How To
Apostille A GED
(Click or pinch to enlarge graphic)
We only need three things from you to complete the expedited Texas apostille for GED diploma service process.
First, mail us or drop off at our office your original Texas GED diploma but only after a school admin or registrar official has signed it and it has been properly notarized by a Texas notary public (you cannot use a notary public from any other state or country).
A Texas notary public must watch a school official sign your original GED diploma. The school official that signs your original GED diploma cannot also be the notary who notarizes it, you need two different people.
A Texas notary public must sign and print their name on your original GED diploma exactly how it appears on their commissioned notary stamp, they must place their notary stamp and the date on the document, and write this exact notary jurat verbiage on the same page (it cannot be spread across two different pages) that is listed below on the backside of your original GED diploma or attach a separate piece of paper (the high school can also use it’s own letterhead to write a letter) to your original GED diploma after they witness a school official sign your original GED diploma.
If the Texas notary public does not do all of these things listed above on your original GED diploma it will get rejected by the Texas Secretary of State. You will then have to redo it, mail it back to us, and pay us our full service fee a second time to attempt to apostille your original GED diploma again for you.
The actual notarization also cannot be done on or under/over any type of adhesive sticker, laminate, or anything else that can be removed from the document by simply peeling it off. If the notary and/or school make this mistake on your original GED diploma it will be denied by the Texas Secretary of State. You will then have to redo it, mail it back to us, and pay us our full service fee a second time to attempt to apostille your original GED diploma again for you.
The school admin or registrar official must write a statement to this effect below on your original GED diploma and then sign their name on it.
Click on the big PDF icon below that says, “CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD” to instantly download a copy of the GED diploma registrar/admin official sworn statement verbiage that you must put on or attach to original GED diploma after it’s been notarized.
“I certify that this GED diploma of ____________________________________ (print student’s name) is the true, exact, complete and unaltered original document.”
_____________________________________
School officials signature
State of Texas
County of
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day of (month) (year),
by (print school officials name).
Texas notary public signature
Or…
The faster and easier second option way is you can make a photocopy of your original GED diploma then attach and sign a certified copy affidavit in front of a Texas notary public who will then notarize the document.
The Texas Secretary of State office will reject any non-recordable document (GED diploma copies) if the notarization was not completed by a Texas notary public and if the GED diploma holder (you) does not make and sign a certified copy affidavit statement like the example template to use below.
Click on the big PDF icon below that says, “CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD” to instantly download a copy of the GED diploma certified copy affidavit that you print out, sign, and get notarized to apostille general educational development diplomas.
Certified Copy Affidavit
On this ________ day of ______________________ , 20____,
I _________________________________ (print GED diploma holders name) swear and attest that the attached document is a true, correct, and unaltered copy of my original GED diploma, to which I am the documents custodian, named therein; and that I presented the original of the attached document (s) to the undersigned notary public as satisfactory evidence.
_____________________________________
(GED diploma holders signature)
State of Texas
County of ______________________
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the _______ day of _____________________________, 20____,
by _________________________________________ (print GED diploma holders name).
___________________________________
(Texas notary public signature)
The above notary acknowledgment verbiage must be written in all English on your copy or original GED diploma. The actual GED diploma content can be in any non-English language (for example say you got your GED diploma translated) but the entire notary area text cannot be in a different or translated language other than English.
If the notary verbiage that is used on your GED diploma is not 100% in English your document will be rejected by the Texas Secretary of State.
The Texas Secretary of State office will reject any non-recordable document (general educational development diploma) if the notarization on it was not completed by a Texas notary public.
The affiant’s signature must be an original (the person who signed the GED diploma in front of a Texas notary public). Meaning the signature on the copy or the original GED diploma (yours or a school official) that the Texas notary witnessed cannot be a copied, electronic, or automated autopen type signature.
The Secretary of State in Texas will reject your GED diploma apostille request if an original signature was not used on it.
A Texas authentications unit staffer will use a magnifying glass and/or a smudge test to verify that all non-recordable documents presented to them (GED diploma) used original signatures. So don’t think you can sneak this past them.
Apostille Texas only apostilles GED diplomas at the state government level for the State of Texas but if the country you’re sending your documents to is not a member nation of the 1961 Hague Convention you will need to go through two more legal document filing steps. We can assist you with these two additional steps even if we don’t obtain the state level authentication certificate for you from a non-Texas state.
The second step is to rush file your GED diploma at the United States Department of State (USDOS) office in Washington D.C but this step can only be done after you have been issued a state level authentication certificate by one of the fifty state secretary of state offices in the United States.
The third step is to rush file your GED diploma with the foreign country embassy of where your documents are being submitted to in Washington D.C. This final document legalization step can only be done after you have been issued both a state and federal authentication certification on your U.S GED diploma.
Second email, mail, or drop off at our office a prepaid FedEx or UPS return shipping label (we do not accept air waybills) that you can create and purchase online at FedEx.com or UPS.com without needing to have an existing account set up with them. You can also visit any UPS Store or FedEx Office location to purchase a prepaid shipping label as well.
Do not use the United States Postal Service (USPS) because they lose things constantly
(potentially your GED diploma) and are completely unreliable and slow.
The reason we require a prepaid return shipping label is so we can mail your documents back to you or to wherever and whomever in the world that you want your documents shipped to.
On the prepaid return FedEx or UPS shipping label that you must provide us please list the senders (from) mailing address as your name/address or any U.S address because you cannot list our company name or address as the from/sender for liability reasons. Then for the receiver’s address (to) just list the name/address of where and who you want your documents mailed back to.
Click on the below links for easy step-by-step screenshot directions on how to create a prepaid FedEx or UPS shipping label online in only a few minutes.
If it’s an international shipment (USA to another foreign country) please also provide us with a customs invoice (see the two links below to download custom prefilled out for you templates) that shipping companies (FedEx, UPS) will normally require you to include whenever you ship documents internationally to certain countries. If you or someone on your behalf will be returning to our office the following business day to pick up your apostilled or authenticated documents you of course won’t need to provide us with a shipping label.
For the fastest possible turnaround time, we can hand deliver your documents right to your home, office, business or hotel the very same day that we apostilled or authenticated them for an additional courier fee. The courier cost will depend on what city and zip code in Texas you need us to travel to. This is for situations where you don’t have the time to travel back to our office to pick your documents up or you don’t want your documents mailed anywhere.
Third, you will need to download, sign, and email, mail, or drop off at our office our rush Texas apostille service order form that can be instantly downloaded by clicking on the Texas apostille order form button below.
We cannot accept or process your documents by mail, email, or drop off until we receive a properly completed apostille order form from you.
If you will be dropping your documents off at our Austin, Texas office location in person you must bring this completed Texas apostille order form in with you along with any documents that you want us to rush apostille or authenticate for you or for your company.
When you arrive at our office walk up to our front lobby receptionist desk area and tell them that you have some documents to dropoff for Apostille Texas. Detailed directions and pictures of our office and office building are on our contact us page as well for you to view.
Please also understand your documents will not and cannot be apostilled or authenticated onsite at our office so this isn’t walk-in service.
The only legal and government entity in Texas that can issue apostille and authentication certificates is the Texas Secretary of State office which is where we will rush file your GED diploma at on your behalf.
We must receive your GED diploma by mail or dropped off at our office by noon CST Monday-Friday (excluding all bank and government holidays) to be able to provide you with same day Texas apostille services. If we receive your general educational development diploma after that cutoff time don’t worry we’ll simply attempt to file it on the next business day.
Lastly, we do not have these Texas apostille order forms available at our front desk receptionist area.
So if you choose to drop your documents off at our office please make sure to print out and bring this Texas apostille order form in with you or alternatively you can email us the completed Texas apostille order form ahead of time.
Texas Apostille &
Authentication
Services Pricing
All Texas Secretary of State government filing fees are included in the $95 price.
Money back guarantee if we don’t attempt to file your documents in the stated time.
Your documents couriered to any shipping center (return shipping costs not included).
Document filing status updates by email or text.
We’re based in Austin, TX, so no middleman for you to go through.
Phone and email support seven days a week.
Additional documents filed at the same time only $75 each.
Same Business Day
Apostille Service
All Texas Secretary of State government filing fees are included in the $95 price.
Money back guarantee if we don’t attempt to file your documents in the stated time.
Your documents couriered to any shipping center (return shipping costs not included).
Document filing status updates by email or text.
We’re based in Austin, TX, so no middleman for you to go through.
Phone and email support seven days a week.
Additional documents filed at the same time only $75 each.
