Academy of Art University Apostille of Diploma or Transcript
What is a diploma or transcript apostille/authentication?
An Academy of Art University apostille of university records, such as a diploma and/or academic transcripts, is a certification process that validates your academic record for use abroad. AAU 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.
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.
The apostille process is designed to fight international academic and other types of fraud.
How do I get my Academy of Art University 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, Academy of Art University 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 Academy of Art University Registrar.
If you 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 AAU. First, contact the Academy of Art University to place your order for an official copy of your diploma, transcript, or both. Please also give permission for us to meet with the registrar to notarize the cover letter(s). 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 to obtain an official copy of my [transcript / diploma / transcript and diploma] apostilled for use in [destination country]. I hereby grant SF Notary + Apostille permission to notarize the registrar’s signature on one or more letters of authenticity and take possession of the document(s).
Note: The diploma and transcript printing processes can be delayed. Academic records are printed by a third party, and there are times when orders take longer than expected to process.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Office of the Registrar at +1 (415) 274-2222 or [email protected].
3. Place an Academy of Art University 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 AAU
- The country in which the apostilled document will be presented/submitted
- Your name, address, and phone number
- The name, address, company name (if shipping to a business), phone number, and email address of the person to whom we will ship the fully-authenticated document once it is ready to ship
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/
The Academy of Art University Office of the Registrar will let us know when they are ready to schedule an appointment to notarize the 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.