SF Unified School District Apostille of Diploma or Transcript
What is a diploma or transcript apostille/authentication?
A San Francisco Unified School District apostille of student records, such as a diploma and/or academic transcripts, is a certification process that validates a child’s academic record for use abroad. SF Unified School District students and graduates applying to work or study in foreign countries (or their parents) may be asked to provide certified (a.k.a. authenticated, legalized, or apostilled) copies of their academic records. For example, these records can include diplomas, academic transcripts, or letters of enrollment or completion which are certified by SFUSD with a notarized letter of authenticity signed by a District official, such as the Registrar or Assistant Registrar.
In order to give the document legal status overseas, the notarization must be certified by the California Secretary of State’s office. The CA SOS checks to ensure that the document was notarized properly by a California-State-commissioned notary public and that the notary’s signature matches the signature they have on file. If everything is in order, then the CA SOS adheres an apostille certificate and red stamp to the notarial certificate.
How do I get my 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. SFUSD notarizes cover letters for diplomas and transcripts separately. Therefore, if you need both, that will count as two apostilled documents.
2. Give permission to the District to work with us.
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 the District. First, contact SFUSD 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 the school record until it is signed by the school in front of a notary. Suggested language:
I, [your full name], need to get 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 and take possession of this document.
If you are a parent ordering copies for your child, we suggest language along the lines of:
I, [your full name], need an apostilled copy of my child [child’s full name]’s [transcript / diploma / transcript and diploma] for use in [destination country]. I hereby grant SF Notary permission to notarize the registrar’s signature and take possession of this document.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact the SFUSD Transcripts, Records & Work Permits Office at +1 (415) 750-4500 or [email protected].
3. Place an SFUSD 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 SFUSD
- 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/
The SFUSD 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.