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 academic credentials must first be certified as genuine by an official in the Office of the University Registrar, 210 Kent Hall, and the signature of that official must be notarized by a notary in that office. There is no fee for this service.
Apostille service is available by appointment. Send an email to [email protected] with this exact subject "Apostille Instructions Response"
In your email, you must provide the following details for processing.
- Attach scanned copies of the original diploma if you graduated before 2018 or email [email protected] to obtain a digital diploma with the current President’s signature.
- If the original paper diploma requires the Apostille, you can drop it off at 210 Kent Hall during our operational hours, or mail it to the following address.
Student Service Center
1140 Amsterdam Avenue
210 Kent Hall
MC 9202
New York, NY 10027
Indicate if completed documents should be mailed or held for pickup
For Pickup:
- Request an appointment for you or a designated representative to pick up your documents at least 7 to 10 days from the date of this email, with three available dates. (Pickup hours are 9 am-5 pm Monday, Wednesday to Friday; 9 am-4 pm Tuesdays)
- Provide the full name and email address of the person retrieving the documents.
- A guest pass will be emailed with a QR code so you or the designated representative can access the campus.
Return Mail:
- The delivery mailing address is where the documents can be sent.
- You must scan and email the pre-paid FedEx label with the requester and sender address for expedited shipping.
You will receive an email when your documents are processed.
Steps 2 and 3 must be handled by you or a designated representative (this can not be completed by the Registrar) for the Apostille process to be completed.
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.