular officers are also prohibited from giving legal advice.

If you have any questions about the contents of the documents and the implications of your signing them, the ACS unit can provide a list of Moroccan lawyers for you to consult, or you may wish to consult an attorney in the United States.

Vital Records: Each U.S. state has its own procedures for requesting vital records (records of birth, death, marriage, and divorce). Please visit the National Center for Health Statistics website for more information on Where to Write for Vital Records.

Authenticating academic, civil and commercial credentials in the U.S.

Steps to be followed when authenticating local or state documents from the U.S.:

1. Local official certification:
   • Registrar at the college or university certifies that the document is a true copy of the original diploma or transcript.
   • Registrar’s (affiant’s) signature is notarized by a notary public.
   • For local public notaries, signature by Clerk of Court in the County or City where the notary public is commissioned, certifying that the notary’s term has not expired.
   • If the notary public is “at large” for the State, you may start with Step 2 below.
2. Signature and seal by the Secretary of State in the State where the notary is located, certifying the notary public’s current status.
3. Forward all documents to the U.S. Department of State at the following address. The fee for authentication is $6.00 for each document.

The Authentication Officer
U.S. Department of State
518 23rd St. NW., SA-1
Washington, DC 20520
Tel: (800)688-9889 – choose option #6
Tel: (202)647-5002
Fax: (202)663-3636

* For authentication of non-academic credentials, begin with step #2.

Please contact the U.S. Department of State at the following website for additional information.

State Authentication Authorities

Authentication (Apostille)

An Apostille is a certificate issued by a designated authority in a country where the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, Apostille Convention, is in force such as in Morocco. See a model Apostille. Apostilles authenticate the seals and signatures of officials on public documents such as birth certificates, notarials, court orders, or any other document issued by a public authority, so that they can be recognized in foreign countries that are parties to the Convention. In the United States, there are multiple designated Competent Authorities to issue Apostilles, the authority to issue an Apostille for a particular document depends on the origin of the document in question. Federal executive branch documents, such as FBI background checks, are authenticated by the federal Competent Authority, the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. State documents such as notarizations or vital records are authenticated by designated state competent authorities, usually the state Secretary of State.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law, the international organization that created the Apostille Convention, maintains an Apostille Section  on its website with helpful information such as a user brochure The ABCs of Apostilles, and links to competent authorities for every country, including the United States, where the Convention is in force.

U.S. Apostille Requirements

Federally issued documents destined for use in participating Hague Apostille countries may need to be authenticated with an Apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State. Documents requiring an Apostille issued by the U.S. Department of State are those which have been signed by one of the following:

• S. Federal Official, American Consular Officer, Military Notary, Judge Advocate (10 USC 1044a), or a foreign Consul diplomatic official registered with the State Department Office of Protocol  

Note:   All certifications must include a legible signature of the official’s name, title and seal of the agency.

• Please submit a completed Request of Authentications Service DS-4194 form with all of your requests. In Section 4 of the DS-4194, the “Country of Use” please put the actual name of the country the document will be used in. This information for each document must be specified before the document(s) can be processed. The “Country of Use” is the actual country the document will be used in. 

State issued documents destined for use in Hague Apostille countries may be authenticated by the Competent Authority in the state where the document was executed. A list of these authorities can be found on the Hague website.  The local state requirements are as follows:

• Officials (usually in the office of the state’s Secretary of State) must have been designated as a competent authority to issue Apostilles under the Convention.
• A document with an Apostille does not require additional certification by the U.S. Department of State or legalization by a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to be recognized in a participating country.

Note:  The U.S. Department of State will not issue an Apostille for state-issued documents.

• If your documents are intended for use in a country that does not participate in the Hague Apostille Convention, you may request an authentication certificate from the Department of State based on the authentication requirements.

Moroccan Apostille Procedures

The following external website provides Apostille guidance in Morocco: http://www.apostille.ma/fr/index.aspx