GEORGIA SUPERIOR COURT
CLERKS’ COOPERATIVE AUTHORITY
Notary and Authentications Division
1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
(404)
62
7 6023
How to Obtain an Apostille for School Documents
Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country may require
additional "authentication" or "legalization" before they can be recognized as valid in the
foreign country. Since 1981, the United States has joined an international agreement called the
1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public
Documents (also known as The Apostille Treaty). The Apostille Treaty provides for a simplified
method of authenticating public (including notarized) documents for use in other countries that
have joined the convention. With this Apostille certification, the document is entitled to
recognition in the country of intended use. The U.S. State Department has designated the
GSCCCA as the only agency authorized to issue apostilles for documents originating in Georgia.
Apostille for School Transcripts:
The simplest means to accomplish this is for the school to write a short letter, on school
letterhead, stating that attached are the official school documents for this student. This letter is
physically signed by a school official in the presence of a notary. (A sample letter is attached).
An alternate method is to have a school official physically sign the transcripts in the presence of
a notary public. The notary public must include the exact date of notarization as required by
statute.
Apostille for Diplomas:
Original Diploma
Follow the instructions shown above for transcripts.
Photocopy of Diploma
Method 1 - Notary Makes Copy: Any Georgia notary public can make a certified copy of
an original diploma. The notary public will make a copy of the diploma and state that it
is a true and correct copy on the photocopy or complete the attached “Copy
Certification by Notary Public” certificate and attach it to the photocopy of the diploma.
Method 2 - Document Custodian Makes Copy: An alternative is to have the document
custodian (person who is in possession of the document) make a photocopy and sign
the attached “Copy Certification by Document Custodian” affidavit in presence of a
Georgia notary.
Final Instructions:
• Detailed mailing instructions can be found at our website www.gsccca.org/
apostille.
• The fee for the apostille is $3.00 per document.
• Walk-In Service: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday (no appointment is
necessary).
Sample Letter for School Documents (please use school letterhead)
D
ate:
To Whom It May Concern:
A
ttached are the official school documents for_______________________________.
____
_______________________
Signature of School Official
___________________________
School Official Title
S
tate of Georgia
County of _________________
Signed or attested before me on ____________
Date
by ________________________________________________________.
School official’s name
who is
____
personally known
________________________________
___
(signature of notary public)
Notary Public, State of Georgia Stamp/Seal
My commission expires: _______________
Student’s Name
Copy Certification by Notary Public for Diplomas
State of Georgia
County of ______________________
On this____________________,
Date
I certify that this is a true, correct and complete copy made by me from the original diploma in
the possession of ____________________________________________________________ .
___________________________________
(signature of notary public)
Notary Public, State of Georgia Stamp/Seal
My commission expires: _______________
Copy Certification by Document Custodian for Diplomas
I, __________________________________________ , hereby declare that the attached
Printed name of affiant/document custodian
reproduction of __________________________________________________________
(description of document)
is a true, correct and complete copy of a document of the original diploma.
_______________________________________ Date: ___________________
Signature of Affiant
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State of Georgia
County of _________________
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ___________________
Date
by _______________________________________________________________ ,
Printed name of individual signing document
who is
____ personally known
or
____ proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person
who appeared before me.
___________________________________
(signature of notary public)
Notary Public, State of Georgia Stamp/Seal
My commission expires: _______________
