Argentina power of attorney (poder notarial) at a US consulate
A power of attorney (poder) authorizes another person — your apoderado — to act on your behalf in Argentina. Argentine consulates in the US perform notarial acts: you sign the poder before the consul, and it can be used in Argentina “sin necesidad de posterior legalización o apostillado del poder” (Los Angeles consulate). The consulates’ own pages (read October 3, 2026) describe a document-first process: a lawyer or escribano in Argentina drafts the text, you email it to the consulate, the consulate prices it by length and gives you a date to sign.
General and special powers
Houston’s consulate lists requirements “PARA PODERES GENERALES Y ESPECIALES”. The content of the power — what the apoderado may do — comes from the draft (minuta) your lawyer or escribano in Argentina prepares. Houston’s example of what the draft must state: the “Objeto del poder (por ejemplo, si se trata de un poder de venta de un inmueble, información catastral del bien)”.
Fees by consulate
| Consulate | Fee as published | Payment | Page updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Escritura USD 40 per 25 lines + testimonio USD 40 per 25 lines | Debit card or money order | 29/05/2026 |
| Houston | USD 40 per 25 lines or fraction; “un poder implica la emisión de dos documentos, ambos sujetos al pago del arancel” | Not stated on the page | 29/01/2026 |
| Miami | Escritura USD 40 per 25-line page + testimonio USD 40; card-price table: 83,20 for notarial acts per 25 lines; 41,60 for a testimonio alone | Credit, debit or Apple Pay | 05/01/2026 |
| Los Angeles | USD 80 per 25 lines or fraction | Accepted payment methods (linked by the consulate) | 24/10/2024 |
| Atlanta | USD 80 per 25 lines or fraction, “incluyendo el primer testimonio” | — | 03/12/2025 |
| Chicago | U$S 80 per 25 lines or fraction, including the first testimonio | — | 26/11/2025 |
Atlanta and Chicago: “El valor total dependerá de la extensión y le será informado por correo electrónico una vez que usted haya remitido el contenido o minuta del poder.” No consulate page we read accepts cash.
Required documents
What Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago list (Houston and Miami are similar, with the differences noted):
- Your ID: “Original del DNI (si el solicitante es argentino) o pasaporte (si el solicitante es extranjero), idéntico al que figurará en el poder.” New York recommends the DNI “o en su defecto el Pasaporte Argentino vigente” and requires that the document in the text be the one you show when signing.
- Copy of the apoderado’s DNI.
- The draft (minuta) “proporcionado al solicitante por su abogado o escribano en la Argentina”, on the firm’s letterhead with its contact details, showing your address in the consulate’s jurisdiction. Houston: “La minuta debe ser enviada directamente por el escribano” in Word format. New York lists the minuta “A modo de recomendación”.
- Deed or title copy if the poder mentions registrable real estate or a vehicle.
- Your contact details (address, phone, email).
- Miami only: a completed personal-data form and “Constancia de CUIL/CUIT del poderdante/s y apoderado/s”.
- Houston only: on signing day, your card-format DNI “con constancia de domicilio actual”.
Who can sign: New York requires you to be 18 or older and to live in its jurisdiction or be passing through it; Houston and Miami also require age 18.
Step-by-step process
- Ask your lawyer or escribano in Argentina for the draft in an editable Word-type file.
- Email the documents and draft to your consulate — New York fzc@mrecic.gov.ar; Los Angeles nacionalidad_clang@cancilleria.gob.ar; Atlanta notarial_catla@mrecic.gob.ar; Chicago visaschicago@mrecic.gob.ar; Miami notariales_cmiam@mrecic.gov.ar; Houston podereshouston@mrecic.gov.ar (the escribano sends the minuta). Miami: “EL TRÁMITE SÓLO INICIARÁ UNA VEZ QUE EL INTERESADO ENVIE TODA LA DOCUMENTACION REQUERIDA”.
- Wait for the consulate’s reply with the amount and an appointment — Los Angeles “determinará en base a la longitud del poder el monto a abonar, y le responderá con una cita”.
- Sign before the consul on the agreed date, showing the original ID named in the poder, and pay.
- Receive the poder: “El Consulado entregará en el acto el poder en papel (en forma de testimonio), y en 48 horas enviará por email un PDF con el poder y la habilitación de firma del cónsul” (Los Angeles); Atlanta and Chicago say “48 horas hábiles”. Los Angeles describes the electronic copy as being “para su uso inmediato en la Argentina”.
Apostille — not for poderes signed at the consulate
New York: “Los poderes o actas notariales otorgados ante el Consulado no requieren del sello de la Apostilla de La Haya. La legalización de la firma del funcionario consular se efectúa de modo virtual, entregándose el testimonio del acta notarial perfeccionado el mismo día de la firma.” Documents issued at a consulate “no pueden ser apostillados” (New York).
The US-notary alternative: New York and Los Angeles say a power signed before a US notary public is valid in Argentina with a Hague Apostille. That apostille is issued on the US side — see the apostille process for US documents.
Related information
- All Argentina consulates in the US
- Argentina matrícula consular
- Argentina DNI from the US
- Argentina passport renewal
- Apostille of US documents
- Find pro bono immigration legal help
- Versión en español
Authoritative sources
- Consulado General en Nueva York — Tramitación de poderes
- Consulado General en Los Ángeles — Poderes
- Consulado General en Miami — Poderes notariales
- Consulado General en Houston — Poderes notariales
- Consulado General en Chicago — Poderes
- Consulado General en Atlanta — Poderes
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) — consular notarial functions
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Power-of-attorney requirements vary by consulate and by transaction type, and change periodically. Verify directly with the Argentina consulate and, for the content of the power, with your lawyer or escribano in Argentina. Not legal advice.