Apostille on educational documents: what is it, and why do you need one?

What is an apostille?

Anyone looking into how to legalise a Ukrainian diploma in Italy has come across this word. Apostille comes from the Latin post illa and means “certification”, “a note after the text”; it later passed into French as apostille, “annotation”, as Wikipedia notes.

An apostille is a stamp of a special form placed on official documents to legalise them for use in countries that are parties to the 1961 Hague Convention. An apostille needs no further certification (legalisation) by consular offices. It is valid only in the countries that signed the 1961 Hague Convention.

What kind of document is it?

An apostille is not a separate document but a stamp placed on the original document, and only by a state authority of the country where the document was issued (in our case, the apostille on Ukrainian diplomas is placed in Ukraine by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine). It states the country where the document was issued, the name of the issuing institution and the date of issue, and bears the signature and seal of the authorised official.

Where do you get an apostille on educational documents?

In Ukraine, apostilles on educational documents are placed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

An apostille on educational documents may be needed for:

• admission to educational institutions abroad;
• employment abroad;
• recognition of qualifications;
• other legal procedures.

How to get an apostille

1. Gather the documents you need: the original educational document, a copy of it and your Ukrainian passport.
2. Apply to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in person or through an authorised representative.
3. Fill in the application for an apostille.
4. Pay the state fee.
5. Collect the document with the apostille.

If you need help preparing an apostille request, contact the members of the Coordination Centre of Ukrainian Associations for qualified advice.