Apostille Process

A student asking for an Apostille of a degree/transcript/enrollment letter is seeking to have their original document(s) certified by the college, then the county, and finally by the NYS Division of Licensing Services to use as official proof in another country.

For more information: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication Requests (scroll down to “Other Records”)

  1. Documents—Please be sure to have all of the original document(s) ready prior to scheduling your appointment.
     
    • Enrollment letter: The Registrar’s Office must populate the letter. The request must be submitted to Registrar@jjay.cuny.edu with the subject line: “Apostille Enrollment letter.”
       
    • Transcript: To request an Apostille Transcript, please email transcript@jjay.cuny.edu with the subject line: "Apostille Transcript Request." We will provide you with a form to fill out. Note that it is not possible to make the request online through Parchment. Once we receive your request, we will provide more information about the appointment and payment details.
       
    • Diploma (on hand/ Hard copy only): The request must be submitted to Registraraudit@jjay.cuny.edu with the subject line “Apostille Diploma.” Please confirm that you have your original diploma and will use it.
       
    • Digital Diploma: Please refer to the FAQ below.
       
    • Duplicate Diploma: The request must be submitted to Registraraudit@jjay.cuny.edu with the subject line: “Apostille Duplicate Diploma” with the completed Duplicate Request Form

      ** Additional details regarding a form of payment will be provided when communication has been established.
      ** Please refer to the FAQ questions if you have recently graduated.
       
    • Multiple documentation: If you request more than one document to be certified, please email Registrar@jjay.cuny.edu with the subject line “Multiple Apostille Request” and list the document(s) that must be certified within the body of the email. If you request a transcript and duplicate diploma, complete the above steps. 
       
  2. Our Registrar and a College Notary will schedule an appointment with you or your appointed proxy. We will alert you of our availability to coordinate a date/time based on your (proxy’s) schedule. The person coming to the campus for the Apostille must comply with the College’s visitor policy.
     
  3. The Registrar must hand-sign the requested document(s) on the back, with text certifying the document as a “true and original diploma/transcript/enrollment letter.” (Note: Only the Registrar can sign; no stamps or designees are allowed). Afterward, a notary on the college campus must notarize the Registrar's signature.
     
  4. The student/proxy must then bring the signed and notarized document(s) to the county clerk of the county in which the notary is registered (Brooklyn County Clerk Office). The clerk then certifies that the notary public is registered in that county. There are fees associated with this.
     
  5. Once certified, the student must bring the document(s) to the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, to obtain the final Apostille. We recommend reviewing the link for expedited services. There are fees associated with this.

Steps 1 to 3 are completed at John Jay College to receive your notarized document(s). Steps 4 and 5 MUST be completed to achieve the full Apostille. This is ONLY an In-Person Process.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The College does not charge a fee for this service. However, suppose an official transcript or duplicate diploma is one of the documents you wish to have authenticated. In that case, you must pay a transcript/diploma fee and complete the applications accordingly.
     
  • For other processing fees not associated with the College, please refer to the County Clerks and the New York State Division of Licensing Services.

You may have someone act as your proxy. That person would act on your behalf to authenticate your document(s). These documents must be presented to the Registrar during the meeting.
 

You would provide your proxy with:

  1.  A written and signed authorization letter including your contact information, the name of your proxy, and a listing of the document(s) you request to be authenticated.
  2. A photocopy of your passport or State ID.
  3. The person acting as your proxy must present a valid government-issued photo ID.

It depends on the documents that require notarization and the parties' availability. This timetable only concerns steps 1-3, not the total time needed for an Apostille. We cannot determine the processing times for sources external to John Jay College.

  • Singular requests: Transcript, Enrollment letter, Diploma (on hand) – is average to 3-4 weeks to be completed.
    Special Note: Duplicate Diploma: Upon receipt of the request, it takes an average of 4-6 weeks to populate the document. Upon the document's arrival, it takes an additional 3-4 weeks for the request to be notarized.
     
  • Multiple documents: If you have multiple documents that need notarization, such as a combination of a transcript or duplicate diploma, it can take up to 8 weeks before an appointment can be set. (See special note regarding Duplicate Diploma.) However, if you have the Diploma (on hand) and need a transcript, the processing time can be reduced to 3-4 weeks for scheduling the appointment.
  • The transcript and Enrollment Letter must be populated within the Registrar’s Office and cannot be done through Parchment. Transcripts are populated within 3-5 business days of receipt of the request, but the notarization appointment can occur 2-3  weeks after creation.
     
  • Duplicate Diploma: This is not produced locally at the College. Requests are forwarded to our vendor, Parchment Services, to be created, printed, and mailed out within 4-6 weeks. This, however, does not include the arrival time of the mail to your designation by USPS.

Once your diploma arrives, the appointment can be scheduled per all parties' availability.

You must have the Diploma on hand before the Apostille process can take place. Our office cannot expedite for recent graduates. Conferral of degrees can take up to one month after the semester ends and 3 to 4 months for the hard copy diplomas to be mailed out by our official vendor, Parchment Inc.

  • I have a time constraint. What should I do?
    If your request is time-limited, we urge you to check with the country you are visiting to see whether they would accept an Apostilled transcript as sufficient proof of your graduation. If so, we suggest you order one (the process outlined above).

No, it isn’t. However, it is considered a certified and original document.

No. The digital transcript/diploma is considered an “original document” as is. Once it is “printed,” it is regarded as an unofficial copy that we cannot certify.

Digital diplomas, such as those provided by Parchment, can be an alternative to the Apostille. Many countries recognize digital diplomas as supporting the need for international credentials. It is strongly suggested that you confirm with the country you are using this for that they will accept a digital diploma as sufficient proof. Digital copies are only available from Spring 2021 to the present term. If your diploma was issued before Spring 2021 and you need a digital copy, you must complete the duplicate diploma request application. You will also receive a second hard copy of the Diploma.

**Note: Duplicate Diploma processing time will still be 6-8 weeks.

You must follow the steps outlined above regarding the policy of Diploma (on hand) or the Duplicate Diploma Process if your original is no longer available to you. It will take 4-6 weeks to be processed accordingly, with the fees associated with requesting a duplicate diploma.

Contact Us

Email

transcript@jjay.cuny.edu

Call

(212) 663-7867