Say you live in Beaverton and own a condo in Puerto Vallarta, or your family is selling a house in Jalisco and they need your signature. Flying down for one appointment isn’t always realistic. Most people in that spot end up signing a power of attorney (a poder notarial) here in Oregon so someone in Mexico can sign for them.
There are two common ways to do that from the Portland area. You can sign at the Mexican Consulate in Portland, or you can sign in front of an Oregon notary and have the document apostilled. This post walks through both so you know what to expect, what each one costs, and what to ask before you book anything.
A quick note before we start: Pac Signing provides notary, apostille and translation services. We don’t decide which kind of power of attorney you need, what it should say, or which route is right for your property. Those are legal questions for your lawyer or the notary in Mexico handling your sale or purchase.
Start with one email to Mexico
Before you sign anything, write to the notary’s office in Mexico that will use your power of attorney (or to your Mexican lawyer) and ask three things:
- Will you accept a power of attorney signed before a US notary with an Oregon apostille, or do you need one granted at a Mexican consulate?
- Can you send me the exact wording you need?
- Does my spouse need to sign too?
Their answer decides almost everything else. Notary offices in Mexico don’t all handle this the same way, especially for property sales, so it’s worth getting the answer in writing before you spend money on either route.
Signing at the Mexican Consulate in Portland
The Consulate of Mexico is at 1305 SW 12th Ave in downtown Portland. A consul can grant the power of attorney directly, in Spanish and in the form used in Mexico. Here’s what the consulate’s own page said as of October 2026:
- Appointments are booked through MiConsulado (citas.sre.gob.mx) or by phone at 424-309-0009. The consulate reviews your request first and then gives you a day to come in and sign. It can’t be done by mail.
- Individuals bring a valid ID with the same name as their Mexican records (a passport, voter ID, matrícula consular, or an Oregon or Washington driver’s license), their original birth certificate, and their marriage certificate if they’re married.
- You’ll also need the full name of the person who will act for you and a detailed description of what the power is for.
- The listed fee is $177 for an individual and $264 for a company. Companies also bring their articles and the bylaws or minutes showing who can sign, with certified Spanish translations.
These details change, so check the consulate’s power of attorney page before you go. The consulate also says your Mexican lawyer or advisor should decide what type of power you need.
If the consulate or the office in Mexico asks for translated US records, such as company documents or certificates, our certified translation service can help with that part.
Signing with an Oregon notary and getting an apostille
If the office in Mexico tells you a US-signed document is fine, this route usually fits around a work schedule more easily. Here’s how it goes with us.
You bring the wording
The text comes from your lawyer or the notary’s office in Mexico. A bilingual version (Spanish and English side by side) makes the next steps simpler. We can’t write or edit the content of a power of attorney for you.
We make sure it can be read
An Oregon notary needs to understand what they’re notarizing, and the Oregon Secretary of State won’t apostille a document its staff can’t read unless a translation is attached. If your document is in Spanish only, we can prepare a certified English translation to go with it. Our team includes Spanish speakers, so you can ask questions about the process in Spanish.
You sign in person
Everyone granting the power signs in front of our notary at one of our offices, or our mobile notary comes to you. Bring a current passport or driver’s license. If your only ID is a matrícula consular, call us before your appointment so we can tell you what we can accept. We don’t offer online notarization.
We get the Oregon apostille
Mexico is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so the apostille comes from the Oregon Secretary of State. That office is in Salem, and there’s no apostille counter in Portland, Hillsboro or Beaverton. We hand-deliver it to the Secretary of State in Salem, and it usually takes 1 to 5 business days. The apostille is attached to your document. Don’t take the staple out, even to make copies.
The document goes to Mexico
According to Mexican consulates, a power of attorney signed before a foreign notary has to be apostilled, translated into Spanish by an authorized expert translator (perito traductor) in Mexico if it isn’t already in Spanish, and then formally recorded (protocolizado) by a notary in Mexico before it can be used. The office in Mexico arranges those steps and quotes its own fees.
The two routes side by side
| Mexican Consulate | Oregon notary and apostille | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sign | 1305 SW 12th Ave, Portland, by appointment | Our Hillsboro, Beaverton, Lake Oswego or Vancouver office, or with our mobile notary |
| Who writes the document | The consulate, in Spanish | Your lawyer or the notary’s office in Mexico |
| Steps in Mexico afterward | Ask the office in Mexico | Translation (if needed) and protocolization, per Mexican consulates |
| Accepted by the office in Mexico? | Ask them | Ask them |
| Fee here | $177 per individual (consulate’s listed fee) | From $205 for one signer (see below) |
| Timing | Depends on appointment availability | Sign the same day; apostille usually 1 to 5 business days |
What the apostille route costs with us
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Notarization at our Oregon offices | $10 per notarial act (signature) |
| Oregon apostille (state fee included) | $195 for the first document, $20 for each additional |
| Certified translation, if needed | $65 per page, plus $10 to notarize the translator’s statement |
| Mobile notary travel fee | $70 for the first 10 miles, plus $2 per mile after that, agreed before the visit |
For example, a couple who both sign one bilingual document at our Hillsboro office would pay $20 for the two notarized signatures and $195 for the apostille, or $215 here in Oregon. Whatever the office in Mexico charges for translation and protocolization is separate. All our prices are on the pricing page.
If you sign at our Vancouver, WA office, the document is notarized under Washington law, so the apostille has to come from Washington State instead of Oregon. That apostille is $295 through us.
Things that commonly slow people down
Most delays we see have nothing to do with the law and everything to do with logistics. People sign before checking what the office in Mexico wants, then have to sign again. A spouse who also needs to sign isn’t at the appointment. A Spanish-only document shows up without a plan for the English translation the state needs. Someone removes the apostille to scan the pages. Or the document was signed online, which adds extra steps before Oregon can apostille it, and many offices in Mexico want a paper original anyway.
If the property is held through a bank trust (fideicomiso), the bank acting as trustee may have its own requirements. Ask the bank and the office in Mexico before you sign.
What to bring
- The final document from your lawyer or the notary’s office in Mexico
- A current passport or driver’s license for every signer
- Anyone else who needs to sign, such as your spouse
- The address in Mexico where the original should be sent
- Any Spanish-only pages that need translating
Our offices are in Hillsboro (9620 NE Tanasbourne Dr, Suite 38), Beaverton, Lake Oswego and Vancouver, WA. They’re open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm, and the mobile notary can come to you anytime. Besides Oregon apostilles, we also handle US Department of State filings, embassy legalization for countries outside the Apostille Convention, and certified translation. In Spanish, see documentos que se pueden notarizar en Oregon and our servicio de apostilla.
FAQ
Can a power of attorney notarized in Oregon be used in Mexico?
Mexican consulates say a power signed before a foreign notary can be used once it is apostilled, translated into Spanish by an authorized expert translator if needed, and recorded by a notary in Mexico. Whether a particular office in Mexico will accept it for your transaction is up to that office, so ask them first.
¿Se puede usar en México un poder firmado ante un notary de Oregon?
Según los consulados de México, un poder firmado ante un notary extranjero se puede usar si lleva apostilla, se traduce al español por perito traductor autorizado cuando hace falta y se protocoliza en una notaría en México. Antes de firmar, pregunte a la notaría en México si lo acepta para su trámite.
Can I get an apostille in Portland?
No. Oregon apostilles are issued only by the Secretary of State in Salem. We hand-deliver your documents to the Secretary of State in Salem, usually in 1 to 5 business days.
Does an apostille expire?
An apostille has no expiration date, but the office receiving it may ask for a recent one. More in does an apostille expire.
Do I translate before or after the apostille?
It depends on what the office receiving the document asks for. For Mexico, the Spanish translation is usually done in Mexico after the apostille, while a Spanish-only document needs an English translation before it can be notarized and apostilled here. See translate before or after apostille.
Can I sign online?
We don’t offer online notarization. We notarize in person at our offices or through our mobile notary.
Notice
I am not an attorney licensed to practice law. I am not allowed to draft legal records, give advice on legal matters, including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities.
No soy abogado con licencia para ejercer la abogacía. No se me permite redactar documentos legales, dar asesoría sobre asuntos legales, incluida la inmigración, ni cobrar por esas actividades.
Oregon notarial fees (ORS 194.400): up to $10 per notarial act, and up to $25 per remote online notarial act. Tarifas notariales en Oregon: hasta $10 por acto notarial y hasta $25 por acto notarial en línea.
Related guides: does a power of attorney need to be notarized · Oregon apostille quick reference · certified translation · apostille services in Portland
Official sources: Consulate of Mexico in Portland: power of attorney · Consulate of Mexico: powers granted before a foreign notary · Oregon Secretary of State: apostilles · ORS 194.350 · HCCH Apostille Convention status