Although such services are not mandatory, notarizing officers may, as a courtesy, perform notarial acts for use in countries with which the United States has formal diplomatic and consular relations. Generally the applicant for such service will be a United States citizen or a national of the country in which the notarized document will be used. The notarizing officer's compliance with a request for a notarial service of this type should be based on the reasonableness of the request and the absence of any apparent irregularity. When a notarizing officer finds it advisable to do so, the officer may question the applicant to such extent as may be necessary to be assured of the reasonableness of the request and the absence of irregularity.

(a) That his notarial certificate may reasonably be expected to satisfy the legal requirements of the country in which the notarized document will be used;

(b) That the notarial service is legally necessary and cannot be obtained otherwise than through a United States notarizing officer without loss or serious inconvenience to the applicant; and

(c) That the notarial certifcate will be used solely for a well-defined purpose, as represented by the applicant for the service. (See also §92.4(c) regarding notarial services for use in countries occupied by the United States or under its administrative jurisdiction.)

[22 FR 10858, Dec. 27, 1957, as amended at 60 FR 51721, Oct. 3, 1995]