What is TEFL or TESOL certificate?
TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language, while TESOL is an acronym that stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The two acronyms are umbrella terms for training courses offered online or in-person (or a blend of both) that prepare English language teachers.
Nowadays, TEFL and TESOL are terms that are usually used interchangeably. The only slight difference is that TESOL encompasses teaching English language learners who are residing in English-speaking countries. So if you're going to teach English in the U.S., online, or abroad, you need to get those certificates to make yourself qualified.
Apostille and Authentication of TEFL/TESOL Certificate
When teaching English abroad, depending on whether the foreign country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you may be asked to obtain an apostille or authentication of your TEFL/TESOL Certificate.
▶️ Step 1: Notarize the TEFL/TESOL Certificate
Please note that the school that issued the TEFL/TESOL certificate must be located in the United States and the certificate must be signed and notarized by the school in the United States.
💡 Tips: Notarization option 1: Ask the school to have your TEFL/TESOL certificate signed and notarized. Notarization option 2: Have your TEFL/TESOL certificate translated and ask the translator to sign the translated document in front of a notary. The photocopy or the original copy shall be attached to the translation as well.
▶️ Step 2: Order the service that suits your situation.
After obtaining a notarized TEFL/TESOL Certificate, depending on whether the destination country is a member of the Hague Convention of 1961, complete the following steps:
If the destination country is a member country/region (such as Germany, Spain, France, etc.):
Get an Apostille from the Secretary of State.
If the destination country is NOT a member country/region :
Get an Authentication from the Secretary of State.
Get an Authentication from the U.S. Department of State. (if required)
Get a Legalization from the Embassy.
▶️ Step 3: Mail the documents
Note: Please be aware of how old your notarized TEFL/TESOL certificate is. There are a few states that have set limits on how old a document can be. For example, documents issued from Virginia cannot be older than 12 months, and documents issued from Texas cannot be older than 5 years.
Then please mail us the original documents for further processing based on the instruction you received from our team.
That's it. Once the apostille or authentication process is completed, we will mail it to your mailing address, either domestically or internationally. Shipping costs apply.
We provide apostille, authentication, and embassy legalization services for other personal documents and corporate documents issued in 50 states and DC.
If you have any questions and do not know which service to order, please contact us by describing ① the type of the document, ② which state the doc is from, and ③ in which country the doc will be used, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
American Notary Service Center Inc. provides fair, fast, confidential, and professional document notarization and certification services for our clients. We also provide various assistance services to small businesses led by socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Our service helps small businesses obtain federal government contracts, gain a foothold in the market, and boost their sales. For more information, please visit our website at www.usnotarycenter.com, and contact us by calling 202-599-0777 or by email at info@usnotarycenter.com.