USF Apostille of Diploma or Transcript
What is a diploma or transcript apostille/authentication?
A University of San Francisco apostille of university records, such as a diploma and/or academic transcripts, is a certification process that validates your academic record for use abroad. USF students and alumni applying to work or study in foreign countries may be asked to provide certified (a.k.a. authenticated, legalized, or apostilled) copies of their academic records. These may include diplomas, academic transcripts, or letters of enrollment or completion. Records are certified with a notarized letter of authenticity signed by a University official, such as the Registrar or Assistant Registrar.
In order to give the document legal status overseas, the notarization is certified by the California Secretary of State’s office. The CA SOS checks to ensure that the document was notarized properly by a California notary public and that the notary’s signature matches the one they have on file. If everything is in order, the CA SOS adheres an apostille certificate and red stamp to the notarial certificate.
How do I get my University of San Francisco academic records apostilled or authenticated?
You do not need to be physically present during this process. Just follow the steps below.
1. Find out exactly what you need.
Sometimes a diploma is all that is requested. Other times, the requesting party wants to see both a diploma and academic transcripts. If you need both, USF can provide either separate cover letters for your diploma and transcripts (which counts as two apostilled documents) or one cover letter for both documents (which counts as one apostilled document). Please specify which you prefer when placing your order.
2. Place an order with the University of San Francisco Registrar.
Already have an official copy of the academic record? You can ship it directly to our office. If not, then you’ll need to order one from USF. You can order an official copy of your transcript or diploma on USF’s website. When placing your order, request that USF send the official document to our office:
SF Notary + Apostille
315 Montgomery Street, Floor 10
San Francisco, CA 94104
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the USF Degree Audit & Graduation Center, Office of the University Registrar, at +1 (415) 422-7260 or [email protected].
3. Give permission to the school to work with us.
You will need to contact USF’s Graduation Center and request permission for us to meet with the registrar to notarize the copy of your diploma or transcript. The Secretary of State will not legalize your school record until it is signed by the school in front of a notary. Suggested language:
I, [your full name], need an apostilled copy of my [transcript / diploma / transcript and diploma] for use in [destination country]. I hereby grant SF Notary + Apostille permission to notarize the registrar’s signature and take possession of this document.
4. Place a University of San Francisco apostille order with SF Notary + Apostille.
Pricing depends on the type of authentication required and shipping costs. For a price quote, please email [email protected] with the following information:
- A statement about what type of academic record you need apostilled and whether the official copy will come from you or from USF
- The destination country
- Your name, address, and phone number
- The name, address, phone number, and email address of the recipient (if you’d like us to ship it to a third party)
We will ship the authenticated document via FedEx Priority Overnight Service (USA destinations) or FedEx International Priority Service (overseas destinations). Once we’ve agreed upon a price, you can pay us by credit card or PayPal, and we will start the apostille/
When we receive the academic record, we will schedule an appointment to notarize the USF Registrar’s signature.
After notarization, we’ll take the transcript or diploma to Sacramento and get it apostilled by the Secretary of State. Some countries require additional processing, details of which we will provide in the price quote. Finally, once the document is apostilled (or apostilled and authenticated/legalized), we’ll ship it according to your instructions.
For more information or to place your order, please email [email protected] or call +1 (415) 655-9455.
Disclaimer: Information on this website is for informational purposes only. These instructions are based on our knowledge and experience and are meant to be helpful; however, they might contain errors. Please let us know if you encounter mistakes so that we can promptly correct them. SF Notary + Apostille is not a law firm, and its agents are not attorneys. Please contact a licensed attorney or your local bar association for counsel on legal matters.