Embassy Legalization · AngolaAngola is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. Every US document destined for Angola has to be legalized step by step — notarized where required, authenticated by the issuing state, authenticated by the US Department of State, and finally legalized by the Embassy of Angola. Our Philadelphia team runs the entire chain and ships the finished file back to you.
Every stage has to happen in order, and every stage can send the file back. Select a stage to see exactly what happens and who signs.
Documents you sign — powers of attorney, affidavits, single status declarations, corporate resolutions — are notarized first, with complete commission wording the state will accept. We handle this at our Chestnut Hill office, by mobile notary, or by secure online notarization. Government-issued vital records skip this step because they are already certified.
Personal documents go straight through the chain. Commercial documents follow the same chain, with corporate certifications pulled from the issuing state first.
Our fee covers document review, notarization coordination, state authentication, US Department of State submission, consular submission, and tracked return delivery. Government and consular fees are passed through at cost — the Embassy of Angola changes its schedule without notice.
One document carried through every stage to the Embassy of Angola, including courier handoffs and tracked return shipping.
Family files, employment packages, and corporate sets and certified Portuguese translation. Priced per document with a written quote before anything is filed.
Government and consular processing times are outside our control. Requirements at the Embassy of Angola can change; we confirm current requirements before your file is submitted.
12 E Highland Avenue, Suite 203
Philadelphia, PA 19118
Our office at 12 E Highland Avenue serves Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks counties, plus South Jersey and Delaware. Walk your documents in, or send them by courier and we take it from there.
Angola has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, so Angolan ministries, notaries (cartórios), banks, and employers will not accept a US apostille. A US document only carries legal weight in Angola after it has been authenticated in the United States and then legalized by the Embassy of Angola, which confirms that the US authentication is genuine.
Most Angolan requests we handle come from families registering births or marriages with Angolan civil registries, professionals taking contracts in Luanda's oil, gas, and construction sectors, and US companies opening branches or bidding on tenders. Because Angola is Portuguese-speaking, Angolan authorities usually want a Portuguese translation once the legalized document arrives, so we plan the translation at the start rather than as an afterthought.
Privately signed documents — affidavits, powers of attorney, corporate resolutions, and copies of diplomas — are notarized first so the state can verify the notary. Public records such as birth or marriage certificates are instead ordered as certified copies from the issuing office.
The Secretary of State (or equivalent office) of the state where the document was notarized or issued certifies the notary's or official's signature. For Angola, this is a certificate of authentication, not an apostille.
The US Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, DC, then certifies the state's seal. The Embassy of Angola will not legalize a document without this federal step.
Finally, the Embassy of Angola legalizes the document, confirming the US Department of State authentication. Once returned, the document is ready for official use in Angola.
Angolan company registration, tenders, and branch filings commonly ask for a certificate of incorporation or good standing, articles, board resolutions, powers of attorney for a local representative, and commercial invoices. These are usually notarized as a secretary's certificate or obtained as certified copies from the state before entering the chain.
Diplomas and transcripts for Angolan employment or recognition by the Ministry of Higher Education are notarized as registrar-certified copies or signed affidavits, then authenticated by the state and the US Department of State before Angolan legalization.
Birth, marriage, and divorce records must be certified copies issued by the vital records office or court. Single status affidavits, powers of attorney, and FBI background checks are also frequent Angolan requests, often for marriage or residence files.
A complete file for Angola typically takes 3–6 weeks from the time we receive your documents. State and US Department of State authentication are fairly predictable; the Embassy of Angola's processing time varies, and we update you at each step. Rush handling is available at the stages where an office allows it.
Ready to legalize your documents for Angola?
Request a quote online or call us at (215) 892-2680.
Request a quoteTell us what the document is and where it is going. We confirm the current Embassy of Angola requirements, quote the full chain, and run it end to end.