Sworn Translation for Overseas Education: Documents, Process and Apostille Guide

A diploma or graduation certificate is required in most overseas university applications. If the document is not in a language accepted by the university, its translation may also be requested.

In diploma translation, the following information in particular must be accurately conveyed:

• the name of the school and university,
• faculty and department,
• graduation degree,
• diploma date,
• diploma number,
• the academic title granted,
• duration of study,
• signature, stamp and seal information.

Translating department and degree names word for word can sometimes lead to a loss of academic meaning. For this reason, it is important to work with translators who are proficient in education terminology.

A transcript is one of the academic documents most frequently requested in overseas education applications. It allows the courses taken and the academic performance of the student to be evaluated, particularly in undergraduate, master's, doctoral, transfer and scholarship applications.

In transcript translation, the following elements must be translated in full:

• course names,
• term information,
• credit values,
• ECTS information,
• letter or numeric grades,
• grade point average (GPA),
• grading system,
• performance notes,
• exemption and transfer courses,
• notes below the document.

The grading system should not be converted by the translator on their own initiative. For example, a grade on a 4.0 scale is not converted directly to another scale unless requested. The translation must faithfully reflect the information contained in the source document.

Diploma Supplement, it provides detailed information about the student's education programme, course level, duration of study and qualification obtained. If the document is already issued in an accepted language, translation may not be required.

However, translation may be requested if the university wants the diploma supplement submitted in a different language, or if the document is entirely in Turkish. The “certified translation”, “official translation” or “sworn translation” requirements of the institution you are applying to should be read carefully.

Overseas education documents call for an experienced translation office in official and academic document translation at a sworn translation office can be obtained.

If the document needs to be notarised, the translator must have a signature and oath registration at the relevant notary's office. Preparing only a digital translation may not be sufficient for applications requiring a notarised translation.

Ay Tercüme Office plans the sworn translation of diplomas, transcripts, diploma supplements, student certificates, civil registry records, sponsor documents and other education papers according to the purpose of the application.

No. These are two different procedures.

Sworn translation, it is the translation and signing of the document by a sworn translator.

Notarized translation , on the other hand, is the additional certification by a notary of the translation prepared by the sworn translator.

Some universities only accept a translation signed and stamped by the translator. Some consulates or official institutions, on the other hand, may require notarisation. For this reason, requirements should be checked in advance to avoid unnecessary notary costs or applying with incomplete documents.

The equivalent of “certified translation” is not the same in every country. In some countries, a translation that includes the translator's name, contact details, signature, date of translation and a statement of accuracy may be sufficient. In others, approval from an authorised translator, notary or official institution may be required.

For example, in some United Kingdom visa applications, an independently verifiable full translation is required for documents that are not in English or Welsh. For this reason, when a “certified translation” requirement is seen, the information the relevant institution wants included in the translation should be checked separately.

An apostille is not required for every overseas education application. The need for an apostille;

• the country where the document was issued,
• the country where the document will be used,
• whether the two countries are party to the Apostille Convention,
• the request of the university or consulate,
• the official nature of the document

depends.

Apostille, it does not certify the content of the document or the academic accuracy of the translation. It is essentially a certification system that verifies the authenticity of the signature, seal or capacity on an official document for international use. The apostille system applies between states party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

There is no single answer to this question that applies to all countries and documents.

The possible practices are as follows:

• First, an apostille is obtained for the original document, then the document and the apostille certificate are translated together.
• The document is translated, notarised, and an apostille is obtained for the notarised translation.
• Separate certification is required for both the original document and the translation.
• Instead of an apostille, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular certification is applied.

According to the certification guidance of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs, each authority in the certification chain verifies the signature and seal of the authority before it. For this reason, the order of procedures should be determined in advance according to the type of document and the country where it will be used. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Between two countries where the Apostille Convention applies, the main purpose of the apostille is to eliminate the need for classic diplomatic or consular legalisation. However, the specific requirements of the institution requesting the document and the type of document must be evaluated separately.

If the country where the document will be used is not a party to the Apostille Convention, the governorate or district governorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs related country Consulate-approved translation may require a different certification chain that includes this procedure.

In student visa applications, translation of the following documents may be requested depending on the country and the applicant's situation:

• diploma and transcript,
• student or graduation certificate,
• acceptance letter,
• bank account statement,
• sponsor letter,
• income documents,
• civil registry record,
• birth certificate,
• marriage certificate,
• criminal record certificate,
• consent letter,
• custody decision,
• medical report,
• military service status certificate,
• employment and SGK (Social Security Institution) documents.

The United Kingdom's official visa guidance clearly states that a certified translation must be provided for supporting documents that are not in English or Welsh. In other countries, the language of the translation and the type of certification required may differ.

A bank account statement may be requested for a student visa to show that education and living expenses can be covered. If the language of the document is not accepted by the receiving authority, its translation may be required.

For bank documents, it is important that the following fields are transferred in full:

• account holder's name,
• bank and branch information,
• account number or IBAN,
• currency,
• account balance,
• transaction dates,
• bank stamp or verification information.

The translator must not convert the amounts in the document into another currency or change the calculations. Whichever currency is used in the source document is preserved the same way in the translation.

If the student's education and living expenses will be covered by a parent, relative, company or scholarship organisation, documents belonging to the sponsor may be requested.

In this context, the following documents can be translated:

• sponsor letter,
• payslip,
• SGK (Social Security Institution) service record,
• tax plate,
• certificate of activity,
• bank account statement,
• title deed and vehicle registration certificate,
• civil registry record,
• documents showing the family relationship.

Which sponsor documents are required varies according to the type of visa. To avoid preparing unnecessary documents, the official application checklist should be used as the basis.

Additional documents may be requested for education or visa applications of students under the age of 18. These include;

• notarised consent letter,
• birth certificate,
• civil registry record,
• custody decision,
• parents' ID cards or passports,
• documents relating to accommodation and care arrangements

may be included.

For example, the United Kingdom's official visa guidance regarding child students requires a certified translation for documents that are not in English or Welsh.

For undergraduate education applications abroad, the following documents are generally prominent:

• high school diploma,
• high school transcript,
• student or graduation certificate,
• exam result certificate,
• reference documents,
• activity and achievement certificates,
• civil registry or birth certificate.

The university may also require documents to be sent by the school in a sealed envelope or transmitted directly through an electronic system. The presentation format of the document should not be changed when preparing the translation.

In master's and doctoral applications, the number of academic documents may be higher. The frequently requested documents are as follows:

• bachelor's or master's diploma,
• transcript,
• diploma supplement,
• course content,
• thesis abstract,
• employment and internship documents,
• academic title documents,
• publications or certificates,
• official documents supporting reference letters.

A motivation letter and academic CV do not always require sworn translation. These are mostly prepared directly in the application language by the applicant. If the university specifically requests a certified translation, a different process may apply.

In Erasmus and other exchange programmes, documents are mostly prepared in English or a common language accepted between institutions. Nevertheless, translation of certain documents may still be requested:

• transcript,
• student certificate,
• language proficiency certificate,
• course content,
• insurance documents,
• medical reports,
• consent letter.

The student's home university, the host university and the consulate may each set different document requirements. For this reason, instead of relying on a single list, the requirements of all three institutions should be checked together.

Student certificates, graduation certificates, civil registry records, criminal record certificates and SGK (Social Security Institution) documents obtained with a barcode through e-Devlet can be translated.

However, the requirements of the receiving authority;

• whether it accepts the barcoded document,
• whether it requires a wet-ink signed document,
• whether it accepts an e-Apostille,
• whether it requires the document to be recently dated

should be checked in advance.

An electronic apostille (e-Apostille) is a system that allows the apostille process to be carried out digitally, with a secure electronic signature and time stamp, for eligible document types. The apostille system can only be used between states party to the Convention.

If the document is clear, complete and legible, the translation work can be started from a scanned PDF or a good-quality photo. However, the original document may be required in the following cases:

• notarisation,
• certified-true-copy ("aslı gibidir") procedure,
• apostille,
• consular certification,
• the university's sealed envelope requirement,
• physical document delivery.

In photos taken with a phone, the edges of the document must not be cropped, there must be no light reflection, and the seals and notes must be legible.

The spelling of the applicant's first and last name should follow the Latin-script version used in their passport. If there is a difference between the spelling on the diploma or civil registry document and the passport, this must be reported to the translation office before the process begins.

In particular;

• Turkish characters,
• middle names,
• previous surname,
• double surname,
• father's and mother's name

differences in these areas can lead to mismatch issues in visa and university systems.

In official document translations, the structure of the source document is followed as closely as possible. Tables, headings, notes, seals and signatures are shown with an appropriate layout.

However, the translation must not be reproduced in a misleading way as an exact replica of the source diploma. It must be clearly understood that the document is a translation; visual elements such as signatures, seals and stamps must be indicated with appropriate wording.

If the university or visa authority requires a sworn, certified or verifiable translation, machine translation alone is not sufficient.

In academic documents;

• of the department names,
• of the courses,
• of the degrees,
• of the grading explanations,
• of legal and education terminology

being translated incorrectly can cause serious problems. It is safer for the translation used in an official application to be prepared by an authorised translator or translation company whose contact details can be verified.

There is no single fixed price for overseas education translation. The fee is determined according to the following factors:

• source and target language,
• total number of documents and pages,
• text density,
• the scope of the diploma, transcript or course content,
• the need for notarisation,
• apostille or consular certification,
• urgent delivery request,
• printed or digital delivery format.

A single-page student certificate and a multi-page transcript or course content are not priced in the same scope. Notary, apostille, courier and consular fees from the translation fee may be separate cost items.

In order to provide an exact price, legible copies of the documents must be reviewed in advance.

Delivery time;

• the number of documents,
• language,
• text density,
• the notary procedure,
• the need for an apostille or certification,
• the workload during the application period

depends.

Short documents such as diplomas and student certificates can be prepared more quickly. Transcripts, course content and multi-document student files require more detailed review. It is important to start the process without waiting for the university's application deadline.

There is no single time limit that applies to the translation itself in every case. However, there may be a currency (up-to-dateness) requirement for the source document.

For example, the consulate or university;

• of the bank statement,
• of the student certificate,
• of the criminal record certificate,
• of the civil registry record,
• of the medical report

may require it to have been issued within the last few months.

For unchanging documents such as diplomas, an older translation may be accepted. However, the institution may still request a more recently dated translator's declaration or a different format.

If the language, format and type of certification of the document meet the requirements of all institutions, the same translation can be used in multiple applications.

However, some universities;

• document sent directly by the institution,
• sealed and closed envelope,
• a more recently dated translation,
• approval from a specific translator or institution,
• digital verification link

may request it. For this reason, the document upload rules of each application must be reviewed separately.

The main issues that can lead to rejection of the translation or application document are as follows:

• incomplete page translation,
• name spelling that does not match the passport,
• illegible or cropped document,
• the notes on the back not being translated,
• failure to indicate seals and signatures,
• translation into the wrong target language,
• absence of the translator's declaration required by the institution,
• missing notarisation or apostille procedure,
• outdated source document,
• submitting the document as an unaccepted digital copy,
• incorrect translation of course or degree names.

Reviewing the application file as a whole, rather than document by document, helps reduce such issues.

After education abroad is completed Diplomabeing used for academic or professional purposes in Turkey may require a YÖK recognition or equivalence (denklik) process.

YÖK's (Council of Higher Education) recognition (denklik) document list may require Turkish translations of the diploma or graduation certificate and transcript, certified by a notary or by Republic of Turkey foreign missions. Application requirements may vary depending on the level of education and the applicant's situation.

For this reason, students should keep the documents they obtain before going abroad, and after graduation, make sure to obtain complete documents such as the diploma, transcript and diploma supplement.

No. Only documents that are requested by the university, scholarship organisation or visa authority, and that are not already in an accepted language, should be translated.

It is generally not required if the receiving authority accepts documents in English. However, some countries may require documents to be submitted in their own official language or in a specially certified format.

Translation can be started from a clear scan. If notarisation, apostille, a certified true copy, or a consular procedure is required, the original document may be requested.

Most institutions can accept an official English transcript. However, the document may be required to be signed, sealed, verifiable, or sent directly by the university.

No. Notarisation does not guarantee that the document will be automatically accepted in every country. An apostille, consular approval, or a country-specific certified translation may be required.

Which document the apostille is applied to varies according to the receiving authority. There may be different practices for the original diploma, a notarised copy, or a notarised translation.

It can be used if the source document is still current and meets the requirements of the new application. However, documents such as bank statements, criminal record certificates or student certificates may need to be obtained again.

The sworn translation process can be started by sending documents digitally. If notarisation or other physical certifications are required, the originals or printed copies of the documents may need to be delivered.