Apostille Requests

Effective as of the 2020 summer semester, the new apostille process is as follows.

Apostille Requests

An apostille is a special certification that guarantees the authenticity of a U.S. document (i.e., a diploma or a transcript) when it's used outside of the U.S. Some countries require that a Berklee College of Music diploma and/or transcript has this authentication; here is a list of countries that may require this.

Important information and instruction on apostilles can be found on the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's website.

Please review the steps below, and contact us by email or phone at 617-747-2470 if you have questions or concerns.

Key Points

  • You may have more than one document certified at the same time.
  • Apostilles may be affixed to document copies, not original documents.
  • There is no charge for the college's notary service.
  • The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth charges a $6 fee for each apostille certification.
  • For recognition in countries that are not part of the Hague Convention agreement, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth can produce a similar (non-apostille) international certification.

Steps to Complete

  1. Confirm what information your home country needs, and choose the official documents that meet those needs.
  2. Review the apostille instructions on the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
  3. If needed, follow these instructions for ordering an academic transcript or replacement diploma to obtain the appropriate documents.
  4. Prepare the following attachments to send to Berklee:
    1. Complete and include the Massachusetts Apostille Cover Letter.
    2. Include a return envelope to have the completed apostille returned to you. Purchase a shipping label from ups.com, and attach it to your return envelope.
    3. Include a personal check (in USD) or bank check (in USD) made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ($6 per certified document).
    4. Mail your complete packet (documents for certification, cover letter, return envelope with UPS shipping label) to:

Berklee College of Music
Attn: OREG-Apostille
1140 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215

Berklee College of Music will notarize and forward your documents to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for official apostille certification.

Once received by the state of Massachusetts, mailed requests are typically processed within two or three weeks.