Apostille and Great Seal Authentication

Official U.S. academic documents intended for use abroad may require authentication before a foreign government, employer, or university will recognize them.

The University of North Georgia’s Office of the University Registrar provides a notarized certification cover letter that verifies the authenticity of an official University diploma and/or transcript for the purpose of obtaining an Apostille or Great Seal certification.

We do not:

  • Issue Apostilles or Great Seal certifications.
  • Submit documents to the state agencies or serve as an intermediary

Replacement Diploma

Request a replacement diploma through Paradigm

  • Standard replacement diploma orders can take 4-5 weeks
  • To discuss a rush processing order, email degreeworks@ung.edu

CeDiploma Option

Steps to Request Notarized Cover Letter

  1. Email registrar@ung.edu to set up an appointment with the Registrar’s Office to prepare and notarize your documents.
  2. Once you receive your notarized cover letter and official documents, you (or an authorized representative) are responsible for submitting them directly to the appropriate Georgia state agency for final processing.

After Receiving Notarized Cover Letter

After receiving your notarized document, be sure to 

  1. Verify the authentication requirements of the destination country before requesting documents.
    • Apostille: Required for countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
    • Great Seal Certification:  Generally required for countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention.
  2. Review the agency's requirements and instructions before submitting for an Apostille or Great Seal.

Obtaining an Apostille

If your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you must obtain an Apostille from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority 

Obtaining a Great Seal Certification

If your destination country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you must obtain a Great Seal Certification from the Elections Division of the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, after receiving your notarized document.