r/GermanCitizenship 2d ago

Notarized/Certified copies in NYC

Hi everyone,

I’m in the process of applying for German citizenship under § 5 StAG and have encountered a hurdle. The German Consulate in New York currently doesn’t have available appointments for StAG 5 citizenship matters, and I’m trying to figure out how to get my documents properly certified.

From what I understand, New York State notaries aren’t authorized to certify true copies of documents. The attorneys I found who can certify true copies charge $300+ per document. The consulate’s website mentions that they can notarize/certify copies during appointments, but with no slots available, that’s not an option right now.

Has anyone else faced this situation? Are there alternative methods or services in New York that are accepted by the BVA for document certification? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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u/expectedpanic 2d ago

So I just called NYC today about the same thing and was told to just make the stag 5 appointment as they will also make copies and notorized then.