Sudan is not part of the apostille system, so documents follow the legalisation chain: notarisation where needed, the Secretary of State of the issuing state, federal authentication, then the embassy. With one Sudanese mission for the whole country, everything travels to Washington.
Quick facts
Documents held in Sudan are the harder problem. Access to civil registries and archives has been badly disrupted since 2023, and obtaining a certificate from a particular locality may simply not be possible at present. Ask the embassy what alternatives it will accept before assuming a file is impossible.
The chain
| Step | Who does it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | U.S. notary public | For private documents |
| State certification | Secretary of State | Of the issuing state |
| Federal authentication | U.S. Department of State | Slowest stage |
| Consular legalisation | Embassy of Sudan | Washington only |
| Arabic translation | As the receiving office requires | Ask first |
Because the situation changes, the single most useful thing you can do is ask the consular section what it currently requires rather than following a checklist written before the conflict.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the embassy what is required for your specific purpose.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification, then the federal authentication.
- Arrange the Arabic translation as instructed.
- Submit within consular hours or as the embassy directs.
- Keep copies and use a tracked service.
Required documents
- Original document with the U.S. certifications attached.
- Arabic translation where required.
- Copy of your identification and national number.
- Payment in the accepted form.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope.
What the embassy does
It issues new passports and renews expired ones, issues national numbers, legalises documents, handles visas and assists Sudanese nationals in difficulty.
Additional notes
An apostille will not work
If a service offers one for Sudan, they have not checked.
Records inside Sudan
Where a document cannot be obtained because of the situation there, the embassy is the right place to ask what else will be accepted. It is a common question, not an unusual one.
The federal stage is the bottleneck
It takes weeks and cannot be skipped.
Order two copies
Replacing anything is harder than usual at present.