Notaries
This section provides information about the following consular services: 1. Notarial and Related Services
2. Voting Assistance
For the complete schedule of fees for notarials and other consular services, see the Schedule of Consular Fees.
1. Notarial Services
A United States consular officer perform notarial services similar to those performed by a notary public in the United States. Such services include:
A consular officer cannot administer an oath to someone who is not present.
Translations
Officers of the Foreign Service are not permitted to translate notarial documents or to certify to the correctness of translations for the public. They are authorized to administer an oath to the translator executing an affidavit as to the correctness of a translation; to take an acknowledgment of the preparation of the translation; and to authenticate the seal and signature of a local official affixed to a translation.
Apostille
Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be 'authenticated' or 'legalized' before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. If you have a document which you want legalized for use in another Convention country, the Convention certification called an 'apostille' must be affixed to the document by a competent authority in the United States. The apostille is a preprinted form prescribed by the Convention.
Notarial services are available Monday - Friday, 09:00 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 16:00. Each person signing or executing a document must present proof of identity (usually a passport or ID card). The fee is US $30 for the first document and US $20 for each next document to be notarized at the same time. Please see the Schedule of Fees for precise information about fees.
Fees may be paid in cash in either U.S. dollars or Slovene Tolars, or by credit card, i.e., Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Novus/Discover, Diners or purchasing cards displaying the Visa or MasterCard logo.
2. Voting Assistance
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) provides for U.S. citizens to be able to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices. In addition, most states and territories also have laws which permit citizens to register and vote absentee in state and local elections as well.
The Process: While procedures vary from state to state, generally, citizens must first request that their county or state electoral authority mail them an absentee ballot. This is accomplished by mailing a Federal Post Card Application to the appropriate electoral authority in the district in which the citizen resides or last resided. Once the citizen receives the absentee ballot in the mail, he/she marks the ballot with his/her selection of candidates and mails it back to the electoral authority. Most states also make it possible for American citizens abroad to register to vote in their home districts in the U.S. if they are not already registered.
A backup ballot is also available at the Consular Section should a citizen overseas not receive his or her regular ballot from the state on time. This is the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
On-line Help: Additional information, state-by-state guidelines, and the 2004-2005 Voting Assistance Guide are available on the internet at www.fvap.gov. This website also provides a downloadable Federal Post Card Application with which you can request an absentee ballot and register to vote for most states. Note that a few states do not accept the downloaded version of the form. The website provides complete details.
For assistance, call the American Embassy Monday through Friday, 9:00 until 11:30 a.m. or 2:00 until 4.00 p.m. at +386-1-200-5599 or 200-5595 and ask to speak to a member of the consular staff. Beginning Tuesday, January 3, 2006, the Consular Section's office hours will be Monday-Friday 9:00-11:30 and 13:00-1500.
Emergencies
Other Consular Services
Notaries
Eng. Speaking Attorneys
English Speaking Physicians
