Secretary of State in the state where the notarization was performed (which should be the state where the school is located, or where you had the letter notarized).
What You Need Before Submitting for Apostille
You cannot apostille a diploma directly. The diploma bears the school's signature, but state apostille offices cannot verify private institution signatures. The correct process: have a school official (registrar, dean) sign a notarized letter certifying the diploma's authenticity, then apostille that notarized letter. The diploma itself is included as an attachment.
Step-by-Step Process
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1
Obtain the Correct Document Version
See the preparation requirements above. The most common reason apostille requests fail at step one is submitting the wrong version of the document. When in doubt, contact the issuing authority (vital records office, court clerk, school) and confirm you have the right certified copy before proceeding.
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2
Identify Your State's Apostille Office
The apostille is issued by the state where the document was issued or notarized — not where you live now. Use our state directory to find the correct office, current fee, and mailing address for your state.
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3
Prepare Your Submission Package
Include: the original certified document, a cover letter (your name, return address, destination country, document count), payment (check or money order to the state authority for the per-document fee), and a pre-addressed return envelope with tracking.
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4
Submit and Wait
Mail to the address on your state's official website (always verify — addresses change). Use a tracked mailing method. Standard processing: 5–15 business days depending on state. See the state table for your state's specific timeline.
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5
Receive and Submit to Destination
Verify the apostille is securely attached. Do not separate it from the original. If a translation is required, send the complete apostilled document to a certified translator. Then submit the full package to your foreign authority.
Common Uses: Apostilling a Diploma / Academic Transcript
| Use Case | Notes |
|---|---|
| Teaching credentials in South Korea, Japan, China | Universities and government programs require degree verification with apostille. |
| Professional licensing in EU countries | Engineers, architects, and other licensed professionals often need apostilled degree verification. |
| Graduate school applications abroad | Some European universities require apostilled undergraduate credentials for admissions. |
| Immigration points systems (Canada, Australia) | Education credentials apostille can support points-based immigration applications. |
| Working in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar | Professional visa processes in Gulf states typically require attested/apostilled degree documents. |
Contact your school's registrar office first — many universities have a dedicated process for apostille-ready certification letters and know exactly what format the SOS needs. This saves significant back-and-forth.
Frequently Asked Questions
State apostille offices authenticate known government signatures — state registrars, notary publics, court clerks. A university registrar's signature is not in their reference database. The workaround is having the registrar notarize (or sign before a notary) a certification letter, because the notary's signature IS verifiable by the SOS.
Closed school records are typically transferred to a state archive, another institution, or a clearinghouse like the National Student Clearinghouse. Contact your state's department of education to find where your school's records were transferred, then work with that custodian for certification.
Typically you apostille the notarized certification letter that accompanies both. Some foreign institutions want the transcript; others want the diploma. Either way, the document being apostilled is the notarized letter from the school official certifying the record — not the academic document itself.
The apostille itself doesn't expire, but some foreign institutions require documents issued within 6–12 months. A degree doesn't change, but a fresh transcript might be required if the institution needs to verify your current academic standing or most recent grades.