--- title: "Notarize Bank and Brokerage Forms From Abroad | MCC" description: "S. accounts held by people overseas: what a notary can do, what only the institution can, and how to ask." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/abroad-documents/bank-and-brokerage-forms-from-abroad" --- U.S. citizens abroad # Notarizing bank and brokerage forms from abroad U.S. banks, brokerages and retirement plan custodians sometimes ask for a notarized signature on forms such as account changes, beneficiary updates, withdrawals and closures. Living overseas makes that harder, but not impossible. [Book a video session](/notary/#order) ✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials) ![Matthew Coleman, founder of MCC Solutions](/img/matthew-coleman.jpg) **Matthew Coleman**, NJ Notary Public and NNA Certified Loan Signing Agent. Cranford, NJ. Fee confirmed before your session. Card charged only after it is complete. We aim to confirm within 15 minutes, 7am to 9pm. ## When this comes up Moving abroad does not close your U.S. accounts. Many people keep them for years, and the paperwork still has to be signed correctly. ## Ask the receiving party first The most common reason a notarized document is rejected is that nobody checked what the other side would accept. Before you book, find out: - Does the institution accept a remote online notarization? Many do, some do not, and policies often depend on the form. - Is the form asking for a notary or for a signature guarantee? They are different. A signature guarantee, often a medallion guarantee, comes from a financial institution, not a notary. - Do they have an address, a phone or an online process for foreign residents? Some institutions restrict service to customers abroad. - Is the form current? Download the latest version from the institution. - Does anyone else, such as a joint owner or trustee, need to sign? ## How it works - **Ask the receiving party.** Find out in writing whether it accepts a remote notarization and what kind of notarial act it needs. - **Send us the document.** Tell us what it is for and where you will be. We check that it has one of the three U.S. connections New Jersey law requires for a signer outside the United States. - **Book a video session.** Online sessions run 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, 7 days a week, by appointment. Bring an unexpired government photo ID, a device with a camera and microphone, and a steady connection. Check the clock in both places. - **Sign on camera.** We verify your identity, you sign when told to, and the notary completes the notarization. - **Send it on.** You receive the notarized document to deliver or upload as the receiving party requires. ## Get it notarized online today Online notary: open now until 9 PM ET · sessions by appointment · times confirmed by email A New Jersey notary can notarize this with you on a video call, from anywhere in the U.S. or, on the terms below, from abroad. The fee shows in the booking form before you confirm. Open 7 am to 9 pm ET, every day, by appointment. **What you need** - A valid government photo ID - A computer or phone with a camera - The unsigned document [Book an online session](/notary/?service=ron#order) Our certificate states the act was performed using communication technology, as New Jersey law requires. [What it must say](/notary/remote-online-notarization-certificate-wording) Signing from outside the U.S.? We can notarize when the document is for a U.S. court or agency, involves U.S. property, or relates to a transaction connected with the U.S., and signing isn't prohibited where you are. [Check your document](/notary/abroad-check). Most U.S. recipients accept a remotely notarized document; check with whoever will receive it. [What to ask them](/notary/will-my-online-notarization-be-accepted) · [Several signers](/notary/online-notarization-multiple-signers) ## Does this document qualify from abroad? A form for an account at a U.S. bank, brokerage or retirement plan usually meets New Jersey's test: the account is property in the United States, and the institution is an entity under U.S. jurisdiction. A form for an account held at a foreign institution, with no U.S. connection, does not qualify. ## When a New Jersey notary can act - The notary must be physically in New Jersey. You can be anywhere. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories count as inside the United States. - If you are outside the United States, the document must meet at least one of these: (a) it will be filed with, or relates to a matter before, a U.S. court, public official, government agency or other entity under U.S. jurisdiction; (b) it involves property located in the United States; or (c) it relates to a transaction substantially connected with the United States. - In every case, signing it must not be prohibited by the country you are in. You confirm that with the local authorities there; we are not lawyers and cannot advise on foreign law. - Wills and codicils are outside New Jersey's remote notarization law, so we do not notarize them by video. - The receiving party decides whether it accepts the result. - The session is recorded, and New Jersey requires the recording to be kept for at least 10 years. Source: [N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10 (P.L.2021, c.179, section 19), New Jersey Legislature](https://pub.njleg.gov/bills/2020/PL21/179_.HTM). This is a plain summary, not legal advice. ## Mistakes that get paperwork rejected - Confusing a notary with a signature guarantee. A notary cannot provide a medallion guarantee. - Using an old form, which the institution may reject. - Signing before the session. - Forgetting that tax forms for foreign residents may be different. Ask the institution or your tax professional. - Assuming one notarization covers several forms. Each form may need its own notarial act. ## Questions **Can you give me a medallion signature guarantee?** No. A medallion guarantee comes from an eligible financial institution. A notary confirms identity and witnesses a signature. **Will my bank accept a notarization done by video?** It depends on the bank and the form. Ask them before you book. **Do you give financial advice?** No. We are not financial advisors. For decisions about your accounts, speak to your institution or an advisor you trust. MCC Solutions is not a law firm and a notary cannot give legal advice, choose the type of notarization for you, or tell you what a document means. Ask the office or person who will receive the document what it needs, and ask a lawyer about the content. ## Related - [Notarize a power of attorney from abroad](/notary/abroad-documents/power-of-attorney-from-abroad) - [Selling a U.S. house while you live abroad](/notary/abroad-documents/sell-a-house-from-abroad) - [Buying or refinancing a U.S. home from overseas](/notary/abroad-documents/refinance-or-buy-from-overseas) - [Notarize an affidavit or sworn statement from abroad](/notary/abroad-documents/affidavits-from-abroad) - [All documents](/notary/abroad-documents) - [Find your country](/notary/us-citizens-abroad) - [Apostille services](/notary/apostille-services) - [Certified translations](/notary/certified-translation) - [Embassy legalization for non-Hague countries](/notary/embassy-legalization) ## Send us the document and where you are [Ask before you book](/contact)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)