Teaching Abroad? Prepare Your Degree and Background Check for International Use
Teaching placements abroad almost always come with a paperwork checklist — commonly a degree, a background check, and sometimes a teaching certificate.
Those U.S. records normally need an apostille or authentication before a foreign ministry of education or visa office will accept them. We review, route, and submit them for you.
Why this comes up for people in your position
Teaching visas are frequently reviewed by an education ministry as well as an immigration office, so the same document may be checked twice against two different standards.
Recruiters often send a checklist, but the legal requirement comes from the government issuing the visa. When those two lists disagree, the government list governs. School start dates also create hard deadlines that make sequencing important.
Requirements differ widely by country and program. Confirm what your school, recruiter, and the consulate each expect before ordering documents.
Exact document requirements are determined by the foreign authority, consulate, or organization receiving your paperwork, and they vary by country, purpose, and document. Always confirm their written list before ordering or authenticating anything.
Documents that may be requested
This is not a required checklist — it is a list of items people in this situation are commonly asked for.
Usually the core credential for a teaching visa.
Requested when credit hours must be reviewed.
Common for roles working with children.
Some programs accept or require a state-level report.
A notarized copy can often be authenticated.
Occasionally requested for identity verification.
How the process works
- 1Tell us what you're trying to accomplish
Share the destination country, the purpose of the document, and your deadline. That context drives every other decision.
- 2We review your document situation
We look at what you have, who issued it, and whether a certified copy, notarization, or replacement is needed first.
- 3We determine the appropriate authentication route
State apostille, federal authentication, or embassy legalization — the route depends on the issuing office and the destination country.
- 4Your documents are submitted and returned
We prepare and submit the package, track it, and return your documents by mail, courier, or local hand delivery.
Mobile Notary Philadelphia assists with review, notarization, preparation, and submission. The apostille or authentication certificate itself is issued by the appropriate government authority, not by our office.
Where was your document issued?
The route depends on which office issued the document. State-issued records go to that state, and federally issued records are authenticated at the federal level. If your documents came from more than one place, they travel separate paths.
Records issued in Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia County vital records.
Records issued in New Jersey, including South Jersey counties.
Documents issued by U.S. federal agencies.
The FBI Identity History Summary route.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Apostilling a diploma copy that lacks the registrar's original signature
- Assuming a state criminal history report satisfies a request for a federal one
- Waiting until the recruiter's deadline week to begin
- Sending original diplomas without keeping a scan for your records
- Not checking whether the program wants documents sent directly to the school
Services that may help
Teaching Abroad — FAQ
Not Sure Where to Start?
Tell us what document you have, where it was issued, the destination country, what the document will be used for, and your deadline. We'll explain the next step.