Foreign countries may require documents such as the diploma and/or official transcript to be certified in order to be accepted in the foreign jurisdiction. An “Apostille” and “Authentication” certifies the signature and the position of the official who has executed, issues, or certified a copy of a document. Please check with the country in which you will be working/studying to find out if they will require an Apostille or Authentication. Procedure Please be aware that this service is for William Paterson University Documents ONLY! What documents are eligible for an Authentication? Diploma Official transcript Verification of Enrollment Course descriptions Where can I have my documents authenticated? Documents eligible for authentication may be presented at the Registrar's Office, located in the lower level of Morrison Hall, during regular business hours. How do I obtain an Authentication for an Apostille? You can obtain an Authentication of eligible documents by completing the following steps in the orderlisted below: E-mail your request for authentication of a document to DiplomaInfo@wpunj.edu. Provide you full name, year of graduation from William Paterson University, and which documents you require to be authenticated. The Registrar will sign a “letter of authentication” to include with you documents. The Notary Public will then notarize the letter. After completing the authentication letter, the original documents and the letter are returned to the requester in a sealed envelope. How can I receive my authenticated documents? So that we can accommodate your requests in a timely manner, in-person appointments are preferred. E-mail your appointment request to DiplomaInfo@wpunj.edu. What if I am out of the country and cannot come in to have my documents authenticated? If you are unable to come to the office in person to receive your documents, please include that information at the time of your request and we will make arrangements to accomodate the request. How long does the process take? This process may take up to 5-7 business days. The requester will be notified once the process is complete. Is there a fee to have my documents authenticated? The University does not charge a fee for the authentication of documents. However, requests for official transcripts and duplicate diplomas will require a fee. Please be advised: William Paterson University does not notarize directly on any official documents. A separate “Letter of Authentication” is provided to include with your original documents. Depending upon where the documents are being submitted, further validation may be necessary. It is the responsibility of the requestor to determine what level of validation is needed and how to obtain it. Our office is unable to send documents directly to the New Jersey Secretary of State or US Department of State on your behalf, as there are fees and additional requirements involved.
