Bank Statement Authentication for Nigeria

Proof of funds is asked for in Nigeria when a Florida resident sponsors a relative, makes an investment, or buys property, and by banks for account opening. A bank reference letter is often preferred. Have it signed by a bank officer before a notary, or sign your own notarized true-copy statement, then authenticate and legalize. A plain online statement can't be authenticated.

The statement or bank letter must carry a complete Florida notarial certificate: a bank officer's signature acknowledged in a representative capacity (or sworn), a Florida attested-copy certificate, or a jurat on your sworn statement with the statement attached. Every page must be included, and the notary must be commissioned in Florida.

Ask your branch for a reference letter signed before a Florida notary, or use the attested-copy or sworn-statement route, both of which can be done through our online notarization add-on: $40 for the first document ($10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee) and $20 for each additional document. Bank fees and notarization are not included in our $220.

State fee for this document: $10 — included in our price. Full details on the bank statement page.

After we return your document with its Florida authentication certificate, the usual next step is authentication by the U.S. Department of State, followed by legalization by Nigeria's consular office: the Consulate General of Nigeria in Atlanta serves Florida, and the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C. also has a consular section. Confirm the current requirements with the Nigerian office before you send anything. We don't handle, arrange or refer anyone for the federal or Nigerian steps.

We don't handle or arrange the U.S. Department of State or embassy steps. See how non-Hague authentication works.

Florida is served by the Consulate General of Nigeria in Atlanta, whose published jurisdiction includes Florida; the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C. also has a consular section. In Nigeria, Florida documents go to the Nigeria Immigration Service, state probate registries and courts for estates, state lands registries for property, the Corporate Affairs Commission and investment authorities for companies, and employers, universities and professional regulators.

English is Nigeria's official language, so Florida documents in English normally need no translation. If a Florida document is in another language, for example a Spanish-language record or a foreign certificate attached to a Florida affidavit, have it translated into English, certified by the translator, notarized by a different notary and authenticated in Florida along with the original.

We found no published Nigerian rule on document age for these documents. Ask the receiving office, especially for police records and bank statements, which are usually expected to be recent.

Consular office serving Florida: Consulate General of Nigeria in Atlanta (its jurisdiction includes Florida).

$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished authentication to Nigeria is a flat $100 per order.

Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).