An apostille (pronounced “uh-pos-till”) is a stamp or seal verifying the authenticity of an official document. Most official documents are recognized only in the country in which they were originally issued. The U.S. is a signatory to a 1961 treaty that provides mutual recognition of documents bearing an apostille. In the U.S., apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State for the state in which the document was issued.
Obtaining an Apostille
To obtain an apostille for a UW diploma, the graduate must submit a copy of the original diploma that has been signed and stamped, as a true copy, by an official from the University of Washington to the WA Secretary of State.
- Graduates who have their original diploma can deliver a copy of the original to Registrar Student Services – Schmitz 260 – during office hours.
- If the diploma copy is verified as a true copy, it will be signed and stamped by a Registrar official.
- The Registrar will return the certified copy to the graduate.
- The graduate then requests the apostille from the WA Secretary of State.
Visit the WA Secretary of State’s Apostille and Certificate Program for information on obtaining an apostille.
Replacement Diploma
To request a newly-printed original diploma, please submit a Diploma Replacement Request. There is a $20 fee for replacement diplomas.
Please contact diploma@uw.edu with any questions.