Massachusetts Apostille FAQs

Massachusetts birth, death and marriage certificates can be submitted to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office when they have been signed by the Massachusetts Registrar of Vital Records, City Clerk, Town Clerk or assistant. Divorce decrees requiring an Apostille should be signed by the district court clerk.

For further information about obtaining apostille stamps on Massachusetts vital records, see:
Apostille Massachusetts Vital Records

Massachusetts school transcripts and diplomas should be certified by the school registrar in the presence of a Massachusetts Notary public. They can then be submitted to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office for authentication.

• Apostille STATE University Diplomas

Massachusetts university degree certificates, course transcripts and high school diplomas can also be authenticated as notarized copies. A true copy is certified by a notary (this can often be done from a scan without having to submit the original) and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Washington DC Secretary of State. Authenticated documents can also be attested by the embassies of Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

For further information, see:
University Degrees and School Records

Documents certified by a Massachusetts notary public can be submitted to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office for a Hague Apostille. The notary must include the correct notarial certificate according to the type of notarial act being performed and affix their seal. To confirm that a document has been properly notarized for a Massachusetts, please Visa Assistance for a free document pre-check.

Because we submit Massachusetts documents physically to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office, Apostilles are processed in 1 - 2 business days

Massachusetts Apostilles and Authentications can be issued to certify documents signed by:

• Massachusetts Registrar of Vital Records
• Massachusetts City Clerk, Town Clerk or assistant
• Justice of the Peace
• Massachusetts Court clerk or assistant
• Massachusetts Notary Public

If documents are required for submission to the authorities or consulate of a signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille stamp affixed by the Secretary of State of Massachusetts will generally be recognized directly as confirming authenticity, although a certified translation may also be required if presenting to a country that does not have English as an official language.

If documents are required for presentation in a country that is not a signatory to the apostille convention (e.g. United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Taiwan, Vietnam), then an apostille stamp is not valid. Documents will need to be authenticated at State level in Massachusetts, then by the State Department Authentication Division, and finally by the embassy or consulate of the destination country in the United States. A Certified Translation may also be required.

For further information about Massachusetts Apostilles and authentications see:
Apostilles and Certificates of Appointment (PDF)
To obtain a quote for assistance submitting your documents, with free eligibility pre-check, international collection and delivery by courier, please contact us or send us your documents using our Online Quotation Form.

Massachusetts vital records can be ordered online through VitalChek or from the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Certificates can also be obtained from the town or city clerk where the birth death or marriage took place.

• VitalChek - order Massachusetts vital records
• Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics

Apostille Massachusetts Vital Records

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