Recognising Foreign Degrees: A Translation Perspective

Whether you are applying for a master's programme, a professional licence, or a skilled-worker visa, the recognition of your foreign academic credentials usually involves translation. Here is what we have learned from handling these requests.

The standard package

For most academic recognitions you need translations of:

• Degree certificate or diploma
• Academic transcript with course names, credits, and grades
• Course descriptions or syllabi (sometimes)
• Letter from the issuing institution confirming the degree

The trap

Most rejections we have seen happen because the translator chose the "obvious" target-language term for a course title that has no clean equivalent. "Civil engineering" in some education systems covers a different scope than the same term in others. A translation that suggests false equivalence can cause the recognition body to either reject the application or assume coverage that is not there.

How we handle it

We use literal translation of course titles, with a translator's note where ambiguity is likely. The recognition authority can then ask follow-up questions, rather than reject. This adds time on the front end but reduces back-and-forth.