Our solicitor can verify, certify, apostille & legalise
All UK recognised degree-awarding universities or colleges
471
recognised UK
institutions
About the Author
KH is a practising solicitor based in London, admitted in England & Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. KH has worked as legal counsel and in-house solicitor across leading firms and corporations. He personally oversees every case at Ginkgo Advisory, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and end-to-end quality control.
KH Lam, LLB, LLM
Legal Consultant of Ginkgo Advisory
Ginkgo Advisory provides NPTC Group of Colleges degree verification and apostille services for graduates who need to use their academic documents overseas.
Our solicitor-led service can include:
- HEDD degree verification;
- awarding-body checks;
- solicitor verification;
- enhanced solicitor certification;
- authenticity confirmation;
- certified true copies;
- FCDO apostille;
- a 2-working-day express apostille option;
- embassy or consular legalisation; and
- international return delivery.
HEDD lists NPTC Group of Colleges as a recognised UK college that currently offers degree awards. Third parties can verify eligible higher-education records through HEDD with the graduate’s signed consent.
However, NPTC also delivers many programmes with partner universities and awarding organisations. Therefore, applicants should always check the awarding body printed on the certificate.
Quick answers
Who verifies an NPTC Group of Colleges degree?
For eligible NPTC Group records, employers, solicitors and other third parties can submit a verification enquiry through HEDD.
HEDD can check:
- whether the candidate is a current or former student;
- the award obtained;
- the grade or classification; and
- the attendance dates.
How much does HEDD verification cost?
HEDD currently lists a £14 enquiry fee for NPTC Group of Colleges. However, HEDD may change its charges.
Does NPTC award every degree taught at the College?
No.
NPTC delivers higher-education programmes with several awarding partners. These currently include the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the University of South Wales, Wrexham University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Pearson and Agored Cymru.
Therefore, the university or organisation named on the certificate may control:
- formal award verification;
- replacement certificates;
- official transcripts; and
- confirmation letters.
Can an NPTC qualification receive an FCDO apostille?
Yes.
In most cases, our solicitor can certify a suitable copy before submitting it for an FCDO apostille.
How quickly can Ginkgo Advisory arrange the apostille?
We offer a 2-working-day express FCDO apostille option for eligible and correctly prepared documents.
However, this period covers the FCDO stage only. It begins after the required verification and solicitor certification are complete.
Do I also need embassy legalisation?
You may need embassy or consular legalisation if the destination does not accept an apostille as the final authentication step.
Therefore, we check the destination and receiving authority before preparing the document.
Degree verification through HEDD
HEDD stands for Higher Education Degree Datacheck.
It allows an authorised third party to compare a candidate’s details with the academic record held for NPTC Group of Colleges.
A HEDD enquiry can confirm:
- student or graduate status;
- the qualification;
- the grade;
- attendance dates; and
- other available award information.
Therefore, HEDD provides more than a visual review of the certificate.
Instead, it checks the information against the relevant academic record.
The current HEDD listing gives the following contact address:
higher_education_enq@nptcgroup.ac.uk
NPTC’s public student pages also use HEServices@nptcgroup.ac.uk for higher-education enquiries.
Who can use HEDD?
HEDD serves third-party enquirers.
These may include:
- employers;
- recruitment agencies;
- background-screening companies;
- solicitors;
- professional regulators;
- universities;
- government bodies; and
- document legalisation providers.
The graduate must authorise the enquiry.
Ginkgo Advisory can submit the request as part of the wider solicitor certification and legalisation service.
Candidate consent
HEDD requires a consent form signed by the candidate.
The enquirer must upload the form as a:
- PDF;
- JPG;
- PNG; or
- TIF file.
The consent should clearly identify:
- the candidate;
- NPTC Group of Colleges;
- the authorised third party;
- the academic information that may be released;
- the candidate’s signature; and
- the date.
Before submission, we check the form and the academic details.
This review helps reduce delays caused by missing or inconsistent information.
Information required for verification
We normally request:
- the graduate’s full name;
- any former name used during study;
- date of birth;
- student number, if known;
- course title;
- qualification title;
- award year;
- grade or classification;
- attendance dates;
- campus or place of study;
- the awarding body;
- a clear scan of the certificate;
- a scan of the reverse side;
- a transcript, if available;
- the graduate’s passport;
- evidence of any name change; and
- signed candidate consent.
Small differences may prevent a quick match.
For example, problems may arise because of:
- a missing middle name;
- a later change of surname;
- an incorrect graduation year;
- a shortened course title;
- incomplete attendance dates;
- an incorrect campus; or
- confusion about the awarding body.
Therefore, we copy the information directly from the academic documents wherever possible.
Check the awarding body
The teaching college and awarding body may not be the same organisation.
NPTC Group delivers some courses directly. However, it also delivers many degree programmes through partner universities.
For example, current programmes may carry awards from:
- University of Wales Trinity Saint David;
- University of South Wales;
- Wrexham University;
- Cardiff Metropolitan University;
- Pearson; or
- Agored Cymru.
A current NPTC business and IT degree, for instance, names Wrexham University as the awarding body.
Therefore, applicants should check:
- the name at the top of the certificate;
- the awarding-body logo;
- the signatures;
- the seals;
- the qualification wording;
- the transcript; and
- any validation statement.
This check determines who should provide:
- award verification;
- a replacement certificate;
- an official transcript;
- a certified statement; or
- another supporting document.
HNC, HND and vocational qualifications
Not every NPTC higher-education qualification is a university degree.
The College also offers:
- Higher National Certificates;
- Higher National Diplomas;
- Access to HE Diplomas;
- vocational diplomas;
- professional qualifications;
- apprenticeships; and
- qualifications from external awarding bodies.
Pearson awards many Higher National qualifications offered through NPTC.
Therefore, an HNC or HND should not automatically be described as an NPTC degree.
The correct route may involve:
- Pearson;
- a partner university;
- another examination board; or
- NPTC’s exams or higher-education team.
Replacement certificates
NPTC states that it normally retains examination certificates for three years after a student completes the course.
After that period, the College destroys uncollected certificates. The former student must then contact the relevant awarding body for a replacement.
Therefore, the correct replacement provider may be:
- a partner university;
- Pearson;
- WJEC;
- City & Guilds;
- another examination board; or
- another professional awarding organisation.
If the graduate does not know the awarding body, NPTC advises contacting its Exams Team.
A replacement document may not look exactly like the original certificate.
Nevertheless, an official replacement or certified statement can support verification and solicitor certification.
Degree verification and solicitor certification
They perform different roles.
Degree verification
HEDD, NPTC or the correct awarding body checks the academic record.
Solicitor verification
Our solicitor reviews the certificate, verification result and identification evidence.
Solicitor certification
The solicitor places a formal certification statement on the document or copy.
FCDO apostille
The FCDO authenticates the relevant UK public signature, stamp or seal.
Therefore, one stage does not replace another.
Enhanced solicitor certification
A basic certified true copy confirms that the copy matches the original document shown to the solicitor.
However, it does not automatically prove that NPTC or a partner university issued the original qualification.
For stronger evidence, Ginkgo Advisory can provide enhanced solicitor certification.
The process may include:
- HEDD or awarding-body verification;
- review of the original certificate;
- confirmation of the awarding institution;
- review of a transcript or official letter;
- comparison of the academic details;
- identity and name checks;
- authenticity confirmation; and
- solicitor certification.
Therefore, enhanced certification connects the academic document with an independent record.
However, our solicitor will only confirm authenticity when reliable evidence supports that conclusion.
FCDO apostille
An NPTC Group of Colleges qualification can usually receive an FCDO apostille after correct preparation.
Depending on the case, the apostille route may use:
- a solicitor-certified degree certificate;
- a certified HNC or HND certificate;
- a certified academic transcript;
- an official university letter;
- a replacement certificate;
- an awarding-body statement; or
- another eligible academic document.
The receiving authority may require a specific format.
Therefore, we first check whether it needs:
- the original certificate;
- a certified copy;
- HEDD verification;
- an official university document;
- an awarding-body letter; or
- a combined evidence pack.
What does the apostille confirm?
An apostille does not verify the candidate’s academic record.
Instead, it authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal.
For a solicitor-certified copy, the FCDO normally authenticates the solicitor’s signature.
A strong process may therefore follow this order:
academic verification → authenticity review → solicitor certification → FCDO apostille
Each stage provides a different form of assurance.
Two-working-day express FCDO apostille
Ginkgo Advisory offers a 2-working-day express FCDO apostille option for eligible documents.
However, the express period only covers the FCDO stage.
It begins after:
- we identify the correct awarding body;
- academic verification is complete;
- the required document is available;
- our solicitor approves the evidence;
- the certification is ready; and
- the document meets the FCDO requirements.
Therefore, the two-working-day period does not include:
- HEDD processing;
- NPTC record searches;
- partner-university verification;
- replacement-certificate production;
- transcript production;
- solicitor evidence enquiries;
- embassy legalisation; or
- international delivery.
Embassy legalisation
Some destinations require embassy or consular legalisation after the FCDO stage.
A typical process may involve:
- academic verification;
- solicitor certification;
- FCDO apostille or authentication;
- embassy legalisation; and
- further approval in the destination country.
However, every embassy sets its own rules.
For example, it may require:
- the original certificate;
- a solicitor-certified copy;
- HEDD verification;
- an awarding-university letter;
- an academic transcript;
- a certified translation;
- a passport copy; or
- specific certification wording.
Therefore, we check the destination requirements before preparing the document.
Our process
Step 1: Document review
First, we review the front and back of the certificate.
We identify:
- the teaching institution;
- the awarding body;
- the qualification;
- the award date;
- the grade or classification;
- the signatures; and
- the seals.
Step 2: Verification-route selection
Next, we decide whether the case requires:
- NPTC HEDD verification;
- a partner university;
- Pearson;
- another awarding organisation; or
- more than one source.
Step 3: Candidate consent
The graduate signs the required consent form.
Step 4: Academic verification
We submit the enquiry using the exact information shown on the certificate and transcript.
Step 5: Authenticity review
Our solicitor compares the verification evidence with the qualification document and identification records.
Step 6: Solicitor certification
Where the evidence matches, our solicitor prepares the appropriate certification.
Step 7: FCDO apostille
We submit the document for an apostille.
A 2-working-day express option is available for eligible cases.
Step 8: Embassy legalisation
Where required, we arrange the embassy or consular stage.
Step 9: Return delivery
Finally, we provide a completion scan where requested.
We then return the documents through the agreed postal or courier service.
Frequently asked questions
Is NPTC Group of Colleges a recognised UK higher-education institution?
Yes.
HEDD lists NPTC Group of Colleges as a recognised UK college that currently offers degree awards.
Who verifies an NPTC degree?
Eligible records can be verified through HEDD.
However, a partner university or another awarding body may control the final award record.
How much does HEDD verification cost?
HEDD currently lists a £14 enquiry fee.
Do I need candidate consent?
Yes.
HEDD requires a consent form signed by the candidate.
Which file formats does HEDD accept?
HEDD accepts PDF, JPG, PNG and TIF consent files.
Does NPTC award every degree taught there?
No.
The College offers higher-education programmes with several university and awarding partners.
How do I find the awarding body?
Check the degree certificate, transcript and course documents.
The awarding institution should appear clearly on the academic record.
Can I obtain a replacement certificate from NPTC?
Possibly.
However, after NPTC’s certificate-retention period ends, the graduate normally needs to contact the awarding body directly.
Is an HNC or HND an NPTC degree?
Not necessarily.
Pearson awards many Higher National qualifications delivered through NPTC.
Is HEDD verification the same as solicitor certification?
No.
HEDD checks the academic record. Solicitor certification formally certifies the document or copy.
Does an apostille verify the qualification?
No.
The apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal. It does not check the academic record.
Can Ginkgo Advisory arrange a 2-working-day apostille?
Yes, provided that the document is eligible and ready for FCDO submission.
Do I need embassy legalisation?
You may need further embassy or consular processing where the destination does not accept an apostille as the final step.
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