Do you need to apostille your diploma?
If you are planning to work or continue your education in a foreign country, you will need to apostille your diploma and your FBI background check. In this article, we will focus on how to apostille your diploma.
In order to apostille your diploma, it must be signed and notarized by the Registrar. The notary will need to meet with the Registrar at the University, College, Trade School, or High School.
We can apostille the following diplomas:
- Master’s Diploma
- Bachelor’s Diploma
- College Diploma
- High School Diploma
- GED Diploma
The most popular countries we can apostille and legalize diplomas are for:
Step #1: The first step is to contact the Registrar at the school and inform the Registrar that you will need the original or a color copy of your diploma to be signed and notarized. The Registrar with either ask for you to mail in the original or email a color copy. Some schools may request that you purchase a new diploma. If the school does not have a notary on staff, a traveling notary can visit the school and meet with the Registrar. You can search online and arrange for a local traveling notary service near the school. Most notaries are unfamiliar with authenticating a diploma for another country so it’s best to leave the apostille process to us. The notary must follow the proper notarial laws of their State and include the correct notarial wording.
Typically, a diploma can be notarized in several ways:
- The Registrar attests to the diploma with a written or typed statement and the notary witnesses the signature of the Registrar. For example: “I, Jane Doe, Registrar of ACME University, certify that this is a true and original copy of John Walters Master’s diploma”. In most cases, the notarization is performed on the back of the diploma to allow space for the statement, Registrar’s signature, and the notarization.
- The second and less frequent option is for the school to draft a signed and notarized University letterhead with a statement and signature of the Registrar including the notaries seal, signature, and notarial wording.
Please be sure to contact our office as some countries will request the original diploma to be notarized rather than a color copy. For example, Qatar will request the original diploma to be signed and notarized.
Step #2: The second step is to mail in your notarized diploma with our completed order forms to our office. We have created an order form and credit card authorization form for every US State.
Obtaining an apostille can be complicated and time-consuming. Don’t leave this process to untrained employees or non-professionals who do not fully understand the apostille process and the unique requirements of certain countries. Your paperwork could be rejected costing you time and money. Don’t let this happen to you!
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