How to apostille a Texas degree from abroad
Texas does not let the state office apostille a school registrar directly. A Texas notary witnesses the registrar’s signature, and then the Authentications Unit of the Texas Secretary of State in Austin apostilles the notary. You can run that chain from another continent if you plan the shipping. Boston Apostille Service handles the Texas steps for graduates overseas and sends the finished set to you.
Who apostilles a Texas degree for a graduate living abroad?
The Authentications Unit of the Texas Secretary of State in Austin apostilles the degree. A school official signs in front of a Texas notary, and Austin apostilles that notary. No county clerk step is listed for school records. The fee is $15 per document, not per page. Mail can take up to two weeks from receipt. Pay by check or money order from a U.S. bank.
- Who apostilles: Office of the Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, Austin
- State fee: $15 per document, not per page
- County clerk step: None listed for school records
- State mail time: Up to two weeks from receipt
- Originals only: The office does not apostille photocopies of notarized records
Texas is the simple state, as long as the notary is a Texas notary
Most states put a county clerk between the notary and the state office. Texas does not, at least for school records. The Texas Secretary of State’s Apostille and Authentication Certificate Guide says the office can apostille school records “properly notarized by a Texas notary public.” That is the entire chain.
The catch is who that notary is. The state apostilles the notary’s commission, so the notary must hold a Texas commission, and the school official has to sign in front of them. A notary in Boston, London or Seoul will not do, no matter how good the stamp looks.
Graduates abroad get stuck on the second half. The state takes a check or money order from a U.S. bank and adds no tracking on the way back.
Registrar signs. Texas notary witnesses. Austin apostilles the notary. Then it ships to you.
From a Texas registrar’s desk to an Austin apostille
- School registrarsigns the statement
- Texas notary publicwitnesses, seals, dates
- Texas Secretary of StateAuthentications Unit, Austin
- Universal apostilleattached to the notarized record
- Courier to you abroadtracked, signed for
Read the chain backwards, the way a foreign registry does. The apostille vouches for the notary. The notary vouches that the school official signed. The school official vouches for the record. The Texas guide puts it plainly: the apostille attests to the validity of the Texas public official, not to the contents of the document.
Original record or notarized copy
The guide describes two versions. For an original school record, the document carries a statement of issuance and the signature of a school official, followed by the notarial certificate. For a notarized copy, the student, parent or guardian signs a statement that the photocopy is true and correct, and the notary completes the certificate.
Most registrars use the first version, because receiving offices abroad trust the school’s own statement more than yours. The second version is the fallback when the school will not notarize. It needs you in front of a Texas notary, which is hard from Bangkok.
Our honest limit. A Massachusetts notary cannot stand in for the Texas notary here, and the Commonwealth cannot apostille a Texas school’s record. The Texas steps happen in Texas. We coordinate them, then handle the Austin submission and the shipping.
What the Texas Secretary of State’s Authentications Unit says
Every fact below comes from the office’s own pages as I read them in October 2026. Offices change procedures, so we reconfirm before we file.
400 West 15th Street, Austin
The request page lists the Authentications Unit at 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701, open 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday. A site banner says in-person services moved there. Older school pages still show a P.O. Box and a Brazos Street address, so do not copy an address from a registrar’s page.
$15 per document, not per page
That is the state’s fee. Mail requests pay by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, or by funding an SOS Client Account. In person you can also use a card or exact cash. Requests without payment are not issued.
Walk-ins Monday and Friday
Tuesday to Thursday, the counter works by appointment. Walk-in and appointment visits are limited to 10 documents and two people, with same-day service. Bulk drop-off is processed within 72 hours. Mail is processed in order of receipt and can take up to two weeks from the day it arrives.
Form 2102 and the country field
Every request needs Form 2102 with the country of use filled in. The office does not apostille documents for use inside the United States. Adoption files use a different form and a different fee, which does not apply to degrees.
Mail from abroad, returns and electronic options
The request page does not say whether the office accepts mail that originates outside the United States, and it gives no international return instructions. It does say the office does not retain tracking numbers, cover shipping or add tracking. Texas State’s registrar tells students abroad to list the Secretary of State’s address as the shipping address and to enclose a prepaid return label.
The pages I read do not describe an electronic apostille. The authentications page does cover online notarizations, which need a notarization ledger and a certificate naming two-way audio and video. Some countries refuse them, so for a degree I would not rely on that route. Ask us first.
The office ran a one-day Houston session on August 26, 2026, by appointment only. Nothing I read says it repeats, so plan on Austin. The state’s guide adds that countries outside the Hague Convention may need extra authentication from the U.S. Department of State, which our apostille versus legalization guide explains.
What eight Texas registrars say on their own pages
There is no single Texas process, because each registrar decides how it notarizes. I list only what the page says. Where a page is silent, ask the registrar before you pay for anything.
| Institution | What the page says | How a student abroad asks | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| UT Austin | Page covers notarized transcripts, not diplomas. Foreign air mail is untracked, allow at least four weeks. Documents must be notarized before the state apostille. | Signed Notarized Transcript Order Form by upload, fax, mail or a proxy. The page says not to order online. | Registrar |
| Texas State University | Notarization is free. Original diplomas cannot be notarized, so order a duplicate. Transcripts take one to two business days, duplicate diplomas up to four weeks. | Order through Parchment with a hold, then email the registrar the document ID. Type “Notarize” on the diploma order. | Registrar |
| Baylor University | Baylor notarizes the diploma or transcript and mails it to the alumnus. Its role ends at notarization. Both back-of-diploma stamps are signed and witnessed. | Order a duplicate diploma and write “Need notarized” in comments. Request the transcript, then email the registrar. | Baylor PDF |
| UT Arlington | Notarizes only its own records. Prepares a letter of authentication signed by an official, with a certified copy of the diploma attached. The page is dated October 2013. | Note “DELIVER TO NOTARY PUBLIC” on the order, email the notary, and file the proxy authorization form. | UTA PDF |
| UT Dallas | Notarizes transcripts and diplomas for apostille purposes but does not apply the apostille. You start the state process yourself. | Email the transcripts or graduation office. They reply with procedures. The page gives no fee or timing. | Registrar |
| Sam Houston State | Registrar notary. Official transcripts must be bought through Parchment and printed in the office. Outside transcripts are refused. A duplicate diploma is recommended. | Mail to Office of the Registrar, Box 2029, Huntsville. Sending notarized documents to a third party needs written, signed authorization. | Registrar |
| East Texas A&M | Staff notarize. Duplicate diploma is $30. Transcripts take 3 to 5 business days, diplomas 7 to 10. Documents go to the student by mail or pickup, never to the state for you. | Use the Apostille Transcript Request Form. Email the graduation office with your order number so the diploma is notarized. | Registrar |
| UTEP | Handles official transcripts and original diplomas. Allow about five weeks. UTEP sends them to Austin if you supply money orders and envelopes. Return mailing is U.S. only, not overseas. | In person or by mail with an original diploma. Photocopies are not accepted. A friend or relative may deliver for you. | Registrar |
I could not confirm a notary-and-apostille page for Texas A&M, Rice, the University of Houston or the University of North Texas. If you graduated from one of them, ask the registrar three questions. Do you notarize in-house, do you need a duplicate diploma, and will you release the notarized set to a third party? We ask these during the free review.
What I make of the table. Most of these schools point you to a duplicate diploma, which is good news. You never ship your framed original across an ocean. UTEP’s mail-in route asks for an original, so ask whether a duplicate is acceptable there.
Diplomas, transcripts, letters and the things people mix up
Diploma and final transcript
Both qualify. The state’s school-records list names transcripts, diplomas, letters issued by the school and report cards. Send them together. Most foreign universities and employers want the degree certificate and the record of courses. Our college diploma apostille page covers the general service.
Degree or enrollment verification letter
A letter on school letterhead, signed by the registrar before a Texas notary, is a school letter in the state’s terms. Some receiving offices prefer it to a diploma because it states the degree, major and date in plain words. Ask the receiving office which they want.
I-20 and DS-2019
These are federal forms that a school official completes. The Texas office says it cannot apostille federal documents. Most readers do not actually need an apostilled I-20. They need proof of study dates, and a notarized enrollment letter does that. If a consulate insists on the I-20 itself, ask exactly what it wants stamped.
Syllabi and course descriptions
Some credential evaluators abroad ask for them. A registrar or department officer would certify the syllabi in front of a Texas notary, and the notary’s signature is apostilled. None of the registrar pages above mention syllabi, so ask early and allow extra time.
Background-check letters
The state guide lists state-issued background checks among Texas records, and federal checks such as the FBI report go to the U.S. Department of State instead. See our FBI report apostille page. Do not mix them into the school package.
The steps, in the order that saves you a courier bill
This is the sequence we follow for a graduate who is not coming back to Texas.
- 1
Confirm what the receiving office wants
Ask which documents, whether it needs an apostille at all, and whether a translation follows. Check the country on the Hague Conference status table. If it is not a party, the plan changes.
- 2
Ask the registrar the three questions
Duplicate diploma or original, in-house notary or not, and release to a third party or not. Registrars answer faster by email than by phone. Texas is on Central Time, so your evening is their morning if you are in Seoul.
- 3
Authorize us in writing
Sam Houston State wants written, signed authorization before it mails notarized documents to a third party, and UT Arlington has a proxy form for its notary. We send you what the school needs. Sign it, scan it and email it.
- 4
The registrar notarizes
The school official signs in front of the school’s Texas notary. Transcripts printed in the office are the norm, so a PDF you already hold will not do. Electronic transcripts and emailed PDFs cannot be apostilled.
- 5
We file in Austin
We prepare Form 2102, pay the state’s $15 per document and submit the notarized originals. We watch the case and update you in ApostilleDesk.
- 6
Ship the finished set to you
Tracked international courier, signed for. Put the apostilled set in one rigid envelope with a copy of your passport photo page on top, so customs can see whose it is.
Where the weeks go
Texas State notarizes transcripts in one to two business days, but a duplicate diploma can take up to four weeks. The state takes up to two weeks by mail. UT Austin warns foreign air mail takes at least four weeks and cannot be tracked. DHL, FedEx and UPS quote door-to-door days at booking, so ask for your city. Start two months before your deadline.
Calling the registrar
Austin is on Central Time. Seoul is about 14 to 15 hours ahead, Munich about 7 and São Paulo 2 to 3. The state office is open 8:00am to 5:00pm Central, which runs from mid afternoon to midnight in Germany and overnight in Korea. Email first, then call in your morning.
Three situations we see from Texas graduates
No real names, just the pattern. Your school’s details will differ.
The diploma never leaves Texas
A graduate working in Seoul needs the diploma and transcript for a visa file. The school only notarizes duplicates, so the framed original stays on a parent’s wall in Dallas. The duplicate and a fresh transcript are notarized, we file them in Austin, and the set flies to Korea after the apostille.
Release to a third party
A graduate in Brazil asks the registrar to send the notarized set to us. The registrar says no without signed permission. The graduate signs the authorization form, the registrar releases the set, and the Austin filing follows. Nothing is mailed to the graduate first.
The registrar mails only to the alumnus
The school notarizes and mails the set to the graduate, which is what Baylor’s published process describes. The graduate’s parent in Texas receives the envelope and forwards it to us unopened. The Austin filing goes in without anyone flying home.
Europe, Asia and Latin America ask for different things
Germany and the rest of Europe
Germany is a Hague Convention party according to the status table, so an apostille is the right stamp. German universities and employers often ask for the degree, the transcript and a translation. If the office says it needs a sworn translation, you hire a sworn translator in Germany, and we ship the apostilled set to that translator. Our translation and apostille guide explains the order.
South Korea and the rest of Asia
South Korea is a party. Employers and immigration offices there usually want the diploma and transcript apostilled for a work visa. China became a party in 2023, which changed a lot for teachers. See our teaching abroad checklist.
Brazil and Latin America
Brazil and Mexico are parties. Ministries of education usually revalidate foreign degrees, and they commonly want a translation by a translator registered in the country. We can provide ATA certified translations that get notarized. We are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations.
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf
Saudi Arabia is a party and Kuwait is not on the table. A non-party country needs further authentication from the U.S. Department of State and then the embassy. Check the country before you order, and read our Hague country list.
Six reasons a Texas degree file stalls
These come from the state’s rules and the registrar pages above.
The notary is not a Texas notary
The office requires “properly notarized by a Texas notary public.” A friendly notary where you live cannot fix this. The registrar’s own notary is the safe choice.
You photocopied the notarized page
The request page says the office does not apostille copies of certified or notarized records. Send the original notarized document, never a scan or a photocopy.
A check the state cannot cash
Mail payment must be a check or money order from a U.S. bank, payable to the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Missing amounts, addresses or signatures are refused. This is the problem graduates abroad hit most.
The set comes back untracked
The office does not add tracking or pay shipping. Without a prepaid return envelope or label, documents left after the pickup window are mailed by USPS without tracking. We supply a tracked label.
The school will not do what you assumed
UTEP will not mail overseas, East Texas A&M will not file in Austin for you, and UT Dallas stops at notarization. Learn the school’s limit in week one, not week five.
The country is not an apostille country
A universal Texas apostille may still not satisfy a non-party country. Form 2102 also needs the country of use filled in. Confirm it before you file, since a mistake costs weeks.
Our apostille mistakes guide lists general errors, and you can see how receiving offices check a stamp in how to verify an apostille.
If you also need a Texas birth or marriage certificate
Vital records follow a different route from degrees. The Texas guide says the office can apostille original certified copies of birth and death certificates issued by the city, county or state, and that recorded documents like these cannot be notarized. You request a fresh certified copy from the Texas record holder, and the Secretary of State apostilles that copy. The request page puts an age limit on certified records, so check it before reusing an old one.
If you are applying abroad as a family, ask us to bundle them with the degree. Our pages on birth certificates, marriage certificates and divorce decrees explain the general rules. Texas records still follow Texas rules.
One flat quote before you pay
We review your file for free. We confirm the Texas fee and timing for your school and send one flat-rate quote, so there is no surprise at the end. You see every step in ApostilleDesk from the moment the file opens. Hablamos Español.
Our published prices, $149.95 Economy, $199.95 Express and $385.95 Rush, cover Massachusetts state work. They are not the Texas price. A Texas degree involves a Texas registrar, a Texas notary and a trip through Austin, so we quote it separately. The state’s own fee is the $15 per document above. Ask us about a volume discount if you have several documents. See our pricing page and how it works.
We are a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, serving Boston and the Merrimack Valley since 2007. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with any state office or school.
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Frequently asked questions
Who apostilles a Texas university degree?
The Authentications Unit of the Texas Secretary of State in Austin. It apostilles the Texas notary who witnessed the registrar’s signature, not the school directly. The state’s guide says it can apostille school records properly notarized by a Texas notary public, and the fee is $15 per document.
Do I need a county clerk step for a Texas diploma?
The state’s guide lists no county clerk step for school records. The chain is the school official’s statement, a Texas notary’s certificate, and the Austin apostille. Some other states add a clerk, so do not follow a guide written for another state.
Is there an electronic apostille for Texas degrees?
The pages I read do not describe one. Texas accepts online notarizations if they come with a ledger and the right certificate, but some countries refuse them. Plan on a paper apostille attached to the paper record, and ask the receiving office first.
Will the state office mail my apostille to another country?
The request page gives no international return instructions and says the office does not cover shipping or add tracking. Use a prepaid return label, or let us collect the apostilled set in the United States and ship it to you by tracked courier.
How long does a Texas degree apostille take?
It depends on the registrar. Transcripts can be notarized in days, duplicate diplomas can take weeks, the state takes up to two weeks by mail, and international shipping adds more. We confirm the timeline for your school during the free review.
Does a Massachusetts notary work for my Texas school record?
No. The Texas office requires a Texas notary public, and Massachusetts cannot apostille records from schools in other states. The registrar’s notary does the first step in Texas, and we coordinate everything after it. Our out of state guide explains the difference.
Related services and guides
From a Texas registrar’s desk to your desk abroad
Tell us your school and the country. We coordinate the registrar, the Texas notary, the Austin apostille and the shipping from our Tewksbury office near Boston.
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