Are you planning to study abroad, apply to a foreign university, or transfer your child to an international school? In many cases, you will need to prepare documents in the language required by the institution in question. This applies to school records as well as certificates, reports and academic transcripts.
In such situations, certified translations of educational documents are most often required – that is, translations carried out by a sworn translator, bearing a stamp and having official validity. These are required, for example, when applying to study abroad, to international schools, IB programmes, universities in the UK, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany or other European countries.
Which educational documents most often require a certified translation?
When applying to universities abroad, documents must be clear, complete and comply with the formal requirements of the institution in question. A university may require a certified translation, for example, if a document was issued in Polish and is to be used in the official application process. The scope of documents depends on the requirements of the school, university, admissions committee or authority. The most common documents requiring translation are:
- School certificates
These are required for admission to schools and universities abroad. A certified translation of a school report may be needed after completing primary school, secondary school, technical college, as well as earlier stages of education. - Academic transcripts
This is one of the most important documents when applying to study abroad. A certified translation of an academic transcript enables the university to assess the candidate’s academic record to date, the range of subjects studied and the standard of education. - Reports from a psychological and educational counselling centre
For pupils with special educational needs, a certified translation of a report from a psychological and educational counselling centre is often required. Such documents may be needed, for example, when continuing education abroad, applying for exam adjustments or educational support at a new school. - Decisions on the need for special educational
If a child has received special forms of support in Poland, a school abroad may request a translation of the documentation confirming their educational needs. A certified translation of the decision on the need for special educational needs helps the school to properly prepare the teaching and support process. - IB documents – International Baccalaureate
The IB programme is recognised worldwide, but when applying for admission or transferring to another school, translations of documents relating to education within the international system may be required. This applies, amongst other things, to IB documents, assessment reports, certificates of participation. - Certificates from schools or universities
Certificates confirming pupil or student status, certificates of completion of a school year, certificates stating the expected date of graduation, or documents confirming academic progress are also frequently translated. - Degree certificates and degree supplements
When applying for master’s, postgraduate or doctoral programmes abroad, a certified translation of your degree certificate and degree supplement may be required. These documents confirm your qualifications, level of study and scope of education. - Recommendations and reference letters
These do not always require a certified translation, but they can be a key part of the application in recruitment processes. It is worth checking in advance whether the university in question requires a standard or certified translation.
Why is it worth preparing the translation in advance?
The recruitment process for schools and universities abroad often involves specific deadlines. The lack of a suitable translation may delay your application or necessitate the urgent submission of additional documents. It is worth checking in advance:
- what documents are required by the school or university,
- whether a certified translation is required, or whether a standard translation will suffice,
- in which language the documents should be submitted,
- whether the institution requires the original, a certified copy or a scan,
- whether the translation should cover all pages of the document, including stamps and annotations.
Certified translations of educational documents at MD Online
At MD Online, we provide certified translations of educational documents required for studying, recruitment and university studies abroad. We translate, amongst other things, school certificates, academic transcripts, diplomas, diploma supplements, reports from psychological and educational counselling centres, assessments, school and academic certificates, and IB documents.
What is required to have educational documents certified?
The process begins with you sending a scan or photo of the documents for a quote. Based on this, we check the scope of the translation, the number of standard pages, the turnaround time, and whether the document needs to be translated in its entirety, including any stamps, signatures and annotations. Once the quote has been accepted, the sworn translator prepares the translation and then affixes their stamp and signature, ensuring the document can be used in official procedures.
The finished translation can be collected in paper form or, if the relevant institution permits it, in electronic form. There is also the option of a certified translation bearing the translator’s qualified electronic signature, which makes it easier to submit documents online, for example via the admissions system of a school, university or government office.
We can help you prepare your documents so that they can be submitted to a school, university, government office or foreign institution. If you’re not sure whether you need a certified translation, it’s worth checking the requirements of the relevant institution in advance or sending your documents to us for a quote and to confirm the scope of the translation.
Contact us and order a certified translation of your educational documents for applications abroad.
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