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The short answer
In Georgia the GSCCCA issues apostilles ($3 per document), but only for Hague Convention countries, and Nigeria is not one. For Nigeria, the GSCCCA directs you to the Georgia Secretary of State for a Great Seal Certification (404-656-2871); after that, plan for the US Department of State ($20 per document) and the Nigerian Consulate General in Atlanta, which lists $30 per document for authentication in a 2021 notice.
Georgia is unusual. The office most people search for, "Georgia Secretary of State apostille", is not the one that issues apostilles: that is the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA). And for Nigeria, neither an apostille nor the GSCCCA is the right starting point. Getting this wrong is the most common reason Georgia documents bound for Nigeria are sent back.
Who does what in Georgia
| Destination | Georgia office | Certificate | Fee (GSCCCA page, Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hague Convention country | GSCCCA | Apostille | $3 per document |
| Non-Hague country, including Nigeria | Georgia Secretary of State | Great Seal Certification | Not stated on the GSCCCA page; ask the Secretary of State |
| Use within the US, including at US embassies | GSCCCA | Certification of Notary Public | $2 per document |
The GSCCCA page says it is "the only state agency authorized to issue apostilles" for Georgia documents, lists documents for non-Hague countries among those it does not accept, and gives the Secretary of State's number, 404-656-2871, for Great Seal Certification. The HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention does not list Nigeria, which puts Nigeria in the Great Seal column.
The full route for Nigeria
- Prepare the document: a certified copy from the issuing Georgia office for vital records and court papers, or a document properly notarised under Georgia law for affidavits, powers of attorney and translations.
- Great Seal Certification from the Georgia Secretary of State. Call first to confirm the fee, what it accepts and how to submit.
- US Department of State authentication: $20 per document, Form DS-4194 naming Nigeria, up to five weeks by mail to Sterling, Virginia, or a walk-in drop-off in Washington DC.
- Authentication at the Consulate General of Nigeria, 8060 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30350. Its July 2021 notice lists $30 per document, paid by debit card at its point-of-sale terminal or money order to the Nigeria Consulate, Atlanta.
Atlanta is likely the nearest mission for Georgia residents, but its own pages we read did not list the states it serves. Confirm with which states the Atlanta consulate covers before posting anything.
What the GSCCCA page says about documents
Even though the GSCCCA will not certify a document for Nigeria, its document rules are a useful guide to what Georgia expects, and the Secretary of State is likely to want the same starting points. Confirm with that office.
- Vital records, court and corporate documents must be official certified copies bearing the issuing official's signature and seal, and are never notarised: birth, death and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, county clerk filings and corporate records.
- Notarised documents such as powers of attorney, affidavits, translations and diplomas must be properly notarised under Georgia law. For apostilles, the GSCCCA says no extra county certification is needed first.
- Out-of-state, federal, foreign-issued documents and unnotarised photocopies are not accepted. A New York birth certificate goes through New York; an FBI check goes to the US Department of State.
A worked example
Example only. Funke in Lawrenceville needs her Georgia divorce decree recognised in Lagos so she can update her Nigerian passport. She asks the clerk of the superior court for a certified copy, calls the Secretary of State to confirm the Great Seal fee and mailing details, and sends it with a cover letter naming Nigeria. Once it returns, she mails it to the State Department with DS-4194 ($20), then books the Atlanta consulate for authentication ($30 per the 2021 notice). Federal and consular fees come to $50, plus the Great Seal fee, the clerk's copy fee and postage. She then follows the consulate's change-of-name list for the passport itself.
Mistakes Georgia residents make
- Paying the GSCCCA's $3 apostille fee for a Nigerian document. It is the wrong certificate, and the GSCCCA says it does not accept documents for non-Hague countries.
- Asking for a Certification of Notary Public, which is for use within the US.
- Sending a photocopy of a notarised document.
- Going to the Atlanta consulate before the US seals are in place. The consulate authenticates the seals above it, so they must already be on the document; see authenticating US documents at a Nigerian consulate.
Planning the time
The slowest link is usually the federal step: the State Department says mailed requests take up to five weeks from receipt, and only travellers two to three weeks out can use its walk-in drop-off. Add the Great Seal stage, postage between offices and the consulate's own processing, and six to eight weeks door to door is a sensible planning figure for a mailed route. If a Nigerian deadline is closer, ask the recipient whether a scan will hold your place while the original travels.
If a recipient in Nigeria says an apostille is fine, get that in writing; private recipients sometimes accept less, but registries and courts tend not to. Our explainer does Nigeria accept apostilles from the US? covers when.
Where Pryme fits
Once documents reach Nigeria, the lawyer or agent handling them usually bills in naira. A Pryme account opened from the US lets you send naira and keep a verifiable receipt of the payment.
Questions people ask
Where do I get an apostille in Georgia?
From the GSCCCA at 1875 Century Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, for Hague Convention countries, at $3 per document. For Nigeria, which is not a Hague country, you need the Secretary of State's Great Seal Certification instead.
How much is a Great Seal Certification in Georgia?
The GSCCCA page does not state the fee. Call the Georgia Secretary of State on 404-656-2871 to confirm before you send documents.
Do I need county certification for a notarised document in Georgia?
The GSCCCA says not, for apostilles. Ask the Secretary of State whether the same applies to Great Seal Certification.
What does the Nigerian consulate in Atlanta charge to authenticate a document?
Its notice dated 27 July 2021 lists $30 per document, by debit card at its terminal or money order. Confirm it still applies.
Sources
- GSCCCA: General apostille information · accessed Oct 2026
- HCCH: Status table, Apostille Convention · accessed Oct 2026
- US Department of State: Request authentication services · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Consulate Atlanta: Administrative service charge (notice 27 Jul 2021) · accessed Oct 2026
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