How to Get Your Passport Certified for an ITIN Application at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
If you're applying for an ITIN from outside the United States, one of the most common questions is how to get an acceptable copy of your passport without mailing the original directly to the IRS.
There are a few paths worth understanding: working with a Certifying Acceptance Agent (who can conduct the required interview in-person or by video, provided they physically have your original documents in hand), the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and — for some nationalities — your own country's embassy. Each option has real advantages and downsides, covered below.
Certified Copy vs. Notarization: They Are Not the Same Thing
This is the single most important distinction to understand before you book anything.
A certified copy is an exact copy of the original document that the issuing agency provides and certifies, bearing the agency's official stamped seal. A notarization is a completely different service — a notary public witnesses you signing a document and confirms your identity as the signer, but doesn't certify that a copy is an exact reproduction of an original. The IRS is explicit: it does not accept notarized documents for ITIN purposes, with one narrow exception covered below.
This confuses a lot of applicants because both services are often handled by the same office — at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, both fall under "Notarial Services." But "notarial services" is really a general category covering several different services, and the one you want for an ITIN application specifically is the certified-true-copy service, not a standard notarization.
Option 1: A Certifying Acceptance Agent, In Person or by Video
A Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) can certify your documents in person, the traditional way — but doesn't necessarily require that. Per the IRS's own Acceptance Agent guidance, the required interview can also be conducted by video conference, as long as the CAA physically has your original documents in their possession at the time of that call, in order to inspect security features that a scan or photo can't reveal. In practice, the video option means mailing your original passport to the CAA before the interview, rather than mailing it to the IRS directly.
Either way, the CAA certifies what they've physically inspected. For the video option, they typically return your originals to you afterward and send only CAA certified copies to the IRS.
The video route avoids the embassy process and avoids the IRS's own up-to-60-day hold on documents mailed directly to them — but it comes with real costs of its own. You're trusting a third party with your original passport via international mail, which carries its own risk, and international mail — especially trackable, insured mail, which is worth using for something this important — can be genuinely expensive. Not every CAA offers this arrangement, and practices vary — confirm directly with the CAA you're considering.
Some CAAs, including ITIN Abroad, choose not to offer this option at all. The risk of a passport being lost or delayed in international mail is real, and beyond that risk, many applicants don't want to be without their passport, driver's license, or ID card for the days or weeks this process can take — these are documents people often need for everyday life, and losing access to them can be a real problem if travel comes up unexpectedly. This is a deliberate choice some CAAs make to protect clients from that risk, not a limitation of the CAA program itself.
Option 2: Your Nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate
If a local CAA isn't available to you, officers at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas are authorized to provide this exact certification and authentication service. In practice, this is usually booked the same way at most posts:
1. Go to the embassy's Notarial Services page. Many posts use a consistent structure — you'll typically find this under "Services" → "Notarials" on the embassy's own website (for example, Vienna, Prague, London, and Sydney all follow this same general page layout).
2. Look specifically for the ITIN-related service. Some posts name it very explicitly — the U.S. Embassy in Japan, for example, has a dedicated page called "Certified True Copies of Foreign Passports for Obtaining an ITIN Number." Staff are generally familiar with this specific request, since it's a defined, purpose-built service rather than something you need to explain from scratch.
3. Book the appointment through the embassy's standard appointment system (usually called something like "American Citizens Services").
4. Bring your completed Form W-7 to the appointment — but don't sign it beforehand. Having the actual ITIN application on hand documents exactly why you need the certified copy. Some posts specifically require you to sign in front of the consular officer during the appointment itself, rather than presenting an already-signed form — the U.S. Embassy in Japan, for example, states this explicitly for documents requiring a signature. To be safe, fill everything in ahead of time, but leave your signature for the appointment.
5. Pay the applicable notarial fee — this is a paid service, typically payable at the consular cashier on the day of your appointment. 6. Receive your certified copy, usually issued the same day, during the appointment itself.
A note if someone else needs to handle this for you: third-party attendance — a family member, friend, or travel agency representative appearing on the passport holder's behalf — may be an option at some posts, but this isn't something to assume will work without checking first. Verify directly with your specific embassy before making any plans around this. If it is available, expect to need some form of written authorization from the passport holder, but the exact requirement varies by post and isn't standardized, so get the specifics from that embassy directly rather than relying on what another post requires.
What Is Never Accepted (With One Exception)
The IRS does not accept:
Ordinary notarized copies — whether from a U.S. notary, a foreign notary, or any notary public not acting in an embassy's official certification capacity
Apostilled copies — an apostille is a form of international document authentication, but it's a different process from what the IRS requires, and it doesn't substitute for a certified true copy
The one exception: dependents and spouses of U.S. military personnel applying from an overseas or APO/FPO address may submit notarized copies of identification documents instead, but a copy of the servicemember's U.S. military ID is required alongside the notarized documents.
Option 3: Your Own Country's Embassy or Consulate
This is a genuinely useful option many applicants don't know about. Some countries' own embassies and consulates — wherever they're located, including inside the United States — will certify their own citizens' passport copies, since they're acting as an extension of the issuing government itself. This isn't a workaround; it's officially recognized. Internal IRS guidance gives exactly this kind of example: a Colombian consulate can certify Colombian passports.
In practice, this can be a real convenience if your nearest U.S. embassy has long wait times or limited notarial appointment availability, but your home country happens to have its own consulate nearby. I've seen this work well for an Australian client who used the Australian Embassy directly.
This is not universal, and you shouldn't assume it will work for your country without checking first. Some countries' consulates explicitly decline to certify identity documents at all — Czech Republic consulates in both Singapore and Toronto, for example, do not offer this service. Contact your own country's nearest embassy or consulate directly and ask specifically whether they can provide a certified true copy of your passport for U.S. tax purposes before relying on this path.
Check Current Availability Before You Rely on Any Specific Path
Embassy services can change with little notice — staffing reductions, temporary service suspensions, or policy changes can all affect what's actually available at a given post on a given day, regardless of what's documented online or what worked for someone else recently. Some embassies have gone through extended periods with reduced or suspended notarial services entirely due to staffing constraints.
There's a more specific version of this worth knowing too: an embassy can still be offering notarial services generally while this particular certification service specifically isn't currently available. Don't assume that because a post handles notarials in general, the certified-true-copy-for-ITIN service is automatically included — confirm that exact service is currently offered before you plan around it.
Before scheduling anything, confirm current services directly on the specific embassy's own website rather than assuming last year's information (or someone else's experience) still applies.
What About Translations?
A certified translation isn't automatically required for every document you submit. But the IRS reserves the right to request one for documents in a foreign language. It's worth having a translation ready to go for anything that isn't in English, including the passport or other identity document being certified, as well as the foreign language document certification, rather than waiting for the IRS to ask.
Why This Matters for Your ITIN Timeline
Getting this step wrong — showing up for a standard notarization instead of the certified-copy service, or relying on an apostille — doesn't just cause an inconvenience. It can mean your entire ITIN application gets rejected for using an unacceptable document, sending you back to the beginning for something that could have been avoided with the right appointment booked from the start. See "Why ITIN Applications Get Rejected—and How to Avoid It" for more on how document problems like this show up in practice.
How ITIN Abroad Can Help
We don't offer the mail-your-passport-to-us-for-a-video-interview option described above — the risk of a passport being lost or delayed in international mail is real, and most clients don't want to be without their passport, driver's license, or ID card for the days or weeks that can take, especially with travel or everyday needs in mind. That's a deliberate choice we've made to protect clients, not a reflection of what's generally allowed.
What that means in practice: the embassy certification step is something you'll generally need to handle yourself, since that part can't be done remotely without taking on the mailing risk we'd rather avoid on your behalf. But that's exactly the value of working with ITIN Abroad — getting a document certified is often the easy part; getting the rest of the application right is where most rejections and delays actually happen.
Depending on your situation, we can help you:
Provide a checklist to help you understand the process and exactly what you need to do to request an identity certification
Prepare and carefully check your entire ITIN application and Form W-7, so the certified passport copy you obtain gets attached to an application that's actually correct — this is what our premium service does
Provide a DIY Form W-7 template if you'd rather prepare the application yourself (planned launch at the end of September 2026)
Help you understand whether your home country's embassy might be a faster option
Either path — a fully prepared and checked application or the DIY option — means you're not just getting a piece of paper certified. You're getting an application built around it that's actually going to work.
FAQ
Can any CAA certify my documents remotely, without meeting me in person?
Some CAAs offer this — the required interview can be done by video conference, provided the CAA has your original documents physically in hand during the call, which generally means mailing your passport to them first. ITIN Abroad specifically doesn't offer this option, due to the risk of a passport being lost or delayed in the mail and the inconvenience of being without your ID for that period. Practices vary by CAA, so confirm directly with whoever you're considering.
If ITIN Abroad can't certify my passport remotely, what's the point of working with you?
Getting a document certified is only one piece of the application — getting everything else right is where most rejections and delays actually happen. We can fully prepare and carefully check your application so the certified copy you obtain gets attached to a Form W-7 that's actually correct, or provide a DIY template if you'd rather handle the preparation yourself.
What's the difference between a notarized copy and a certified copy?
A notary witnesses your signature and confirms your identity as the signer. A certified copy is issued by the original issuing agency (or an authorized office acting on its behalf) and certifies that the copy is an exact reproduction of the original, with an official stamped seal. The IRS requires the certified copy, not a notarization.
Can I use a notary in my home country instead of a U.S. Embassy?
Generally, no — ordinary notarized copies aren't accepted for ITIN purposes, regardless of which country's notary performed them, except for the military spouse/dependent exception.
What do I actually ask for when I book my embassy appointment?
Ask specifically for a "certified true copy" of your passport for ITIN or IRS purposes — this is a defined service at most posts, sometimes with its own dedicated page, and consular staff are generally familiar with the request.
Will an apostille work instead?
No. An apostille is a different form of international authentication and doesn't meet the IRS's certification requirements for this purpose.
Can I use my own country's embassy instead of a U.S. one?
Sometimes — some countries' embassies and consulates will certify their own citizens' passport copies as an extension of the issuing government. This isn't guaranteed everywhere, so confirm with your specific country's embassy before relying on it.
Can someone else get my passport certified for me?
It may be possible at some posts, but don't assume it will work without checking first — verify directly with your specific embassy before making plans around this. If it is available, expect to need some form of written authorization from you, but the exact requirement isn't standardized across posts.
Do I need a certified translation too?
Not automatically, but the IRS can request one for any document in a foreign language — including the passport or identity document you're getting certified, not only other supporting documents.
What if my nearest embassy doesn't offer this service right now?
Embassy service availability can change with little notice. An embassy can still be handling notarials generally while this specific certification service is unavailable, so check for that exact service on the post's current website rather than assuming a general notarial-services page means everything is covered, and consider whether your home country's own embassy might be an alternative.
Getting your passport certified the right way is a small step that can make or break your entire ITIN application.
Ask for a certified true copy, not a notarization. Understand that an apostille won't work. Check whether your own country's embassy offers this service as an alternative to the U.S. post. And confirm current availability before you rely on any specific option.
The right document, from the right source, is what actually gets your application through.
