Usually a notarized copy · rules vary by state
Diploma and transcript apostille
To apostille a US diploma or transcript, the document is usually notarized first (by the school registrar, or as a notarized copy where the state allows it) and then apostilled by the Secretary of State of that state. Rules differ by state and school, which is where most rejections happen. $99 standard per document; we confirm the right route for your school before you pay.
What this document is
A diploma or degree certificate, and/or an official transcript, issued by a US school, college, or university. Because schools are not government offices, the Secretary of State cannot verify a school official's signature directly in most states. So the document is first certified by someone the state can verify: a notary, or in some states the school registrar whose signature is on file.
Used for foreign university admissions, teaching abroad, professional licensing (nursing, engineering, medicine, law), skilled-worker visas, and credential evaluations.
Does it need notarization first?
Usually, yes. Three routes, depending on the state and the school:
- Notarized copy. A notary certifies a photocopy as a true copy of the original, or you sign an affidavit stating it is, and the notary notarizes that. Most common. Your original is not mailed anywhere.
- Registrar certification. The school's registrar signs a certification, sometimes notarized, sometimes accepted directly if the state has the registrar on file. Cleanest when available.
- School-issued certified transcript with notarized statement. Some states require the notary to witness the registrar's signature.
Which route works depends on the state. Some states will not apostille a notarized copy of a diploma at all and require the registrar's involvement. We tell you which applies before you do anything.
State or federal?
State: the state where the notarization happened or, for registrar certifications, the school's state.
What you need to provide
- The document prepared by the route your state accepts. Tell us the school and state first and we will tell you the route.
- A complete notarial certificate if a notary is involved: venue, date, signature, commission, seal.
- The destination country and the receiving institution's instructions. Universities often want the transcript and diploma as separate apostilled documents.
- If a translation is required, tell us the page count.
What happens
- Quote request with the school, the state, the destination, and what the receiving institution asked for. We confirm the preparation route.
- You prepare the document that way (or, in the Wichita area, our affiliated notary does) and mail it, tracked.
- We submit to the correct Secretary of State.
- Apostille attached, returned, shipped to you or directly to the school abroad.
Common mistakes
- Mailing the original diploma unnecessarily. A notarized copy is the norm.
- Notarizing in a state that does not accept notarized diploma copies. We check first.
- Sending a sealed transcript and expecting it to stay sealed.
- One apostille for two documents. Diploma and transcript are separate documents and each needs its own apostille unless they are physically bound and certified together.
- Non-Hague destination. UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Cambodia need legalization, not an apostille.
How to start
Request a quote with the school's name and state, the destination country, and whether you need the diploma, the transcript, or both.
Price: $99 standard per document; diploma + transcript + a third document in the three-document bundle. State fee and shipping separate.
Background reading: our affiliated company's guide.
Get your exact price, all fees included
Two business hours to a written total. Nothing to pay and nothing to mail until you have it.
Start My ApostilleFrequently asked questions
Do I have to send my original diploma?
Usually not, and we recommend you do not. The standard route is a notarized copy: the registrar, or a notary, certifies that the copy is true, and that certification is what gets apostilled. Your original stays on your wall. A few countries or employers insist on the original; if yours does, tell us and we handle it with extra care.
Which state apostilles a diploma?
The state where the notarization happened, or where the school is if the registrar certified it. A degree from a New York school notarized in Texas is apostilled by Texas. If you are choosing where to notarize, the school's state sometimes has the registrar's signature on file, which is smoother.
Can I get my transcript apostilled in a sealed envelope?
The state has to see the signature it is authenticating, so a sealed envelope cannot be apostilled as-is. The transcript is opened, the registrar's or notary's certification is verified, and the apostille is attached. If the receiving school needs it sealed, tell us and we ask the state to reseal, where that is offered.
What about a teaching job in the UAE, Qatar, or Cambodia?
Those are non-Hague countries, so a diploma for them needs embassy legalization, not an apostille. Same document preparation, longer chain. China (since November 2023) and Vietnam (since September 2026) are Hague members, so diplomas for them take an apostille.