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 Sheffield City Polytechnic degree verification and apostille services for graduates using their qualifications overseas.
Our service can include:
- HEDD degree verification;
- CNAA award checks where relevant;
- enhanced solicitor certification;
- authenticity confirmation;
- FCDO paper apostille or e-Apostille;
- a 2-working-day express apostille option; and
- embassy legalisation where required.
Sheffield City Polytechnic became Sheffield Hallam University in 1992. Sheffield Hallam now manages its former student records.
Who verifies the qualification?
Sheffield Hallam University uses HEDD as its exclusive third-party verification route.
HEDD can confirm:
- current or former student status;
- the qualification awarded;
- the grade or classification; and
- attendance dates.
The current HEDD enquiry fee is £14.
Contact: certificates@shu.ac.uk
Strict consent requirements
Sheffield Hallam requires a consent form that:
- carries the candidate’s handwritten signature;
- is dated within the previous three months; and
- is uploaded as a PDF, JPG, PNG or TIF file.
An unsigned, digitally signed or outdated form may prevent verification.
Information required
We normally request:
- the front and back of the certificate;
- any available transcript;
- the graduate’s passport;
- the name used during study;
- any former name;
- date of birth;
- student number, if known;
- course and qualification titles;
- award year and classification;
- attendance dates;
- valid signed consent; and
- the intended country of use.
Exact information improves the chance of a successful match against the historic record.
Check the awarding body
Sheffield City Polytechnic did not have its own degree-awarding powers before becoming Sheffield Hallam University in 1992.
Therefore, an older certificate may name:
- the Council for National Academic Awards, or CNAA;
- BTEC;
- an HNC or HND awarding body;
- another university; or
- another professional organisation.
Sheffield Hallam directs graduates from 1992 or earlier to:
- The Open University for undergraduate or postgraduate award certificates; or
- Pearson for BTEC, HNC and HND certificates.
The certificate itself should guide the verification and replacement-document route.
CNAA verification
Where the certificate names CNAA, The Open University can verify the award from the CNAA archive.
It can provide:
- a certificate-style pro forma;
- a verification letter; or
- email verification.
The current CNAA verification fee is £60, and processing can take up to seven working days. However, The Open University cannot verify transcript information for CNAA awards.
A case may therefore use:
Sheffield Hallam HEDD verification + CNAA award confirmation
This combined route can provide stronger evidence for enhanced solicitor certification.
Transcripts and official letters
Sheffield Hallam offers an Award Verification Letter for £10.
The digital letter can confirm:
- the course;
- the award and classification;
- the mode of attendance;
- study dates, where available; and
- that the course was taught in English and face to face, where applicable.
The University aims to produce the letter within 10 working days. However, study dates are not guaranteed for records from before 2004.
Historic transcripts may also be available.
For study before 2003, Sheffield Hallam must manually search archived paper records. The current historic-transcript fee is £40. Production may take up to eight weeks, and the University cannot guarantee a complete transcript.
Replacement certificates
Sheffield Hallam’s standard replacement-certificate service only covers awards gained after 1992.
Therefore, a Sheffield City Polytechnic graduate should not order the standard Sheffield Hallam replacement certificate. The graduate should contact the original awarding body instead.
For example:
- CNAA awards may require an Open University pro forma;
- BTEC, HNC and HND awards may require Pearson; and
- another validating institution may control its own replacement documents.
University-verified copies
Sheffield Hallam can verify clear electronic copies or photographs of certificates and transcripts by adding:
- an official University date stamp; and
- the signature of the Director of Academic Services.
The University currently provides this document-attestation service without charge and can supply electronic or hard copies. However, it does not stamp original certificates.
This evidence may support enhanced solicitor certification.
Enhanced solicitor certification
A basic certified true copy confirms that the copy matches the original document shown to the solicitor.
However, it does not independently prove that the qualification is genuine.
Enhanced solicitor certification can also incorporate academic evidence. Depending on the case, our solicitor may:
- obtain HEDD verification;
- identify the correct awarding body;
- obtain CNAA or other awarding-body confirmation;
- review the original certificate;
- compare a transcript or verification letter;
- check the graduate’s identity and former names; and
- certify the document using wording supported by the evidence.
We only confirm authenticity where reliable verification supports that conclusion.
FCDO apostille
After verification and solicitor certification, an eligible document can normally proceed to the FCDO for an apostille.
The usual route is:
academic verification → enhanced solicitor certification → FCDO apostille
The Legalisation Office checks whether the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal matches its records. It does not independently verify the academic qualification.
Ginkgo Advisory offers a 2-working-day express FCDO apostille option for eligible and correctly prepared documents.
However, this period covers the FCDO stage only. It does not include:
- HEDD processing;
- CNAA verification;
- historic archive searches;
- transcript or letter production;
- solicitor enquiries;
- embassy legalisation; or
- delivery.
Both paper apostilles and e-Apostilles are available, subject to document eligibility and acceptance by the receiving authority.
Embassy legalisation
Some destinations require embassy or consular legalisation after the FCDO stage.
For a country outside the Hague Apostille Convention, the process may include:
- FCDO legalisation;
- legalisation by the destination country’s embassy in London; and
- approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the destination country.
Therefore, we check the destination requirements before preparing the documents.
Our process
- Review the certificate and identify the awarding body.
- Obtain a hand-signed consent form dated within three months.
- Submit the Sheffield Hallam HEDD request.
- Obtain CNAA or other awarding-body evidence where required.
- Review available transcripts or official letters.
- Complete enhanced solicitor certification where supported.
- Arrange the FCDO apostille.
- Complete embassy legalisation where required.
- Return the completed documents.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Sheffield City Polytechnic qualification still valid?
Yes. The change to Sheffield Hallam University does not invalidate a recognised qualification issued under the Polytechnic name.
Who verifies the qualification?
Sheffield Hallam University verifies former-student records through HEDD.
How much does HEDD verification cost?
The current fee is £14.
Can the consent form be digitally signed?
The published requirement specifies a handwritten signature dated within the previous three months.
Who verifies a CNAA award?
The Open University maintains the CNAA archive and currently charges £60 for verification.
Can I obtain a historic transcript?
Possibly. A pre-2003 transcript currently costs £40, may take up to eight weeks and remains subject to archive availability.
Can Sheffield Hallam issue a replacement Polytechnic certificate?
No. Its standard replacement service only covers awards gained after 1992. Older graduates should contact the original awarding body.
Does an apostille verify the qualification?
No. It authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal. Academic verification remains a separate stage.
Can Ginkgo Advisory arrange a 2-working-day apostille?
Yes, once academic verification and solicitor certification are complete and the document is ready for FCDO submission.
Contact Ginkgo Advisory
To request a quote, please send:
- the front and back of the certificate;
- any available transcript;
- the award year;
- the intended country of use; and
- the receiving authority’s instructions.
Contact Us
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