How do you prepare a Virginia high school, college, university transcript for an apostille?
The transcript must be certified/signed by a school official (principal, registrar, counselor, etc.) The signature of the school official must be original.
Sample certification:
Transcripts with the signature of a school official and the school seal applied by the school registrar are not sufficient. Transcripts must be notarized by a Virginia Notary Public.The best notarial certificate would be the "Certificate of Acknowledgment" (Virginia Notary Public Handbook)
The document should be issued and notarized within the last twelve months.
Certificate of Acknowledgment:
Other acceptable notarial certificates:
Jurat:
Can a notary certify a copy of a transcript?
Yes, the State of Virginia allows copy certification by notaries public. However, please check with the receiving foreign school / agency if they will accept a notarized copy. Many foreign schools require an original transcript signed by the school principal or registrar.
In case a notarized copy is acceptable, the notary should use the following notarial certificate (Virginia Notary Public Handbook):
Certified Copy of an Original:
