Q1140. How to translate academic degrees and transcripts for credential assessment?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Academic credentials for assessment (WES and similar evaluators, foreign universities, professional licensing bodies) follow the receiving body's document rules, which are stricter than most applicants expect. The core rule: most credential evaluators and universities require the documents sent directly by the issuing institution in sealed envelopes or through official electronic channels — applicant-supplied copies, however well translated, are not accepted for the official evaluation; the translation must likewise come from an accepted source (the institution's own English version, or a certified translator whose certification the evaluator accepts). The document set: the degree certificate, the full transcript (all semesters, with the grading scale), and where required the syllabus or course descriptions — the transcript is the analytical core and its translation must preserve the course titles, credits, and grades exactly with the grading scale explained. Points that matter: Thai documents going abroad — Thai universities issue English versions of transcripts and certificates on request, which is usually the cleanest route; where only Thai documents exist, the translation is certified (MFA 200/quoted on request per stamp) and legalised per the destination's rules; foreign documents coming into Thailand (for teacher licensing, civil service, or further study) follow the chain in — home-country authentication, Royal Thai Embassy legalisation, Thai translation, MFA certification. Practice points: the evaluator's country-by-country document requirements are published — read them before ordering anything; name consistency across the passport, certificate, and transcript is essential; and processing times (institution issuance, legalisation, evaluation) stack to months — start early. Confirm the specific evaluator's or institution's current requirements first.