Chad is not part of the apostille system, so documents follow the legalisation chain and end at the embassy in Washington. A French translation is the safe assumption, since French and Arabic are the working languages of the administration.
Quick facts
Ask the embassy what its step costs before paying for state and federal certification. With no published tariff, finding out at the end of an expensive chain is the wrong order.
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 Chad | Washington |
| French translation | As the receiving office requires | Ask first |
Chadian documents travelling the other way are certified in N’Djamena, which generally needs someone there to attend in person.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the receiving office in Chad exactly what it requires.
- Call the embassy about its step and the fee.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification and then the federal authentication.
- Arrange the French translation.
- Send tracked and keep copies.
Required documents
- Original document with the U.S. certifications attached.
- French translation where required.
- Copy of your identification.
- Payment in the accepted form.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope.
What the embassy does
It handles passports and travel documents, registers Chadian nationals abroad, legalises documents, issues visas and assists citizens in difficulty.
Additional notes
An apostille will not work
If a service offers one for Chad, they have not checked.
Ask about the fee first
Before the federal stage, not after.
French, not English
Translation into French is usually cheaper to obtain here than Arabic and is generally accepted.
Order two copies
One office and long distances make replacing anything slow.