Togo works in French and follows the French civil law tradition, so documents prepared in the United States generally need the legalisation chain and a French translation before they are usable. Confirm the exact route with whoever will receive the document.
Quick facts
Given that the embassy publishes a 30-business-day figure for its consular card, it is prudent to assume that document work also takes weeks rather than days.
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 Togo | Washington |
| French translation | As the receiving office requires | Ask first |
Togolese documents travelling the other way are certified in Lomé, which usually needs someone there to attend in person.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the receiving office in Togo exactly what it requires.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification and then the federal authentication.
- Arrange the French translation.
- Contact the embassy about its step and the fee.
- Send everything tracked and keep copies.
Required documents
- Original document with the U.S. certifications attached.
- French translation where required.
- Copy of your identification and consular card if you hold one.
- Payment in the accepted form.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope.
What the embassy does
It issues the consular card, handles passport and travel document matters, legalises documents, deals with visas and assists Togolese nationals in the United States.
Additional notes
Ignore the French consulate pages
They are detailed, they rank well, and they describe requirements for residents of France. The Washington embassy is the authority here.
The federal stage is the bottleneck
It takes weeks and cannot be skipped.
French, not English
Translation into French is the safe assumption for anything official.
Order two copies
One office and long distances make replacing anything slow.