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Requesting Authentication Services

You may request authentication services by mail or in person. Consider your travel date and our processing times when requesting services. 

  • Traveling in 5+ weeks: Send your request by mail. We will process it within five weeks from the date we receive it. 
  • Traveling in 2 to 3 weeks: Walk-in to our office to drop off and pick up your request. We will process the request in seven business days.
  • Traveling in less than 2 weeks: You may qualify for an appointment if you need to travel to a foreign country in the next two weeks because your immediate family member outside of the United States has a life-or-death emergency. We will process your request on the same day as your appointment.

What to include with your request:

  1. Form DS-4194. Be sure to list the country in which you will use the document.
  2. The document(s) requiring authentication services
  3. Fees which are $20 per document 
    • If you are mailing your request, pay by check or money order. Make them payable to the U.S. Department of State. Do not send cash or credit card information.
    • Include the customer's name and address on checks (make sure this information is preprinted) and money orders. All check numbers must be over 100.
    • If you are requesting services in person, pay by credit or debit card when you submit your request. You must provide the exact amount if you are paying with cash since we cannot provide change.
    • Under federal law, we cannot refund the authentications fee.

Include your:

  • Form DS-4194,
  • Fees,
  • Documents, and
  • Self-addressed pre-paid envelope 

If you are traveling in more than 5 weeks, mail your materials to:

Office of Authentications
U.S. Department of State
44132 Mercure Circle
P.O. Box 1206
Sterling, VA  20166-1206

If you are traveling in 2 to 3 weeks, drop off your materials on Mondays through Thursdays between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. at:

600 19th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

Reminders

  • Use trackable mail from USPS. You will receive an update when your package arrives in the Sterling, VA postal facility.
  • You will not receive an update when the package arrives up to several days later at our office in Washington, D.C.
  • Your processing times begin when we receive the package in Washington, D.C.
  • Include one self-addressed, prepaid envelope for return of your document. You must put the postage or air bill on the envelope. Use USPS or UPS. Please do not use FedEx on the return envelope.

 

On Mondays through Thursdays, we offer appointments from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Our office is at 600 19th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006. We will process your request on the same day as your appointment. 

To make an appointment, you must email CA-PPT-TO-AUT@state.gov and include the following documents:

  • Proof of international travel within two weeks such as an airline ticket or itinerary.
  • Proof that an immediate family member has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. 
    • Examples include a death certificate, statement from a mortuary, or letter from a hospital signed by a doctor.
    • If the document is not in English, get it translated by a professional translator and notarized. 

Check Your Document Status

To ask about the status of your documents, please complete our Contact Us form. We will respond to you via email or phone call in the next week. Do not submit a second request while waiting for a response. 

Last Updated: December 14, 2024