What is a diploma or transcript apostille/authentication?

A University of California Berkeley apostille of university records, such as a  diploma and/or academic transcripts, is a certification process that validates your academic record for use abroad. UC Berkeley students and alumni applying to live, work, or study in foreign countries may be asked to provide certified (a.k.a. authenticated, legalized, or apostilled) copies of their academic records. For example, these records may include diplomas, academic transcripts, or letters of enrollment or completion which are certified by Cal 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 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. UC Berkeley notarizes cover letters for diplomas and transcripts separately. Therefore, if you need both, that will count as two apostilled documents.

2. Request your document from Cal.

If you already have an official copy of the academic record with a notarized letter, then you can ship it directly to our office. If not, you need to fill out the Request for Verification of Attendance and Degrees Form. (Scroll down to Get a Transcript or Diploma Notarized and click on the link.)

On the form, check the box that says Notarize a UC Berkeley: and the box(es) below for the type of document(s) you need. In the section titled Mail my document to:, write:

SF Notary + Apostille
315 Montgomery Street, 10th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104

Sign the form. If you’re requesting a diploma notarization, include a copy of your diploma. Calculate and include payment, and mail everything to the UC Berkeley Office of the Registrar. The registrar will process the request and send the notarized document directly to us.

For any questions about this process, please contact the Office of the Registrar at +1 (510) 642-6000 or [email protected] or [email protected].

Note: UC Berkeley provides a notary twice a month, so processing times can be as long as 15 days. Cal does not allow mobile notaries, so we have no way of speeding this up. Please plan accordingly.

3. Place an 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
• 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/authentication process.

First, we will contact you as soon as the notarized document arrives at our office. Afterwards, we’ll take the notarized 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.