Notarize a Document From Outside the U.S. (for Use in the U.S.)

What New Jersey law allows

New Jersey's notary law (P.L. 2021, c.179, section 19) lets a notary located in New Jersey perform a notarial act for a "remotely located individual" outside the United States when the document is to be filed with, or relates to a matter before, a U.S. court or public official, or involves a transaction substantially connected with the United States — and when the act is not prohibited by the law of the country where you are.

The session is recorded on audio and video and the recording is kept for at least ten years. The notarial certificate on your document states that the act was performed using communication technology, so the bank or court that receives it knows exactly what kind of notarization it is.

Which documents this works for — and which it does not

Good fits: powers of attorney for a U.S. bank, pension, insurance or real estate matter; affidavits and sworn statements for U.S. courts and agencies; consent and authorization letters for a child or dependent in the United States; U.S. school, hospital and HR forms; vehicle title releases and business documents for a U.S. company. English and Spanish documents are both fine.

Not a fit: anything that will be used in your own country or another foreign country. Documents notarized online cannot be apostilled in New Jersey (the Treasury needs an inked original), so a document for the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Colombia needs a paper notarization and an apostille instead. New Jersey also does not allow wills or codicils to be notarized remotely. If the receiving office is a county clerk, a lender or a consulate, ask them first whether they accept electronically notarized documents.

Michael Fermin is a notary public, not an attorney. He can tell you how the notarization works, not whether the document is the right one for your situation.

How your identity is verified from abroad

The platform we use, Notarize by Proof, checks your government photo ID on camera and then runs an identity-proofing quiz built from U.S. public records. To generate that quiz it needs a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN with enough history behind it — which most people who lived or worked in the United States have.

No SSN or ITIN, or too little U.S. history? New Jersey law allows identification by a credible witness, and Proof supports it: a relative or friend in the United States who knows you personally and has a U.S. Social Security number or ITIN joins the video session from their own device, verifies their own identity, and swears under oath that you are who you say you are. Tell us when you book and we coordinate the witness.

What you need and how the session goes

1. Confirm the document is for use in the United States, and ask the receiving party whether they accept an electronically notarized PDF.
2. Have ready: your passport or other current government photo ID; your U.S. Social Security number or ITIN (or the name and email of your U.S. witness); the document as a PDF — unsigned; and a phone, tablet or computer with camera, microphone and a steady connection.
3. Book a remote session on this site and choose "Outside the United States". We confirm by email and agree on a time that works in your time zone — mornings in the Americas and evenings in Europe both work.
4. Before the session, Proof emails you a private link: upload the PDF (or we do it for you), photograph your ID, and answer the identity questions. Allow about ten minutes.
5. In the session, Michael confirms your identity and the document, watches you sign electronically, and applies the notarial certificate and digital seal. Sessions are in Spanish or English, usually 15 to 30 minutes.
6. You download the notarized PDF right away and email it to the bank, court or relative in the United States. Keep the PDF — printed copies lose the tamper-evident seal.

Cost and timing

The international session is $75 for the first document, which covers the longer session, the passport-based verification, witness coordination when needed, the platform and the New Jersey notarial fee; each additional signature in the same session is $3. There are no consulate fees and no travel.

Most sessions happen within one to two business days of your request, including evenings and Saturdays New Jersey time. Compare that with consulate notarial appointments, which are often booked out for weeks or months.