legalization of documents

  • Official documents issued by a public authority, such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, etc., that need to be authenticated by the Consulate, must be certified copies from the issuing entity, with a seal and legible original signature. (The document must be issued within a year)

  • Important: The documents must have updated dates. Make sure the signature is legible. If it’s not, write the full name of the signatory.

  • Documents from the Social Security Administration and U.S. pension verifications must be notarized for authentication.

  • In case of original private documents, such as Power of Attorney and Sworn declarations, etc., the signature must be endorsed by a Public Notary and include an affidavit by a Notary Public stating that the person sworn and signed before him. Include a copy of your Identification or cedula.

  • Diplomas and credits: The diploma and credits must be endorsed by a Notary Public, if the diploma is less than 6 months old, the cost of authentication is waived if you are a Panamanian citizen. Otherwise, the cost of authentication is USD$30.00.

  • The cost for authentication is $ 30.00 per document. You will need to issue a money order for each document. The money order has to made out to the Consulate of Panama. We do not accept personal checks.

  • Please include a self-addressed prepaid envelope for the return of your documents. If you are sending documents by mail, we recommend you use Express Mail, Priority Mail or Fedex to avoid delays and your documents getting lost.

  • Include a cover letter with your telephone number and email address where you can be reached in case you need to be contacted for additional information.

  • Include a copy of your Identification (or bring an ID if applying in person).

  • The legalization process takes 8 to 10 business days from the moment the documents are received.

  • Address to mail the documents:

    CONSULADO DE PANAMA
    2862 McGILL TERRACE, N.W.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. 20008

  • If the document contains the Apostille seal, it will not require an additional authentication from the Consulate.

  • The legalization process is completed when the Authentication Department of Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates the signature of the Panamanian Consular official.