You'll need a notarized diploma, transcript, or enrollment verification letter to get an apostille or authentication certificate when these documents are going to be used outside of the United States. Depending on the requirements of your school, the state, and even the document requestors overseas, there are multiple options for you to get a notarized copy.
Option 1: Contact the Registrar’s Office of your school
This is the most direct, simple, and secure way to obtain a notarized copy of a diploma and transcript. Contact the office and inform them that you need a notarized/certified copy for an apostille or authentication purpose. Usually, the school official (principal/registrar) will issue a copy of a diploma or transcript and sign a statement to the document indicating that it is an original document (or a true and correct copy) issued by the university. This document must be signed in the presence of a notary in the school. Although notaries are available in most of the registrar's offices, in case there is no notary in your school, they may ask you to bring a mobile notary to the office to notarize the official's signature.
Option 2: Present your original diploma/transcript to a local US notary
When notarizing a true copy of the educational document is allowed in your state, you may find a notary near you to get it notarized. It is advised to access a notary at your bank or UPS store. Most banks provide notarization service free of charge to their customers, or for a small fee. There are 10 ways for you to find a local notary. If you're physically outside of the US, make an appointment with the local US embassy or consulate to request a notarization service. Consular officials can provide a service similar to the functions of a notary public in the US.
When requesting true copy notarization, prepare a copy in advance, or in some cases, the notary will make a copy of your original document. You'll sign an affidavit in front of the notary, as shown below. This affidavit may be provided by a notary or yourself. This affidavit applies in most states. Please make sure this affidavit is properly notarized. Contact us (email: info@usnotarycenter.com ) to confirm whether your state has special requirements for the content, notarial wording, etc.
TRUE COPY AFFIDAVIT
I, _________________________________(document owner) , do hereby swear or affirm that the attached is a true, exact, complete, and unaltered copy of ___________________________________ (description of the document) in my possession and that this copy contains no alterations from the original.
_____________________________________ Signature of Custodian of Original Document
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County of ______________________
State of ______________________
The foregoing instrument was subscribed and sworn before me this ______ day of _______________, 20 ________ by _________________________ (name of person seeking jurat).
_______________________________ (SEAL)
Notary Public’s signature
Notary registration number: ____________________________
My commission expires: ______________________________
Option 3: Have your translated diploma/transcript notarized
Sometimes, the destination country that requests your document has an official language other than English, and they do not require you to have an original diploma/transcript to obtain an apostille or authentication certificate. In this case, you can email us a scanned copy of your document. The translated diploma/transcript will be submitted to obtain an apostille or authentication.
Apostille or Authentication Process
After obtaining the notarized documents, you'll need to get them apostilled or authenticated.
For countries participating in the Hague Apostille Convention, an Apostille certificate is enough. Order the service below.
For Non-Hague apostile countries, you need to go through a multi-step authentication process, such as Secretary of State authentication, the US Department of State authentication, Embassy legalization, etc. Order the service package below.
The apostille and authentication process can be complicated. If you don't want to spend a lot of time and energy getting into it, your best bet is to let a professional do it for you. Once we receive your order and document, it'll be processed as soon as possible.
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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.