Processing apostille and notary requests

The Louisiana Secretary of State defines the process of apostille as follows:

“Documents which are notarized and forwarded to another country require verification or legalization of the notary's signature and official title prior to their acceptance by the foreign embassy or consulate of that country…fully [entitling] the notarized document to be recognized by the foreign country.”

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Workflow

The process for notarization and apostille will generally follow the workflow below:

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The process for notary and apostille can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks, dependent upon several variables.

• The documents have 2-3 destinations, so there are several days shipping time between each stop.

• There are waiting periods between the initial student order and the Registrar order; between the preparation for the notary and the return of the documents from the Office of General Counsel; and during the Certification of Apostille performed by the Secretary of State (SoS).

• These estimates are not guarantees; during high volume seasons such as Spring Commencement, the expected processing times may be increased.

• More information about expected processing and shipping times can be found on our website.

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The student submits a request

• Alumni will contact the University about having their documents Notarized or an apostille certificate. There are several types of documents that we regularly perform these processes for:

  • Diplomas

  • Transcripts

  • Letters

  • Catalog descriptions

• Letters and Catalog descriptions are a rarity. You should verify with a Registrar that the documentation you are sending to the notary/apostille are acceptable documents for certification.

• Diplomas and transcripts are the most typical. You may wish to use a template for responding to inquiries about the process, which vary based on the type of document, and are included below.

Advising students

• Some students may need guidance regarding whether or not an apostille or a notarization only is necessary.

  • Apostille is only for use of the documents outside of the country for work or study. The Secretary of State will not perform an apostille for the US. A notarization only will suffice.

  • Some countries do not require or accept an apostille. More information about whether or not the final destination is a country using apostille can be found by visiting the website or contacting the branch directly.

• Some students may need guidance about adding a transcript to their order, how to order multiple copies, and what shipping options they have for this process.

  • A transcript can be added to the order by selecting the shipping option which includes the transcript:

    • transcript_domestic_express

    • transcript_int_express

  • Parchment is currently unable to allow for multiple copies in one order.

    • Instruct the student to order one document as an apostille, and the other as a standard duplicate paper diploma. Ensure the student that both documents will be shipped and certified together.

    • If the student places an order for two apostille, you should cancel one order and have them place a new standard order, to save them the shipping cost.

  • Apostille and notary orders cannot be shipped using USPS. FedEx shipping must be selected. The order form will only allow domestic addresses to be entered when domestic shipping is selected, so have the student be sure they are selecting international shipping if they are trying to enter an address outside of the US.

Processing the order in Parchment

• A student order for apostille or notary of a diploma displays in the Parchment order queue.

• You will process the order in a similar fashion to an ordinary order, with the following exceptions:

  • You will not put the final destination in the order sheet for Paradigm. Leave the address blank; add in the comments column the applicable note below:

    • Ship to Tulane - notary

    • Ship to Tulane - apostille

    • Ship to Tulane - notary + transcript

    • Ship to Tulane - apostille + transcript

  • This information will be stored in your order sheet and also listed on the paper order search when complete. This allows you to locate the information about what type of order in 3 different places (Parchment, Excel Sheet, and Paradigm) to determine your next steps once the documents arrive at the TU. Be aware that if you type in Gibson’s address, it will send the diplomas in a tube. If you type SHIP TO TULANE in the address, it will send it in flat cardboard packaging. You will want to simply type SHIP TO TULANE to avoid having it sent in a tube.

Requesting SoS information

Once you receive a diploma order for apostille, and you have not previously sent the information in a template above, notify the alumnus of the information you will require for the Secretary of State.

The secretary of state only performs apostille for use outside of the country. If the student is only using their diploma in the U.S., it will not need to be apostille certified.

• More information about ordering diplomas from Parchment to Paradigm: https://tulaneregistrar.atlassian.net/l/c/2HPGVL7F

Receiving the diploma

See: Receiving a diploma for apostille and/or notarization

Preparing the transcript and other documents

See: Preparing a transcript and other documents for apostille and/or notarization

Preparing the Secretary of State letter

Before shipping the documents to the Secretary of State (SoS), a letter must be prepared identifying the documents, the destination country, and the payment method for the apostille.

This step is not necessary for documents that are only being notarized. Skip to Shipping the Documents.

1. Open the most recent SoS letter found in the 202x Letters folder you have already been using to create the Notary letters.

2. Update the document to include the correct information pertaining to the documents you are sending.

• Date

• Student name

• List of documents

• Country for which the documents must be certified

• Credit card payment information

3. Print the letter on Registrar letterhead, and sign the letter yourself.

4. Add to the notary letter and the documents to be sent to the SoS.

Shipping the Documents

You will need a FedEx account to create labels for the shipments. If you have not been given an account for FedEx, speak with a Registrar about how to generate the labels or getting an account.

1. Navigate to FedEx and sign in using your departmental account.

2. After signing in, select “create a shipment” underneath the shipping drop down.

3. The images below are from the “advanced shipping” screens; however you can use the newer style ordering form as well in the same manner, if you prefer.

   1. If you have a thermal label printer, you will want to select “preferences” in the top right corner before you create any labels. This must be done each time.

   2. If you are using the newer style screens, the option to use a thermal printer will come at the end of the shipping process.

   3. It is highly recommended that you save the address for the Secretary of State as a “shipment profile” because you will be entering that address at least once nearly every time you go to create labels.

4. Complete the fields required for the shipment to be created.

   1. Use 1 pound for weight, 1 dollar for value, and your packaging for package details.

   2. Reference the type of shipment you are making - apostille, notary, etc. in the billing section.

   3. Make sure all billing is towards the Registrar 101, as the recipients should not ever pay.

   4. Choose “drop off at a FedEx” location, as Campus Mail Services will hand off the package directly.

5. After you have ensured all fields are entered, click “ship” in the bottom right, and print your label.

6. If you are creating a label for the Secretary of State, be sure to create another label for the final destination which will be included in the package sent to the SoS, so that they can mail the certified documents on to the final address.

7. You can also simply print the label and put it in a shipping label pouch if you prefer not to use the thermal printer.

Select the packaging

• The S-3941 2.5”x20” tube is for all graduate level diplomas. Both notarized and to-be-apostille-certified sets of documents (diploma, and transcript if applicable; notary letter; SoS letter if applicable) should be gently rolled up and slid into the tube. The white end caps should be secured with packing tape. The final destination address label should be affixed to this tube.

• The S-3941 2.5”x20” tube is for graduate level apostille orders. A return label should be included in this tube so the Secretary of State can replace the label used to be to their office.

• The S-2665 white envelope is for all undergraduate level diplomas, and for transcripts/letters only. All notarized or to-be-apostille-certified sets of documents should be placed in one envelope.

  • For notarized documents only, affix the final destination address label to the envelope.

  • For apostille, affix the SoS address label to the envelope; add a second envelope, folded in half, with the final address label affixed to this envelope, into the same first envelope with the rest of the documents.

Once you have gently packaged, labeled, and sealed your documents into the appropriate shipping materials, you have completed the process for Notary and Apostille. Place the documents in the mailing cart to be collected by Campus Mailing Services.

Additional Notes

• The document may not make it to the final destination quickly. Be ready to access tracking information for the graduate who is likely anxious for this process to be completed.

• On the other hand, the graduate may be unresponsive to your requests for information required to send to the Secretary of State. It is suggested to wait 90 days before mailing the notarized-only documents on to the final destination.

• The Office of General Counsel is not the only notary that can provide this service. The graduate is welcome to have another notary certify their document; they can also work directly with the Secretary of State to complete the process.

  • Our service is recommended due to the ease of the process, even if it is not the fastest. There will be a direct line from the printer, to a notary, to the SoS, to the destination, without requiring any intervention from the graduate throughout the process.

• We recommend against using the original diploma for this process. The document will be mailed repeatedly in most cases and there is no guarantee that the document will not be creased, bent, water damaged, or otherwise compromised.