Apostilles

An apostille is a form of authentication issued by the Secretary of State that verifies the authenticity of the signatures on a document. A document that has been certified with an apostille seal is accepted for legal use in all nations that have signed the 1961 Hague Convention.

Johnson & Wales University is not authorized to grant an apostille seal. That authentication is obtained only through the Rhode Island Secretary of State's office. JWU can, however, assist by providing notarized copies of transcripts and/or diplomas for students seeking an apostille seal.

The Apostille Request form should be included with all documents needing notarization and certification. Johnson & Wales will notarize and certify documents intended for the apostille at no charge and return them as requested. Please note that all apostille requests must be sent to the Providence Campus, regardless of campus attended. Please allow up to 10 business days for processing. 

Once you receive your document(s), they must be mailed to the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office for completion of the apostille. A check or money order (made out to “Rhode Island Secretary of State”) for $5.00 per document must be included with the apostille request. Additionally, include a cover letter that states:

“I am requesting this Apostille for this (document type) for the country of ______ (i.e., France). My mailing information is as follows:

Name

Address”

Document(s), payment, and cover letter should be mailed to

Division of Business Services
Office of the Secretary of State
148 West River Street
Providence, RI 02904

The Secretary of State’s office processes requests in the date and order in which they are received. Please allow five business days (Monday–Friday) for processing. Mailed requests are returned via USPS First-Class Mail. Walk-in requests are available and do not require an appointment.

For more information, please refer to the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s website.