Diplomas are among the most common documents sent abroad for jobs, study and professional licensing. They are also one of the most commonly misunderstood, because a diploma does not behave like a birth certificate.
A diploma is usually a private document
An apostille confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on a public document is genuine. A birth certificate is signed by a government registrar, so the apostille office can check that signature against its records.
A diploma is signed by school officials. State apostille offices generally do not have those signatures on file, so they cannot verify them. That is why a diploma typically needs an extra step first: a notarization that the apostille office can verify.
The usual sequence
In most cases the order looks like this:
- The school’s registrar or records office certifies a copy of the diploma, or signs a statement about it
- A notary public notarizes that registrar’s signature or statement
- The Secretary of State’s office (or equivalent) in the notary’s state issues the apostille for the notary’s signature
The apostille is attached to the notary, not to the school. This is the same logic behind our guide on which state issues the apostille when you were notarized elsewhere: the state that commissioned the notary is the state that apostilles.
Do not notarize your own copy blindly
Many people photocopy their diploma and ask a notary to stamp it. Rules on what notaries may do with copies vary by state, and some notaries are not permitted to certify a copy of a document at all. Some foreign authorities also want a school-certified copy rather than a copy attested by a notary alone. Before you copy anything, check with the receiving authority abroad about what they accept, and check the notary rules for the state where you will notarize.
Public universities can be different
Some state offices treat documents from state-run institutions differently from private ones, and a few have their own procedures for school records. This varies by state and by school, so we do not assume one rule. Check the apostille page of the Secretary of State for the state in question, or ask the school’s registrar what format they provide for use abroad.
Transcripts and translations
Transcripts are usually handled like diplomas: a registrar-signed document, notarized, then apostilled. If the destination country needs a translation, ask whether it should be done before or after the apostille. See our guide on translation order.
Quick checklist
- Ask the receiving authority what exact format they want
- Ask the school’s registrar for a certified copy or signed statement
- Have a notary verify that signature, not a copy you made yourself
- Send it to the apostille office of the notary’s state
- Do not laminate the document or separate pages that were attached together
Not sure what you are holding? Our free document review can tell you whether your diploma is ready for an apostille before you pay for one that gets rejected.