Purpose of an Apostille
It is important to understand exactly what an Apostille is, what it is not, and to bear in mind the purpose of an Apostille. An Apostille is a certificate that may be issued by a Competent Authority (in Wisconsin that is the Department of Financial Institutions and the office of the Secretary of State) to authenticate the origin of a public document, such as a notarial attestation, court judgment, public institution academic diploma, or a birth, marriage, or death certificate.
It is important to note, however, that an Apostille certifies only the origin of the public document to which it relates – it certifies the authenticity of the signature or seal of the person or authority that signed or sealed the public document and the capacity in which this activity was done. An Apostille does not certify the content of the public document to which it relates. The determination of how much weight to give the underlying Apostillised document is governed by law in the country in which the document will be used.
- Note: Apostilles should not be issued by
a U.S. state for use in the United States or in U.S. territories:
American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Requirements for Submitting Documents
Before submitting documents to be Apostillised for use in a foreign country make sure to verify the country is a party to the Apostille Treaty , and be aware of the country’s requirements for the particular documents being submitted.
The role of a Competent Authority is to authenticate the origin of a Wisconsin public document by verifying the official’s signature and seal appearing on the Wisconsin public document. The role of a Competent Authority is not to verify the accuracy or reliability of the content of the underlying document that is submitted for an Apostille. The DFI cannot authenticate Federal documents, such as FBI background checks or IRS documents, or documents signed by public officials in other states.
If you are asked to provide a certified copy of a document, there are two things you must know:
- Certified copies of public documents, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, may only be obtained from an official in the office where the original or official copy is kept, such as a local register of deeds or the state or local registrar of vital records. You must obtain a certified copy of those documents from the appropriate state or local custodian of such records. See Wis. Stats., s. 69.21.
- Copies of documents typically in the possession of an individual, such as passports, driver’s licenses, and diplomas, may be certified by a Wisconsin notary as being a true copy. The individual seeking certification must provide the original document for the notary to photocopy.
- Note: A notary cannot certify a photocopy of a document unless the original document is provided to, and copied by, the notary personally . See Wis. Stats., s. 140.16 (5) for a sample short form certificate that certifies or attests to a record being a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of an individual.
Document types:
Notarized Documents
Notarized documents must contain a complete notarial statement, or certificate, that conforms to Wisconsin notary law and is signed by a Wisconsin Notary Public. See Sample Notary Certificates under Resources.
Nothing in Wisconsin law prohibits a notary from notarizing a document that is written in a foreign language, but the best practice is for the notarial statement or certificate to be in English, or in both languages, to facilitate the document’s acceptance in the foreign country.
Notaries who are not attorneys may not use the words “notario," “notarizaciones," “notarizamos," or “notario publico," when making their notarial statements. See Wis. Stats., s. 140.02 (1) (i) 4.
Vital Records
Certified copies of Wisconsin vital records – such as birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates – are issued by state and local officials who are the custodians of the official records. These custodians include local Registers of Deeds, County Clerks of Courts, or the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, through the State Registrar of vital records. (These documents may not be notarized). See Wis. Stats., s. 69.21.
Determine if the country in which the Apostille is to be used has requirements such as whether a vital record must be issued within a certain time frame or if a long-form version of the document is needed. When requesting a certified copy of a vital record from a local or state records custodian, be sure to notify the official that the document is for foreign use.
Documents signed by Authorized Public Officials
These are documents issued by a Wisconsin unit of government, including the state or a county, city, village, or town as well as boards, agencies, or other subunits of such a unit of government, which are generally available for public inspection . The documents must be signed by an appropriate official who is authorized by law to act on behalf of the unit of government.
Documents that are issued by a unit or subunit of Wisconsin government agency must include :
• The signature or a seal, or both, of the authorized official. The seal should include the name of the office.
• The authorized official’s printed name and title.
• The date the document was issued by that office
School Documents
There are two types of school documents for which an Apostille is often needed – transcripts and diplomas. It is the experience of the Department of Financial Institutions that certifications similar to those shown below are usually accepted in the destination country but be aware that the Department of Financial Institutions does not guarantee they will be appropriate for your particular situation. Therefore, it is always best to consult with an official of the destination country before undertaking these procedures.
Elementary, Middle School, High School, and Private Universities:
Diplomas, Transcripts & Other Letters:
Most often the school record is certified by an authorized official representative of the school in the presence of a notary, who then notarizes that statement. The official may be someone like a principal, president, dean, registrar, secretary, or school counselor.
Example of school official statement:
I, _______________, (printed name of school official) the ___________(school official title) of ______________ (name of school) hereby certify that this is a true and original of (transcript/diploma/degree) for (student’s name.)
Signature of School Official _____________________ Date ___________
Printed name of School Official ___________________________________
Notary statement:
State of Wisconsin
County of ______________
This _______ day of ________, _____, before me personally appeared ______________ (school official) and signed the above statement.
Notary Signature ________________
Notary Printed Name ______________
Expiration date _________________
Notary affixes his/her seal
Wisconsin Public Universities:
Transcripts:
Must be certified by a University of Wisconsin Registrar and contain a watermark, official seal, date, signature, and title.
Diplomas:
Must be a duplicate original (ordered from the school) which specifies it is a duplicate original, and which contains the seal, date issued, signature, and title or a certified copy made by a notary. - Note: A notary cannot certify a photocopy of a document unless the original document is provided to, and copied by, the notary personally . See Wis. Stats., s. 140.16 (5) for a sample short form certificate that certifies or attests to a record being a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of an individual.
Contact Us
Phone: (608) 266-8915
Email: DFIApostille@dfi.wisconsin.gov
Mailing Address:
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
PO Box 7838
Madison, WI 53707-7838
Physical Address:
Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
4822 Madison Yards Way, North Tower
Madison, WI 53705