Affidavits
An “affidavit” is a written declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily and confirmed by the oath or affirmation of the party making it, taken before an officer having authority to administer such an oath or affirmation. Affidavits require the personal presence of the individual signing the document in order for the consular officer to administer the oath. The affidavit should be typed and prepared prior to the appointment. Consular staff cannot prepare the document or provide advice as to what information should be included.
Free-to-Marry Affidavit
Disclaimer: The information below is a general guide based on information provided by the relevant authorities and is therefore up-to-date and accurate to the extent that such authorities provide us with timely and accurate information. Accordingly, the U.S. government does not guarantee that this information is accurate and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies in this information. Citizens wishing to obtain information about marriage must contact the relevant authorities to be sure of the requirements that they need in order to proceed with their ceremony.
Any foreigner who wishes to marry abroad may be required by the government of their partner’s home country or their partner’s family to demonstrate his/her eligibility to marry. Marriage records are managed by the states; thus the U.S. federal government does not maintain a central marriage registry. Therefore, we are unable to provide verification of a U.S. citizen’s eligibility to marry. Citizens seeking to marry in Saudi Arabia may choose to complete an affidavit declaring that he/she is eligible to marry which may or may not be accepted by the receiving government. U.S. citizens seeking to marry in Saudi Arabia may need to contact the custodian of records or the respective state agency to identify vital records in the U.S. that may meet the criteria for the receiving government. U.S. citizens obtaining certified vital records from the custodian of such records will need to follow the process for the authentication of documents in the U.S. Please visit the Department of State website for more information on the authentication of documents.
Acknowledgements
Consular officers may take an acknowledgement of a signature on a document for use in the United States. An “acknowledgement” is used to affirm under oath information including recognition of one’s acts, obligations or responsibility. Acknowledgements require the personal appearance by the person signing the document in order to confirm that person’s identity.
Authentications
The primary purpose of an authentication, which is a governmental act by a U.S. consular officer, is to certify the official seal, signature and/or authority of foreign officials who perform an official act with regard to a document that is to be used in the United States.
In 2022 Saudi Arabia acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention, and on 7 Dec 2022, the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention) entered into force. You may obtain an apostille service from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and use the document in the United States without the need of authentication from the U.S. Embassy or Consulates. If you require and authentication from the Embassy or Consulates on Saudi documents to be used in the United States, consular officers may authenticate the signatory and seal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia on such documents. The documents should first be taken to the Ministry’s nearest Authentications office. Then the originally signed document may be authenticated at the U.S. Embassy or Consulates once they have received this seal given that Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials is on record with the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General.
A consular authentication of a document to be used in the United States in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing Saudi government official. Consular officials at the Embassy or Consulates cannot provide authentication services for U.S. issued documents to be used abroad.
Contact information for Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs are found on there website: https://www.mofa.gov.sa/en/Pages/contacts.aspx
Special Notice Regarding Marriages
Consular and diplomatic officials at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in Saudi Arabia are not permitted to perform marriage ceremonies nor register them in the United States. In general, marriages which are legally performed and valid abroad are also legally valid in the United States and there is no requirement to register a foreign marriage with U.S. authorities. Inquiries regarding the validity of a marriage abroad should be directed to the attorney general of the state in the United States where the parties to the marriage reside.
Special Notice Regarding the Authentication of U.S. Issued Documents for Use in Saudi Arabia
The Government of Saudi Arabia has established guidelines for the submission of foreign-issued vital records used in the residency process. The guidelines require embassies to verify the information contained in the documents. In the United States, civil records such as those for birth and marriage are issued by local and state authorities. Thus, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General, as representatives of the federal government, lack the legal authority to certify the information in state-issued documents. Authentication of U.S. issued public documents for use overseas should therefore be undertaken in the United States. The documents are certified by the custodian of record and first authenticated at the state level. Under the Hague Apostille Convention the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (1961 Apostille Convention), to which both the United States and Saudi Arabia are parties, a document issued with an apostille by a U.S. state is acceptable in Saudi Arabia and does not require authentication by the U.S. Department of State.
Authentication of American Academic Credentials for Use Abroad
U.S. embassies and consulates cannot authenticate diplomas or other documents from universities and other schools in the United States. Authenticating U.S. academic credentials, certificates, or degrees for use in Saudi Arabia is a multi-step process that takes place in the U.S.: the document must be first authenticated by the state Notary Public Administrator in the U.S. state where it was issued, then authenticated by the Department of State’s Office of Authentications and then authenticated by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. Please visit the Department of State website for more information on the authentication of academic credentials for use overseas.
Individuals wishing to authenticate U.S. educational documents for use in Saudi Arabia may wish to contact the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) in the U.S. for assistance: http://www.sacm.org
Fingerprints for American Citizens
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in Saudi Arabia cannot provide fingerprinting services for Saudi background checks and CANNOT issue or certify U.S. police clearances. Please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/criminal-record-checks.html for options for a U.S. citizen to provide evidence that they do not have a criminal record.
Saudi Police Clearances for American Citizens
U.S. citizens departing Saudi Arabia may wish to receive a police clearance from Saudi authorities for use in future residency or work permits. Police clearances must be obtained while in country and are unavailable for non-Saudis who no longer reside in the Kingdom. The optimal time to conduct these procedures at Criminal Investigation Department stations is Sundays-Thursdays. The Saudi authorities may request a letter from the U.S. Embassy or Consulates to provide this service. We provide this letter to American Citizens for their use which can be found on this link. The applicant must then appear personally with the letter, two passport-sized photographs, and a Saudi residency permit (iqama) at the regional Criminal Investigation Department or Forensic Evidence Department for fingerprinting. Fingerprinting for women is done in a separate room.
The Riyadh Province office is located Ash Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim, Riyadh..
The Western Province office is located at 7923 King Khalid Road, An Nazlah Al Yamaniyah District, Jeddah.
The Eastern Province office is located at here the Police Clearance/Fingerprint Office..
Immigrant visa applicants with questions about obtaining a Saudi police clearance for their U.S. Immigrant Visa application should visit the Immigrant Visa page.
Certifications of True Copies
Some U.S. states provide that notaries may execute certifications of true copies of documents. However, many public documents, such as a birth, death, marriage or divorce record, and police clearances can only be certified by the custodian of record in that state. Individuals seeking such a service may choose to make a sworn statement declaring that a copy is an exact reproduction of an original document he or she possesses. This sworn statement may be accepted by the Government of Saudi Arabia for the acceptance of vital records.
Consular officials may provide true copies of passports when required for use by other agencies of the U.S. government (i.e. applications for Social Security number or individual tax identity number). To provide this service at no fee, applicants are required to present documentation of the request from the relevant U.S. government agency.
Certifications of True Copies for Social Security Number Applications
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in Saudi Arabia may execute certifications of true copies of documents for use in applications for Social Security numbers. Individuals seeking these services must present a valid request from the Social Security Administration Federal Benefits Unit located in Rome by first emailing FBU.Rome@ssa.gov
Translations
U.S. consular officers are NOT permitted to translate documents, certify to the correctness of translations, or authenticate of translators’ signatures.
Tax Services
U.S. consular officers are NOT permitted to provide tax advice or certify the correctness of tax filings. For questions related to U.S. (federal) taxes, please visit the IRS webpage at https://www.irs.gov/.
Driver’s Licenses
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates DO NOT issue Saudi driver licenses OR issue or renew U.S. driver licenses.
U.S. citizens wishing to obtain a Saudi driver’s license should discuss the process with their sponsor and/or contact the Ministry of Interior to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding the process.
U.S. citizens wishing to obtain or renew a state-issued driver’s license should contact the department of motor vehicles in their state of residence in the United States.
Fees Per Notary Seal
Notarial, Oath, or Acknowledgement: $50.00 or SR 190.00
Authentication: $50.00 or SR 190.00
