When swearing in a witness outside of the U.S., the easiest solution is for both sides to stipulate on the record that the court reporter can swear in the witness. Stipulating on the record is an excellent solution because it works in all cases, with both U.S. certified and foreign certified reporters (ie: BIVR), and is the most expedient way to ensure the admissibility of your witness’ testimony.
Some U.S. depositions use foreign notaries to swear in the witness, but this procedure is complicated by the fact that a majority of foreign jurisdictions do not have the equivalent of U.S. notary publics. Sometimes, foreign attorneys can be used as notaries, but this depends on the country and can be expensive. I always advise my clients to be wary of relying on foreign notaries as a solution, and to try to work out an agreement with opposing counsel to stipulate if at all possible.
When scheduling an international deposition, we ideally recommend getting started 4-6 weeks in advance to save you and your client money, time, and stress. Of course, it is possible to work within a much shorter timeframe when necessary.