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
St Mary’s University College, Belfast qualifications cannot be verified through HEDD. Degree verification requests must be sent directly to the College.
Ginkgo Advisory can coordinate direct academic verification, enhanced solicitor certification, FCDO apostille and embassy legalisation. A 2 working day express FCDO apostille option is available after verification and certification are complete.
Quick answer
St Mary’s University College maintains student records and provides confirmation of attendance, examination results and academic transcripts.
However, its degree courses are awards of Queen’s University Belfast. Students of St Mary’s are also registered students of Queen’s.
The usual route is:
direct records verification → enhanced solicitor certification → FCDO apostille → embassy legalisation where required
Direct degree verification
Verification requests should be submitted directly to the Academic Registry at St Mary’s University College.
The College can provide:
- confirmation of attendance;
- confirmation of the degree and classification;
- examination results;
- a short academic transcript; or
- a full transcript with module details.
Requests should include the candidate’s:
- student number, if known;
- full name and any former name;
- date of birth;
- graduation year;
- degree title;
- subject studied; and
- postal address.
Third-party enquiries should also include the candidate’s written consent.
The current records contact is:
St Mary’s states that a full transcript currently costs £25 and normally takes about 10 working days.
Queen’s University Belfast awards
All degree courses at St Mary’s University College are Queen’s University Belfast awards.
This distinction is important because the College may confirm the student record, while Queen’s produces the degree parchment.
Replacement parchments are requested through Queen’s University Belfast. St Mary’s advises that Queen’s prints replacements in January and July.
Before starting the process, we check:
- the institution named on the document;
- the awarding university;
- the award date;
- the type of qualification; and
- the overseas authority’s requirements.
Solicitor verification and certification
A basic solicitor-certified copy confirms that the copy matches the document presented to the solicitor.
It does not independently prove that the candidate obtained the qualification.
Our enhanced service reviews the academic document against reliable evidence, such as:
- direct confirmation from St Mary’s;
- an official transcript;
- a Queen’s University Belfast parchment;
- a replacement certificate; or
- another official academic record.
Where the evidence supports it, the solicitor can provide certification with authenticity confirmation.
FCDO apostille
After verification and solicitor certification, the document can proceed to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
An apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal. It does not independently verify the qualification. UK academic documents can generally be legalised after suitable certification by a UK solicitor or notary.
The recommended route is:
academic verification → enhanced solicitor certification → FCDO apostille
Our 2 working day express FCDO apostille option covers the apostille stage only. It excludes university verification, transcript production, replacement parchments, delivery and embassy processing.
Embassy legalisation
Documents intended for a non-Hague destination may require further embassy or consular legalisation.
A typical route is:
solicitor certification → FCDO legalisation → embassy legalisation
UK government guidance explains that a non-Hague process may also require approval from the destination’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What to send us
Please provide:
- a clear scan of the certificate;
- the transcript, if available;
- the candidate’s name during study;
- degree title and subject;
- attendance dates;
- graduation year;
- student number, if known;
- destination country; and
- receiving authority’s requirements.
We will identify whether confirmation is required from St Mary’s University College, Queen’s University Belfast or both.
Frequently asked questions
Can St Mary’s University College Belfast degrees be verified through HEDD?
No. Verification requests must be submitted directly to the College.
Who awards the degrees?
Degree courses at St Mary’s University College are Queen’s University Belfast awards.
Can former students obtain a transcript?
Yes. Academic Registry can provide attendance letters, short transcripts and full transcripts, depending on the records required.
Who issues a replacement degree certificate?
Queen’s University Belfast produces replacement parchments for its awards.
Does an apostille verify the degree?
No. The College or Queen’s verifies the academic record. The apostille authenticates the relevant UK signature, stamp or seal.
Can Ginkgo Advisory manage the complete process?
Yes. We can coordinate direct verification, enhanced solicitor certification, FCDO apostille, embassy legalisation and return delivery.
Start your St Mary’s Belfast verification
Send a clear scan and the receiving authority’s requirements to:
Email: info@ginkgoadvisory.com
WhatsApp: +44 7388 833283
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