Preparation of powers of attorney for foreign use

Who will draft a power of attorney? What is the best way to make sure the POA has the right wording?

The most important thing is the correct way the POA is drafted. The best option is to have an attorney or a notary in the country of intended use to draft the power of attorney for you, or to provide a sample. By following this advice, you will save time and money and avoid potential delays and even rejection of your document.

There are some general rules:

• Your document must have an original signature.
• Your document must have a date.
• There must be no corrections or blanks in the document.

Can a power of attorney be drafted in a foreign language or should it be in English?

Yes, it can. However, you will need to find a notary who is comfortable notarizing a document in a foreign language. The notarial statement always needs to be in English. Also, there are states that will require the translation (often a notarized translation) at the level of the Secretary of State (e.g. in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, North Carolina, North Dakota, Wyoming, and a few others)

Does a POA have to be notarized? What does "proper notarization" mean?

Please note that just a notary's signature and stamp are not sufficient! A notarial statement must be included. Each state has it's own rules regarding notarial statements. Ask the notary to follow them, otherwise the document might be rejected by the Secretary of State.

What kind of legalization is required: Hague apostille or embassy attestation?

This depends on the country of intended use. Countries that joined the Hague Apostille Convention, require apostilles. Non-Hague countries require embassy legalization / attestation.

Please select the country from the menu below, and read the legalization requirements for the country of intended use.

We obtain apostilles and provide embassy legalization for all foreign coutries, for documents originating from all states, for all kinds of documents. To make sure your document is OK, you can email a copy for a free evaluation.

Important! Your document has to be apostilled in the state where it was notarized, e.g. if your power of attorney was notarized by a Vermont notary public, you will need a Vermont apostille, if the notary public is qualified in New Jersey, you will need a New Jersey apostille, etc.