Apostille: Certifying Columbia Documents for Use Internationally
The “Apostille” process is how the New York Department of State certifies copies of a diploma, transcript, academic certification, or other official document for use internationally.
Frequently, students and alumni need internationally certified copies of these documents for use internationally. Columbia and other institutions rely on the New York State Department of State. The Department of State issues a Certificate of Authentication in the name of the State of New York for any public document submitted to it.
This process is the same for both Morningside/Manhattanville and CUIMC students.
Overview of the Apostille Process
Your Columbia document must first be certified as genuine by an official in the Office of the University Registrar in-person in 210 Kent Hall. The signature of that official must be notarized by a notary in that office. There is no fee for this service but you must make an appointment by emailing [email protected] with the subject "Apostille." If you cannot make an appointment to attend in-person, you may mail your documents to the Student Service Center at Kent Hall. After emailing us, you will receive further instructions for processing.
Same-day service may not be available. We encourage you to make an appointment sufficiently in advance of your needs.
Certified documents may be mailed to an address you provide or held for pick-up during our business hours.
Next, bring your Columbia-certified document to the New York County Clerk at 60 Centre St., Room 141B, New York, NY, where the notarial signature must be authenticated.
The Clerk’s office charges a small fee for this service. For more information, please see NY Courts website.
Finally, arrange for the Department of State to complete the process. Make sure steps one and two are complete, or the Department will reject your document. There is a small fee for this NY Department of State processing.
Bring your document to the New York State Department of State at 123 William St. in lower Manhattan, or mail it to the U.S. Department of State or the NYS Department of State in Albany.