Georgia Diploma & Transcript Apostille Guide

An apostille on an educational document does not certify your grades, the validity of your degree, or your school's accreditation. It authenticates a signature and seal so the document is accepted in countries party to the Hague Apostille Convention. Usually that signature belongs to an in-state notary who attests a true copy of your document, or to the school registrar when the state keeps that signature on file. A diploma is the certificate awarding your degree; a transcript is the detailed record of courses and grades. The institution or employer abroad decides which one it wants, so confirm their requirement before you order anything.

Start by getting an official copy from your school or registrar — either an official diploma copy or a registrar-sealed transcript. Here is what the copy needs to satisfy:

• Sealed official copy: an official diploma or a registrar-sealed transcript — kept in the school's sealed envelope where required.
• A signature to authenticate: an apostille authenticates a signature/seal — usually the in-state notary who attests the copy, or the school registrar's signature where the state keeps it on file.
• Accredited institution: issued by an accredited school, college, or university.

Where the school issues a sealed transcript, keep the envelope sealed; opening it can void it for authentication. A document from an unaccredited institution will not be accepted.

There are two routes to get a signature the state can authenticate, and which one applies depends on your state and your school:

• Notarized true copy: Most common: an in-state notary attests a true copy of the diploma/transcript (or the school official signs before a notary); the state then apostilles the notary's signature.
• Registrar-certified copy: Some states authenticate the school registrar's signature directly when it is on file — no notary needed.

The common route is the notarized true copy: an in-state notary attests a true copy of your diploma or transcript, or a school official signs before a notary, and the state apostilles the notary's signature. The alternative is registrar certification, where the state authenticates the school registrar's signature directly when it is already on file. Confirm which route your state and school support before you pay for anything.

Because the common route relies on a notary, Georgia adds a step for notarized documents. SOS Apostille and Certification Guide states Georgia notary-public documents must include Clerk of Superior Court certification before apostille/certification. In practice, after your in-state notary attests the true copy, the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the notary is commissioned certifies the notary's commission, and only then is the document ready for the apostille.

Submit your notarized (or registrar-certified) copy to the state apostille authority:

1. 1.
   The document

   the original sealed/certified report or copy — not a plain photocopy

2. 2.
   Request form

   Apostille cover/request letter (+ pre-paid self-addressed return envelope; Credit Card Pre-Payment Voucher optional) (download: https://www.gsccca.org/notary-and-apostilles/apostilles), stating the destination country

3. 3.
   Payment

   for the apostille fee (see Fees below)

4. 4.
   Return envelope

   self-addressed; add a prepaid tracked label for return

As of 2026-06-05, the apostille processing time is: Mail: normally 1–2 business days; walk-in: typically under 20 minutes. Remember this covers only the apostille step. Getting the sealed copy from your school and having it notarized adds its own time, so plan for every stage when you have a deadline. Queue times drift, so confirm current turnaround on the official page before you rely on it.

Many destination countries require a certified translation of the diploma or transcript and its apostille, and some also require a separate credential evaluation that assesses your degree against their own standards. The receiving country or institution sets these requirements, not Georgia, so confirm exactly what is needed before you submit your documents abroad.