legitimate apostille question

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by ashton, Jan 24, 2006.

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  1. ashton

    ashton New Member

    Being a notary public, I monitor a discussion board at www.notaryrotary.com. Someone asked about the procedure for obtaining an apostile for a diploma.

    I was wondering if anyone on the board has any first hand experience on the proper way to get an apostille for a legitimate diploma from an above-board university.

    The notary asking the question said the degree holder is in Mexico and the degree holder is also in Mexico. The notary is in New York, but didn't say where the university is.

    I know that my own alma mater (USC) does not issue copies of diplomas unless the original is lost, but they will issue something called a "verification". Maybe that is what the degree holder should really be asking for.
     
  2. AuditGuy

    AuditGuy Member

    What is the point of the apostille? It's really just a 2nd level notary signature and doesn't add any "realness" to a degree.

    The apostille process is frequently abused by diploma mills trying to make their degrees appear official.

    So my questions would be: What university degree are the trying to get certified and why?
     
  3. philosophy

    philosophy New Member

    Very good reply!
     
  4. ashton

    ashton New Member

    I have read about well regarded European universities that require that diplomas or transcripts from US universitles have an apostille as part of the admission process for a higher degree. I could easily imagine that some of the more bureaucratic governments might require the same if one is applying for a government job.

    I don't know the particulars in the case at hand. If anyone came to me for help in my capacity as a notary, I'd send them to the registrar's office of the university that granted the degree. Surely they would have a notary hanging about the office.
     
  5. eckert16

    eckert16 New Member

    I know that my own alma mater (USC) does not issue copies of diplomas unless the original is lost, but they will issue something called a "verification". Maybe that is what the degree holder should really be asking for.

    Same here. If you want it replaced due to loss, you can usually get one from the registrar for a fee. If it is for admission to an European University, then there is this 'international agreement' that regarding recognition of the 'A'
     
  6. JLV

    JLV Active Member

    Ashton, I do. You don´t need an original diploma to get the apostile, a notarized copy is enough. You gotta contact your university and request they notarized a copy and your transcripts for you, then they ´ll have to send the copy of your diploma to the Secretary of State, pay the fee and you´ll get it a few days later. Total cost, a few bucks. I have my degrees with the apostile afixed because I live abroad (I am not American but gotmy educatio nthere) and the apostile is needed by the Dutch government to "convert" my degrees to local degrees. I suggest you contact both your registrar and your secreatry of State. USC is a big university and I am sure thay have done this millions of times. It looks messy, but, in fact, it is way easier and faster than one may expect. Good luck!

    BTW, my wife graduated from a British university and no apostille was needed. The apostille is only needed for governments to certify the validity of a document, not the validity of the degree. They just wanna make sure you got a degree from USC, for instance, and the appostile of The Hague is the convention designed to do so. In different words, an apostille doesn´t confer legitimacy to a diploma from a degree mill. But I am sure this has been used by many to rip off students.
     
  7. ashton

    ashton New Member

    Just to reiterate, I don't need an apostille, I'm relaying an inquiry from a board frequented by notaries public. Since I don't plan to study or work outside the US, I've no need for an apostile for any of my degrees.

    It is interesting to learn about JVL's first hand experience of needing an apostille for a US degree used in the Netherlands.
     

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