Where to get certified/notarized copy of my foreign passport?

[vwatts 0]

Please help as I'm at my wit's end. I want to apply for US citizenship but first need to "retain" my South African citizenship. For that the SA embassy needs a form filled out together with "certified copies" of my passport and birth certificate. In the states Maryland and Virginia, these docs cannot be certified/notarized, but I see in DC they can. I called up several banks and UPS/Fedex stores in DC but no-one will do it. Any help will be appreciated!

Edited August 18, 2010 by vwatts

[Nik+Heather 121]

I'm not sure what a certified copy of a passport would be, but a certified copy of a birth certificate is often what we might call the "original" ie: not a photocopy. In the US, these will typically have a raised seal on them from the governmental agency who certifies that it is a true copy of the actual original record which the government retains. So at least for that document you should be able to get one from back home...

[milimelo 4,479]

Please help as I'm at my wit's end. I want to apply for US citizenship but first need to "retain" my South African citizenship. For that the SA embassy needs a form filled out together with "certified copies" of my passport and birth certificate. In the states Maryland and Virginia, these docs cannot be certified/notarized, but I see in DC they can. I called up several banks and UPS/Fedex stores in DC but no-one will do it. Any help will be appreciated!

Can't your embassy certify the copies? Normally that's how it's done (and for a fee of course) as notaries in the US have limited powers - they just identify you and your signature and that's it.

[Mr&Mrs D. 4]

Ok, I don't know if my experience will work for you but Imma share it - it might just give you some guidance..

A "certified copy" is a document that is issued from the same agency/department that usually issues birth certificates(for ex. if you lost it, where would you go get a new one??).. In BG, the certified copy looks EXACTLY the same as the original, only has a stamp DUPLICATE.

Now, I also needed a certified copy of my passport(for a diff. reason) but apparently very few countries allow that - in Bulgaria it's forbidden by law to notarize any copy of any passport or ID. Are you 100% sure they need a CERTIFIED COPY of your passport?? Are you in USA or SA? Cant you just present the actual passport? :confused:

[v333k 59]

Did you contact your embassy and see what exactly they need? Sometimes, all they need is the original passport and copies sent for them to verify and keep. That's what I used to do and it used to take care of it. Call the embassy and see what they accept.

[vwatts 0]

Thanks everyone! I'm in US. Have PRC for almost three years already, and would like citizenship for various reasons. I have contacted my embassy in DC, and they have suggested I just go there and they"ll notarize it, and take the application at the same time. Never realized how notaries are so limited in their powers in the US.