Minnesota Hague apostille
Do you need a Hague apostille for your Minnesota document? We provide Apostille and Embassy legalization services in the State of Minnesota and nationwide, for documents intended for international use.
If you are traveling overseas, or sending a Minnesota document for use in a foreign country, you may be required to have the document apostilled or legalized. Hague apostilles have been adopted internationally as a uniform way of verifying documents sent between countries. Documents originating from the State of Minnesota are processed directly by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
In the State of Minnesota, as in all U.S. states, an apostille is a separate page attached to the document by a staple. It is signed by the Secretary of State (facsimile signature) and has the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota. Minnesota apostilles are issued in English/French.
Minnesota apostille: $175
Processing time: app. 2 weeks + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL, UPS or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we can watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we will issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
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Minnesota apostille guidelines and tips
Effective May 15, 2018, the Minnesota Secretary of State's office issues a single Authentication Certificate (Apostille) for Hague and non-Hague countries for documents to be used outside of the country.
Eligible documents for Minnesota apostilles:
documents notarized by notaries public qualified in the State of Minnesota documents certified by county officials certified copies of Minnesota Vital Records signed by the State Registrar certified copies of documents issued by Minnesota courts documents issued by Minnesota Secretary of State
Marriage certificates can be issued and certified by the County Clerk or Deputy County Clerk in the county where the marriage was registered.Diplomas and transcripts: Documents with the signature of a school official and the school seal applied by the school registrar are not sufficient. Documents must be notarized by a Minnesota Notary Public before the Apostille can be affixed to the document.
To authenticate a transcript:
- Obtain a copy of the student's transcript from the records or administrative office of the school.
- The registrar's signature on the transcript must be an original.
- The transcript must be properly notarized with an acknowledgement and have an original signature by a Minnesota Notary Public.
- The document is then acceptable for a Minnesota apostille.
Read more about apostille requirements for school transcripts in the State of Minnesota...
To authenticate a diploma:
- Obtain the diploma from the records or administrative office of the school.
- The signatures on the diploma must be properly notarized with an acknowledgement and have an original signature by a Minnesota Notary Public.
- The document is then acceptable for a Minnesota apostille.
We obtain apostilles for documents originating from all 87 Minnesota counties: Aitkin | Anoka | Becker | Beltrami | Benton | Big Stone | Blue Earth | Brown | Carlton | Carver | Cass | Chippewa | Chisago | Clay | Clearwater | Cook | Cottonwood | Crow Wing | Dakota | Dodge | Douglas | Faribault | Fillmore | Freeborn | Goodhue | Grant | Hennepin | Houston | Hubbard | Isanti | Itasca | Jackson | Kanabec | Kandiyohi | Kittson | Koochiching | Lac qui Parle | Lake of the Woods | Lake | Le Sueur | Lincoln | Lyon | Mahnomen | Marshall | Martin | McLeod | Meeker | Mille Lacs | Morrison | Mower | Murray | Nicollet | Nobles | Norman | Olmsted | Otter Tail | Pennington | Pine | Pipestone | Polk | Pope | Ramsey | Red Lake | Redwood | Renville | Rice | Rock | Roseau | Scott | Sherburne | Sibley | St. Louis | Stearns | Steele | Stevens | Swift | Todd | Traverse | Wabasha | Wadena | Waseca | Washington | Watonwan | Wilkin | Winona | Wright | Yellow Medicine
What does a "proper notarization" mean in the State of Minnesota?
All notarized documents must contalin the notarial statement, either the acknowledgment or jurat. In accordance with Minnesota law, a notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate. Printable examples of short form certificates are provided below:
Can Minnesota notaries attest to copies of the documents?
Yes, except for vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates), documents issued by the courts (divorce judgments) or any other public records office.
Private documents, including diplomas, transcripts, drivers license and adoption papers may be certified by a Minnesota notary, you must provide the original document for the notary to photocopy. A notary cannot certify a photocopy of a document unless the original document is provided to, and copied by, the notary personally.
Sample wording for certifying photocopies:
Can a remotely notarized document be apostilled in Minnesota?
No. For notarized documents, the State of Minnesota requires the original signatures of the signer and the notary.
Does the State of Minnesota issue electronic apostilles?
No. The State of Minnesota issues paper apostilles only.
Are Minnesota apostilles issued for documents in foreign languages?
Yes. Your document may be in a foreign language. However (important!), the notarial statement must be in English.
Can a Minnesota apostille be verified?
Yes. Here is the link to the website of the Minnesota Secretary of State where you can verify your apostille: apostille.sos.state.mn.us/Search
Apostille Verification allows you to verify online whether an Apostille Authentication Certificate was issued by the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
Can a Minnesota apostille be rejected by a foreign country because it is a separate page (not a stamp), or because it is attached to the document by a staple?
No. According to the Hague Convention Apostille brochure called "The ABCs of Apostilles from HCCH",
"An Apostille must be placed directly on the public document or on a separate attached page (called an allonge). Apostilles may be affixed by various means, including rubber stamps, self-adhesive stickers, impressed seals, etc.
If an Apostille is placed on an allonge, the latter can be attached to the underlying document by a variety of means, including glue, grommets, staples, ribbons, wax seals, etc.
Failure to affix an Apostille in a particular manner is not a basis for refusing the Apostille."
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