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Apostille Diplomas and other School Records Overview
This Apostille Diplomas FAQ was designed to answer the top 12 questions people had on how to apostille school records in the Philippines.
A major source of confusion is the CTC and CAV Philippines requirements, so I’ve really tried to explain what they are and how to get them.
First, let me give you an overview:
- To Apostille school documents, you must have a CTC and a CAV.
- You get a CTC at your school See CTC Section for details
- You get a CAV at the DEPED/CHED/TESDA – where you get them depends on the grade level and whether the school is public or private. See CAV Section for details
- It is not the CAV price or Apostille cost that makes it expensive, it is the time and effort that you need to put in. No, you cannot do this online.
- You will need a SPA if you want to authorize someone else to complete the Apostille and CAV process for you. See the SPA section for more details.
Now, let’s start with the 12 most asked questions on how to Apostille Diplomas/TORs and other school records.
I’ve written a comprehensive guide on Apostille in the Philippines if you want further reading. This current article deals mainly with requirements for apostille diplomas and other Philippine school documents.
Let’s get to it.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille allows your Philippine documents to be accepted abroad by foreign governments and institutions.
Apostille replaces the previous “red-ribbon” process and removes the embassy authentication step.
A Philippine apostille uses a seal instead of a red ribbon.
An apostille basically warrants that the person signing the document is known and authorized to do so.
This allows the foreign government or institution to be secure that the documents are authentic.
Can I apostille diplomas, TOR or form 137 from the Philippines in another country?
No, if you want to apostille diplomas or any other Philippine document, the apostille must be done in the Philippines.
An Apostille is given by the country where the document was issued.
So, only the Philippine DFA can apostille transcript of records (TORs), Form 137s or other documents issued by a Philippine school.
Likewise, Germany should apostille the transcript of records if you studied in Germany.
So, you must get the apostilled educational documents in the country where you studied.
How long does it take to apostille diplomas or TORs in the Philippines?
The DFA Apostille can be done in a few days.
However, completing CAV before going to the DFA Apostille appointment can take time.
CAV Philippines Requirements:
- Certified True Copy of the school record (you get this at your school and it is not just a photocopy of your document)
- DEPED CAV or TESDA Certification
It may take a month or several months to complete the CAV process or get the TESDA certification.
It takes a long time to complete the CAV process because:
- You might have trouble finding someone to do the legwork
- It takes time to complete a Special Power of Attorney especially if you are abroad
- Someone must go to the school to get a Certified True Copy of the educational documents
- It takes time to complete the CAV process at DEPED/CHED
I explain a lot more about the Certified True Copy and how to get the Certification, Authentication and Verification in other sections down below since there is a lot you need to do to get them.
Try to complete these Apostille requirements ahead of time since they are not easy to do.
This will avoid you from struggling to complete the items and rushing when there is a tight deadline.
How much does it cost to apostille school documents in the Philippines?
The cost of apostille school documents in the Philippines is not much but it is the time it takes that makes it costly.
There are 2 trips to the DFA for the apostille itself.
There are 2 trips to the school to get the Certified True Copies (CTC)s and 3 trips to the DEPED/TESDA for CAV processing.
That’s a total of 7 trips at least per document.
Each trip can take a day just by itself, so you are looking at 7 full days of work. There is also coordination needed for each institution.
(Coordination is no joke – it takes a very long time to reach the offices and hours and hours can be spent just doing this.)
In terms of Apostille costs –
The DFA Apostille costs are Php 200 to Php 100, depending on whether you choose the expedited or regular option.
Schools charge from Php 300 to Php 1,000 for the Certified True Copies (it’s highly dependent on the school).
Meanwhile, the DEPED CAV price is Php 45 / Php 15 per document.
The total Apostille cost (DFA plus CTC plus CAV) is really because of the time spent coordinating with the DFA, school and DEPED/TESDA than it is about the government fees to apostille.
Transacting with the institutions and government is really, really, really time-consuming and costly.
Can I apostille the transcript of records/diplomas/educational documents online?
No, you cannot apostille transcripts of records and other Philippine educational documents online.
Every single step is manual.
You’ll need to physically go to the school and the DEPED to complete the CAV requirements and then the DFA for the Apostille process.
(And sometimes you will be turned away because you haven’t coordinated in advance. So put in the time to coordinate.)
What are the CAV requirements needed before Apostille?
Before you can apostille school records, you must have:
- A Certified True Copy (CTC) from your school itself.
- A Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) from the DEPED/CHED or TESDA, depending on the school.
What’s a Certified True Copy (CTC)?
What’s a Certification Authentication and Verification (CAV)?
I totally understand – a lot of people do not understand that these CAV requirements are needed to get an Apostille.
I’ll explain the CTC and the CAV in separate sections so that it is very clear.
Let’s first start with a CTC and what it really is.
What is a certified true copy of my school records?
A Certified True Copy is a copy of your records with a stamp/seal from your school.
It is usually signed by the school registrar or the responsible officer that has custody over your school records.
It includes his or her position as well as the date.
It informs other institutions that this was really issued by that school and is a true and correct copy.
It is the first layer of document authentication that proves that the document is authentic.
Please note –
A CTC is not just a photocopy of your diploma – it is a document that you have to get from the school itself.
You must get CTC because it is a CAV requirement, and you need a CAV to apostille school records.
How do I get a Certified True Copy of my TOR/form 137/diploma?
You’ll need to go to the school to get certified true copies (CTC) of your transcript of records, Form 137, and diploma.
Go to the registrar’s office.
Bring the following:
- Original TOR, Form 137, diploma, etc. Even if you need to apostille only 1 document, some schools ask for your other documents as well.
- Photocopies of the document, before going to the school.
- ID
The registrar will assess your documents.
When they are satisfied it’s a legitimate request, they will issue your CTC document.
(Note that this usually takes 2 trips.)
Now you’re ready to submit this to the DEPED/CHED/TESDA for the Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV).
What is a Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV)?
A Certification Authentication and Verification (CAV) is a DEPED/CHED/TESDA certificate.
It states that the school certification and the signature of the school official are genuine and authentic.
It also certifies that the school that issued your CTC Transcript of Records, CTC Form 137, and CTC Diploma is duly recognized by the government.
It also vouches for the entries in the CTC record.
This second level of authentication further verifies your school record.
What is the CAV process at the DEPED/CHED/TESDA?
The CAV process is straightforward so long as you have the CTC school records, you have your requirements and you have completed the CAV DEPED Form.
CAV Philippines Requirements:
- Your Form 137, diploma, certification of completion, certificate of graduation
- 2 passport sized photos
- Money for the issuance of CAV
- The DepEd CAV form, or the CHED CAV form, whichever is applicable. (It’s best to do this in advance)
Fill up the CAV DEPED form (or CHED as applicable) correctly.
Incorrectly filled-up forms might mean your document is returned to you without the CAV.
So, always review your application form.
Submit your application form and your documents to the Record section.
The CAV price will be calculated for you.
Pay the fee and wait.
(You might have to come back since your document is processed by the record section, then it goes to the Director’s Office, then it goes back to the record section. So it’s kind of a looooong process.)
(Oh, and if there are errors in your name or errors in your school record, this can be denied or take even looonger….)
Pick up your CAV when done.
Important note:
This DEPED/CHED/TESDA CAV process is only needed when your school is private.
Some private schools offer end-to-end processing and get the CAV for you.
However, in most other cases, you’ll need to do this yourself.
If it is a public school, the school may be able to provide the CAV itself.
Which government office do I go for the CAV?
You will get your CAV at different government offices depending on the grade level and whether the school is public or private.
CAV Philippines: List of government offices that provide CAVs
- For private collages, a certified true copy (CTC) and a CHED Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) have to be collected. This takes 5 to 7 trips with several days in between for processing and you’ll go to the university, the DEPED and the DFA.
- For public colleges, a CTC and a CAV can be released by the school. This may still take at least a month.
- For technical vocational schools, the CTC and a TESDA certification will be needed.
- For high school and elementary documents, the school’s CTC and the DEPED CAV are needed.
Remember that you’ll coordinate, set appointments and need to bring your requirements at every step.
12: Can a representative do the apostille for me?
Yes, a representative can apostille for you.
A representative can also get the CTC and the CAV for you.
Apostille/CTC/CAV Philippines requirements if you are using a representative:
- Special Power of Attorney (SPA);
- Photocopy of a government-issued ID;
- Softcopy scans of all your documents.
All government agencies are pretty strict with their CAV/Apostille requirements.
For example, with regard to the SPA:
The SPA should have the representative’s full name on the SPA.
If the person signing the SPA is signing it abroad, the SPA has to be apostilled.
If the SPA is local, it should be notarized.
The SPA should contain the institutions and specific documents the representative needs to go to and get. (Basically, you must specify that your representative has the authority to process DepEd/CHED CAV requirements and go to the DFA on your behalf).
Also make sure your signature matches the ID, that your photo is on it, and that the ID expires several months in the future.
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Hello po.. pano po if may CTC at CAV na po ako sa expired Red ribbon ko. Pwede ko pa ba yun magamit for apostille?
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Hello po, ask ko lang ilang set po ba ng ctc of diploma/tor ang kailangan ipa apostille? Meron na akong 1 original copy of cav po.
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Hello Eli, magkano lahat nagastos mo po. From CAV to Apostille attestation? Para may idea ako if magkano na lahat magagastos. Thanks
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Hi. So I went to the DFA to apostille my tor and diploma along with my cav with ctc. I just want to ask ano po ba dapat ang una yung ctc or cav? Kasi yung sakin ang cav ko is mas nauna ang date which was nov. 23, 2023 tapos yung ctc ko is dec. 5, 2023 yung naka lagay na date. Sabi ng officer doon mali daw yung ctc at cav ko. Dapat daw mas nauna ang date ng ctc tapos later date na ang cav. Pero yun kasi ang binigay sa akin.
When I went to the univ kasi to get my tor kasama ang cav ko pag bigay nila. Tapos inutasan ako ng registrar namin na ipa photocopy (3copies yun) yung docs. Tapos tatawagan na lang ako for releasing. So on dec. 3 that was when all my docs was released from the school and yung ctc was also the date na ni release nila ang docs ko
Can I use my previous CAV for the Apostille?
Check with the DFA. Note also that some institutions that accept an apostille will only accept if the document is a certain age.
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Hello! Sa Remarks po ng TOR need po ba talaga for abroad purpose para ma Apostille? Or tatanggapin pa rin ang remarks na for employment purposes?
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Hi, I had a CAV ans CTC before that I used in red riboon DFA authenticatatio but they have expired already, should I need to re-do again the whole process as in back to zero? Or I can still use those documents for apostillization? Thank you
Dear sir/ma’am,
I need to process my state university diploma/TOR only, kindly specify the requirements that I need to bring incase I’m missing some. And also CO Pampanga don’t have appointment so it’s only available for walk-ins,do I still need to do appointment? Thank You so much!
Hi Jessa – the documents required are in the post.
Generally, we call ahead of time with the government office to see if they require an appointment or are now allowing walk ins.
Dear Sir / Ma’am,
Greetings!!!
1. Do i need to make an appointment to process (CHED CAV & APOSTILE) my diplomama and transcripts, Or i can go to aseana directly?
2. What are the requirements needed?
Thank you.
Hi – you need to make an appointment first for most branches.
You have to have the CAV on the Certified True Copy.
Hi good afternoon i will ask you something so you mean after they will release my TOR and University Certificate. My representative she need to go to the CHED for taking the CAV for Apostilles my document and after that she will go to DFA thank you.
Yes, generally. Note that if it is public univeristy, they may offer CAV on the premises.