U.S. citizens abroad
Notarize an affidavit or sworn statement from abroad
An affidavit is a written statement you swear is true. The notary administers the oath and confirms who you are. From abroad, that can happen by secure video with a New Jersey notary.
✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. See the credentials
Matthew Coleman, NJ Notary Public and NNA Certified Loan Signing Agent. Cranford, NJ. Fee confirmed before your session. Card charged only after it is complete. We aim to confirm within 15 minutes, 7am to 9pm.
When this comes up
Affidavits come up for court filings, insurance claims, title and name matters, lost documents, financial institutions and many other U.S. situations.
Ask the receiving party first
The most common reason a notarized document is rejected is that nobody checked what the other side would accept. Before you book, find out:
- Who is asking for the affidavit, and do they have a required form or wording? Use theirs if they do.
- Do they require a specific kind of notarial act? A jurat, where you swear to the statement, differs from an acknowledgment, where you confirm you signed. Only the receiving office can tell you which, and the notary cannot choose for you.
- Is it for a U.S. court, agency or other U.S. entity, or about U.S. property or a U.S. transaction? That decides whether a New Jersey notary can act for a signer outside the United States.
- Do they require original signatures or accept a digital document?
- Is the statement something a lawyer should review? A false statement under oath can have consequences.
How it works
- Ask the receiving party. Find out in writing whether it accepts a remote notarization and what kind of notarial act it needs.
- Send us the document. Tell us what it is for and where you will be. We check that it has one of the three U.S. connections New Jersey law requires for a signer outside the United States.
- Book a video session. Online sessions run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, 7 days a week, by appointment. Bring an unexpired government photo ID, a device with a camera and microphone, and a steady connection. Check the clock in both places.
- Sign on camera. We verify your identity, you sign when told to, and the notary completes the notarization.
- Send it on. You receive the notarized document to deliver or upload as the receiving party requires.
Get it notarized online today
Online notary: open now until 9 PM ET · sessions by appointment · times confirmed by email
A New Jersey notary can notarize this with you on a video call, from anywhere in the U.S. or, on the terms below, from abroad. The fee shows in the booking form before you confirm. Open 7 am to 9 pm ET, every day, by appointment.
What you need
- A valid government photo ID
- A computer or phone with a camera
- The unsigned document
Our certificate states the act was performed using communication technology, as New Jersey law requires. What it must say
Signing from outside the U.S.? We can notarize when the document is for a U.S. court or agency, involves U.S. property, or relates to a transaction connected with the U.S., and signing isn't prohibited where you are. Check your document.
Most U.S. recipients accept a remotely notarized document; check with whoever will receive it. What to ask them · Several signers
Does this document qualify from abroad?
An affidavit qualifies when it is for a U.S. court, a U.S. agency or another U.S. entity, such as a U.S. insurer, title company or bank, or when it concerns U.S. property or a transaction connected with the United States. An affidavit wanted only by an office in another country, about a matter there, does not qualify for a video session with us.
When a New Jersey notary can act
- The notary must be physically in New Jersey. You can be anywhere. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories count as inside the United States.
- If you are outside the United States, the document must meet at least one of these: (a) it will be filed with, or relates to a matter before, a U.S. court, public official, government agency or other entity under U.S. jurisdiction; (b) it involves property located in the United States; or (c) it relates to a transaction substantially connected with the United States.
- In every case, signing it must not be prohibited by the country you are in. You confirm that with the local authorities there; we are not lawyers and cannot advise on foreign law.
- Wills and codicils are outside New Jersey's remote notarization law, so we do not notarize them by video.
- The receiving party decides whether it accepts the result.
- The session is recorded, and New Jersey requires the recording to be kept for at least 10 years.
Source: N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10 (P.L.2021, c.179, section 19), New Jersey Legislature. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Mistakes that get paperwork rejected
- Signing ahead of time. For a sworn statement you sign in front of the notary.
- Swearing to something you are unsure of. Read the statement closely and correct it first.
- Expecting the notary to fix the wording. A notary cannot write or edit the content.
- Handing over a document with missing pages.
- Not checking that the receiving office takes a remote notarization.
Questions
What is the difference between a jurat and an acknowledgment?
In a jurat you swear or affirm the statement is true. In an acknowledgment you confirm that you signed the document willingly. The receiving office usually says which one it needs.
Can the notary tell me which one I need?
No. Choosing the type of notarization can amount to legal advice, so ask the office that will receive the document.
Can you notarize an affidavit for a foreign office?
Only when it also meets one of the three U.S. connections. If it is only for a matter in another country, we cannot notarize it by video for a signer abroad. A notary where you live or a U.S. embassy or consulate may be the route, so ask the foreign office what it accepts.
MCC Solutions is not a law firm and a notary cannot give legal advice, choose the type of notarization for you, or tell you what a document means. Ask the office or person who will receive the document what it needs, and ask a lawyer about the content.