For teaching abroad, foreign job offers, graduate school and professional licensing. $190 per document, 5 business days. Serving Lakeland and the USF corridor.
Diplomas and transcripts are the second most common apostille we handle, and the one most often tied to a hard deadline — a contract start date, a visa appointment, a university enrollment window. Foreign employers, ministries of education and licensing boards will not recognise a U.S. credential until the apostille is attached.
Here's the part that trips people up: a diploma isn't a public record, so it can't be apostilled as-is. It has to be notarised first — either by a school registrar whose signature is on file, or through a notarised copy certification or a registrar's affidavit. We're Florida-commissioned notaries, so we handle that step and the apostille in a single pass. For Lakeland clients that's one handoff, one fee, and the document back in 5 business days.
TEFL and TESOL placements in Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, Spain and the UAE require an apostilled degree and, almost always, a background check alongside it.
Employers in the Gulf, Europe and Asia verify credentials through the apostille before a work permit will be issued.
Foreign universities want an apostilled diploma and transcript as part of the admissions file, often before the application is even reviewed.
Nurses, engineers, teachers and physicians seeking to practise abroad must present apostilled credentials to the foreign licensing authority.
Foreign evaluation bodies increasingly require the apostille before they will assess a U.S. degree for equivalency.
Exchange placements and scholarship programs routinely ask for apostilled academic records as part of the visa packet.
Population in Lakeland runs to roughly 120,000, the largest city in Polk County. Polk County residents click through to us at nearly twice the rate of the Tampa Bay average — there is real unmet demand between Tampa and Orlando, and Lakeland sits at the centre of it. A large agricultural and logistics workforce with strong Mexican and Central American ties drives Spanish-language vital records work, while Florida Southern College and the corporate presence in town generate diploma and corporate apostille requests.
We serve clients throughout Lakeland's neighborhoods including Lake Morton, Dixieland, Grasslands, South Lakeland and Highland City. Landmarks like Lake Mirror, Florida Southern College and the Publix corporate campus put us on familiar ground — this is local service, not a mail-order processor.
Our office sits about 45 minutes away from Lakeland. We work by appointment, which means no queue at the counter when you get here. Nearby Plant City, Brandon and Tampa are served on the same terms.
Documents leaving Lakeland most often head to Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Agricultural and logistics households drive Spanish-language vital records and powers of attorney, while Florida Southern College and the corporate presence in town generate diploma and corporate authentications.
Polk clients come across I-4. Given the distance, book ahead and let us confirm the document qualifies by phone first. Whichever route you take, the document is filed in person at the Florida Department of State rather than mailed, which is what holds the return to 5 business days.
A diploma or transcript needs a notarised element before Florida can apostille it. There are three routes: the school registrar signs and has their signature notarised; a Florida notary performs a copy certification of the original; or the registrar issues a notarised affidavit attesting to the credential. Which one works depends on the receiving country and, sometimes, on the school. Sealed transcripts sent directly from the registrar in a signed, notarised envelope are the cleanest option when the destination accepts them.
Graduated from the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College, Florida Southern College or Saint Leo? All of these are routine for us. Graduated out of state? The notarisation has to happen in the state where the notary is commissioned, and the apostille follows from that state — but if you're in Florida with the original in hand, we can often handle the copy certification here. Bring it to our Westshore office — about 45 minutes from Lakeland — or book a booked appointment.
Appointments are confirmed inside one business hour, not the next day. Tell us roughly when suits and we'll fit you in.
We read the document before it travels. Wrong seal, missing notarial wording, a certificate the state won't accept — we catch it here, where fixing it costs nothing.
Your paperwork goes to the Department of State counter in a person's hands, not an envelope. That's the whole reason the timeline is five days instead of several weeks.
Apostilled originals are ready in 5 business days at the Westshore office, and we call as soon as they land.
A single figure per document, with the Florida Department of State's fee already included. Bundles bring the per-document rate down from there.
Each figure includes the state's $10 filing fee per document, hand delivery to the Department of State counter, and all handling from drop-off to return. Notarization, where a document needs it first, is a separate add-on.
Grab the Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form from the Florida Department of State here. There's no need to fill it out ahead of time — we'll complete it with you at your appointment.
Call or send a request and we'll hold a time at the Tampa Westshore office. Appointments are confirmed within one business hour, so you'll know your slot the same day rather than waiting on a callback.
We're at 4830 W Kennedy Blvd, Suite 633K in Tampa's Westshore district — about 45 minutes away from Lakeland. Book a time and we'll have it held when you arrive.
Five business days after handoff. The clock is set by the Department of State counter, not by the drive, so Lakeland is on the same schedule as the rest of our area. Tight deadline? Ring us and we'll be straight with you about what's possible.
Yes — a diploma is not a public record, so a notarised signature has to exist on it or alongside it before the Department of State can act. We're Florida-commissioned notaries and handle that step with the apostille in one visit.
Straightforward. Either the registrar's office signs and notarises, or we perform a notarised copy certification of your original diploma. Both routes are common with Tampa Bay institutions and both reach the same result — bring the original and we'll advise on the spot.
Often, yes. If we notarise a copy certification here in Florida, the Florida apostille attaches to that Florida notarisation. Some countries insist the apostille come from the state that issued the degree — check with the receiving authority, and tell us what they say.
It depends entirely on who's asking. Employers and licensing boards usually want the diploma; universities almost always want the transcript as well. When in doubt, do both — the two-document bundle at $300 is cheaper than coming back for the second one later.
Yes. High school diplomas and transcripts follow the same route as university credentials, and they come up regularly for students enrolling in foreign universities or families relocating overseas.
The office that issues the apostille itself.
USF Office of the RegistrarTranscript and credential requests for USF graduates.
Florida Department of EducationState-level education records and credential information.
One flat rate, volume bundles, and the few things that add cost.
Processing timeThe 5-day timeline vs the mail-in queue.
Same-day & rush serviceA straight answer on what a tight deadline allows.
Booking an appointmentHow office visits work, and what to bring.
On a deadline? Call and we'll confirm a Lakeland appointment within one business hour.
