Apostille Information for Schools and Universities
Students planning to study or move abroad or foreign students temporarily studying in RI schools may need to provide legalized copies of educational records to another country. Whether you represent an elementary, middle or high school or a college or university, the educational records you provide to these students must meet certain requirements.
Diplomas, transcripts and report cards can only be legalized by the RI Department of State if they have been certified according to one of the following methods:
Certification by a school official and a notary public
The school registrar, principal, or other authorized representative may certify that the record is true and accurate. They must physically sign the document in the presence of a RI notary public who will then complete the notarial certificate and affix their notarial stamp. When the document is complete, it will have two original signatures: the school official and the RI notary public.
Copy certification by a notary public
If a student has a diploma, transcript or report card already bearing the original signature of a school official but which was not notarized at the time it was signed, they must bring the document to a RI notary public for copy certification. You can help make legalization of these documents easier for your students by offering to provide this notarial service or by directing them to our Notary Public Lookup to find a RI notary public to assist.
Notaries public play a vital role in the legalization process for educational records. To see samples of properly notarized educational records, click here.