German Consular Services

Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany

Attorney Norma Henning serves Southwest Florida as an Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany. Honorary Consuls serve in areas that are not served by full-time missions and are an extension of the German Foreign Office (the State Department).

As Honorary Consul, she is the official diplomatic representative of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Florida counties listed below. She is empowered to provide limited consular services to German citizens and US citizens and residents regarding legal business in Germany.

Ms. Henning provides the following German consular services:

• Notarizations of documents for production in Germany
• Preparation of certified copies for production in Germany
• Speaking engagements on topics of interest to Germans and Americans

Certain matters need to be addressed at the full time diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic located in Miami, Florida. To find out whether your matter is something that can be handled by Ms. Henning or requires a trip to the Consulate General in Miami, please call us at 239-596-6020. Consular clients are seen by appointment only.

Ms. Henning provides German consular services for persons in the following Florida counties:

Charlotte Citrus Collier De Soto Glades Hardee Hendry Hernando Hillsborough Lake Lee

Manatee Marion Orange Osceola Pasco Pinellas Polk Sarasota Seminole Sumter

A Note on Notarizations

Before you take a day off work, get in the car and travel to your closest German consulate for a notarization, please note that there may be a way to obtain legally equivalent notarized documents without traveling to a Consulate.

Although German notaries and courts often prefer notarizations from a German foreign mission, a U.S. Notary Public’s acknowledgement, together with an Apostille certification provided by the local authorities (in Florida, the Department of State) may eliminate the need for a trip to the Consulate. The Hague Convention recognizes the validity of such certified notarizations.

This option may take five to ten extra days, but it may also save you money in notarization fees and travel expenses.

To find out more information, refer to Procedure for Document Authentication (Apostilles) at the Florida Department of State website.

For an appointment regarding German consular services, call 239-596-6020, or contact us online.