Under the terms of the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, documents certified with an Apostille are accepted for legal use in countries who have signed the Hague Convention. Detailed information on certification is available from the US Department of State and the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Hampden-Sydney College will request an Apostille from the Clerk of the Commonwealth of Virginia on behalf of students who are required to present internationally notarized Hampden-Sydney College academic credentials for use abroad. This service is limited to official Hampden-Sydney College documents on behalf of current or graduated Hampden-Sydney College students. The fee for processing the request is $100 per document. The expected processing time is three to four weeks.

Students requesting that an Apostille be attached to a Hampden-Sydney College official transcript, diploma, or letter of completion of Hampden-Sydney College graduation requirements should note the following procedure:

  1. Write a brief letter to the Registrar's Office requesting the Apostille. State the document for which the Apostille authentication is required, the country to which it will be sent, and the purpose of the Apostille. If the college is providing the document for authentication (official transcript or letter certifying graduation) clearly state the information to be included in the document. There is no additional fee for an official transcript when an Apostille is requested. Hampden-Sydney College does not issue duplicate diplomas. Therefore, if a Hampden-Sydney College diploma is to be authenticated, make a clear photocopy of the diploma (reduced letter size is preferred). Keep the original diploma; send the photocopy with your request.
  2. Send the letter of request, document to be authenticated, and US $100 (traveler's check, international money order, or personal check drawn on the US bank) to
    Registrar's Office
    PO Box 668 Hampden-Sydney College,
    Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
    The Apostille affixed to the original document will be returned to the student via express mail service.