U.S. University Diploma and Transcript Apostilled for Mexico
To revalidate your studies with the SEP or your state’s education authority, or for a job that requires it, your diploma and transcript must be certified by the university, apostilled in the right state and translated into Spanish. We coordinate those steps; the education authority then decides on the revalidation.
Which Mexican offices ask for this document
These are the most common procedures; the receiving office may ask for more:
Revalidation of Studies Completed in the U.S. or Canada
- Degree or diploma and transcript, apostilled by the state or province where they were issued or notarized.
- Spanish translation of both documents when they are not in Spanish.
- The apostille is not the revalidation: the SEP or state authority compares the curriculum and decides separately.
Employment, International Schools and Visas for Other Countries
- A national, fingerprint-based record check: the FBI report (U.S.) or the RCMP certificate (Canada).
- Many institutions want it apostilled; some other countries’ consulates do not require an apostille. Check before you apply.
- The check usually has to be no more than 3 to 6 months old.
Which version works and which does not
An apostille can only go on a public document with the right signature and seal:
- Copy of the diploma certified by the registrar before a notary
- Official transcript with the university seal and notarial certificate
- Uncertified scans or photocopies
- Student portal printouts or unofficial grade histories
How to prepare this document
Follow this order so the authority apostilles it and the Mexican office accepts it:
Request notarized certified copies from the university registrar.
Apostille from the Secretary of State of the state where they were notarized.
Spanish translation of the diploma and courses by a perito traductor.
Filing with the SEP or the state education authority (by you or your representative).
Which authority apostilles your document?
The apostille comes from a specific office, depending on where the document was issued or signed. Pick your case:
Secretary of State (State where notarized)
Apostilled by Secretary of State (State where notarized) (Secretary of State of the university’s or notary’s state).
Already living in Mexico?
You do not need to travel to the United States or Canada. We handle everything remotely:
1. Online review
Send us a photo or scan of the document. We check the signature, seal and authority before you send anything.
2. Shipping originals
If the procedure needs the original, we tell you how to send it by tracked courier or collect it from your address.
3. Delivery to your door
We send the apostilled document and, if you asked for it, the translation by a perito anywhere in Mexico.
Translation by a perito traductor
Mexican offices usually ask for documents in English or French to be translated into Spanish by a perito traductor authorized by the state judiciary. The translation normally includes the apostille. Each office decides which peritos it accepts: some only take peritos from their own state.
Usual timelines
These are the authorities’ timelines; shipping and translation are on top:
Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
Believing the apostille equals revalidation of studies in Mexico.
Sending the diploma to the federal Department of State, which does not apostille university degrees.
Translating only the diploma and forgetting the transcript, which the SEP usually needs to compare courses.
Apostille questions: University Diploma & Transcripts
Do I also need to apostille the transcript?
In most cases yes: to compare courses and credits, the education authority usually asks for the transcript as well as the diploma, both apostilled and translated.
My university is in one state and I lived in another. Where is it apostilled?
In the state where the document is notarized, which is normally the university’s state. The state where you lived has nothing to do with the apostille.
Once apostilled, is my degree revalidated in Mexico?
No. The apostille only confirms that the registrar’s or notary’s signature is genuine. Revalidation is decided by the SEP or your state’s education authority, which reviews the curriculum; to practice certain professions you then need a cédula profesional.
We help you in Mexico
- Secretaría de Educación Pública (Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education, SEP): https://www.gob.mx/sep
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): https://www.hcch.net/es/instruments/conventions/specialised-sections/apostille
Pre-review: University Diploma & Transcripts
Before any paper moves, we review your document: who issued it, whether the signature and seal can be apostilled and what the Mexican office needs. You get the timeline and a quote in writing.
Pre-review: University Diploma & Transcripts
We check the authority, signature and seal, and send you a quote before you ship the original.