Djibouti 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, and then the embassy in Washington. A French translation is usually expected.
Quick facts
Djibouti’s legal and administrative system is built on the French model, so documents that look right to a French notary will look right in Djibouti City.
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 Djibouti | Washington only |
| French translation | As the receiving office requires | Ask first |
Because no tariff is published, ask what the consular step costs and how it must be paid when you first contact the embassy, rather than after completing the expensive federal stage.
How to prepare a document
- Ask the receiving office in Djibouti exactly what it requires.
- Order a certified copy, or have the private document notarised.
- Obtain the state certification, then the federal authentication.
- Arrange the French translation.
- Contact the embassy about the consular step and its cost.
- Send everything 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 form the embassy accepts.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope.
What the embassy does
It registers Djiboutian nationals living in the United States, handles passport and travel document matters, legalises documents, issues visas in the categories it covers, and assists nationals in difficulty.
Additional notes
An apostille will not work
If a service offers one for Djibouti, they have not checked.
Ask about the fee first
Discovering the consular cost after paying for state and federal certification is a poor order of operations.
French, not English
Translation into French is the safer assumption, and usually cheaper to obtain here than Arabic.
Order two copies
One office and long distances make replacing anything slow.