When you need a sworn translation of your academic transcript
The academic transcript accompanies the university degree in nearly every administrative file where qualifications are evaluated. We receive it for:
- Homologation for a regulated profession in Spain. Without the transcript, the Ministry cannot evaluate the academic content. It is a mandatory document.
- Equivalence declaration to Grado or Máster. Same scenario: the Ministry compares credits, subjects and credit load against Spanish standards.
- Admission to Master's programmes and doctorates at Spanish universities. Academic committees need subject and grade detail to evaluate suitability.
- Automatic professional recognition in the EU under Directive 2005/36/EC for graduates from EEA countries.
- Academic and research selection processes with specific grading scales (CSIC, IMDEA, predoctoral programmes).
- Student visas for Master's or doctoral programmes in Spain, where the consulate may request the transcript alongside the degree.
- Corporate selection processes that weight academic performance (especially in consulting, banking, finance).
- Scholarships and grants from the Ministry, private foundations or universities, where the transcript average is a criterion.
What's in the transcript and what we translate exactly
The academic transcript, in any language, typically includes:
- Graduate and issuing university details: full name, date of birth, programme studied, enrolment and completion dates.
- List of subjects taken and passed, usually by year or semester, with official denomination.
- Credits per subject (ECTS in Europe, credit hours in the U.S., credits in UK/AU/CA, unidades valorativas in Latin America).
- Grades per subject and grading system.
- Final overall grades or averages when present (cumulative GPA, cum laude, honours classification, mención honorífica, summa cum laude).
- Signatures, seals and authentication data of the academic registrar.
Our translation reproduces all these elements in full, keeping the official subject names in Spanish. For grading systems we systematically add a translator's note with the source-country scale — essential so the Spanish evaluator knows whether a French 18/20 equates to "sobresaliente", whether a UK Distinction is the highest grade, or whether a US 3.5 GPA is in the cum laude range.
Grading systems and how we handle them
The foreign systems most frequent in our orders and how we render them:
- United States — GPA 4.0: we reproduce the literal GPA and add an explanatory note ("Grading expressed on 4.0 GPA; general equivalence: A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, ..., F=0"). The Spanish-system equivalence is for the evaluating body.
- United Kingdom — Honours Degree Classification: First-class honours (1st), Upper second-class honours (2:1), Lower second-class honours (2:2), Third-class honours (3rd), Ordinary degree. Explanatory note with the hierarchy.
- United Kingdom — Per-subject grades: Pass, Merit, Distinction in many master's and professional diplomas. Rendered with their order.
- France — 0-20 system: we reproduce the numeric grade and the mention (passable, assez bien, bien, très bien). Explanatory note with the range.
- Belgium / French-speaking Switzerland — 0-20 system: same with local nuances.
- Italy — 30 e lode: Italian grades range from 18 to 30 with optional lode. Explanatory note with pass threshold and the excellence mention.
- Germany — 1-6 inverted scale: 1 is the highest grade, 6 the lowest. Explanatory note is essential — without it a Spanish evaluator could misread a 1 as a fail (when it is excellent).
- Latin America — variable systems: 0-10 (Argentina, Uruguay), 0-100 (Mexico, Colombia), 0-5 (Chile), 0-5 (Peru with a different scale), with mención honorífica in several countries.
- European ECTS systems: for Bologna programmes the ECTS credits are standardised, directly comparable to the Spanish post-Bologna system.
Apostille rules and order of operations
Same rules as for the degree certificate:
- EU, EEA, Switzerland: exempt from apostille.
- Other Hague Convention countries: apostille on the transcript, not just the degree.
- Non-signatories: consular legalisation.
Order: apostille first, sworn translation second. The already-apostilled transcript is translated together with the apostille itself.
Our sworn translation
For academic transcripts, our sworn translation:
- Reproduces the full content: graduate's name, issuing university, programme, subjects with their official denomination, credits, grades, dates, authentication data.
- Preserves the tabular structure of the original transcript (rows and columns) in the PDF version so the evaluator can compare line by line with the original document.
- Adds translator's explanatory notes for grading systems, non-obvious subject denominations (e.g., Capstone Project, Independent Study, Major / Minor) and opaque abbreviations.
- Includes the official sworn translator's certification: signed declaration, MAEC accreditation number and qualified digital signature.
Delivery format and timing
PDF signed electronically, valid before the Ministry, universities and professional colleges. Paper copy by registered mail if the destination requests it. Turnaround shown in the quoter before payment; urgent options available.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Requesting the transcript without apostille. More frequent than you'd think — university academic services don't always flag that the document needs an apostille for use abroad. Get it apostilled before sending for translation.
- Confusing transcript with diploma. The transcript does not replace the degree; they travel together.
- Requesting only a subset of subjects. The Ministry wants the complete programme transcript.
- Translating a provisional transcript before the final one is issued. Wait for the definitive version with official signature and seal.
Spanish bodies that accept our translation
- Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (homologation, equivalence)
- ENIC-NARIC Network Spain
- Public and private Spanish universities (admission to Master's and doctoral programmes)
- Spanish professional colleges
- Public research centres
- Regional autonomous governments (competitive exams and grading scales)
Related pages
- Sworn translation of a university degree — the companion document in homologation files.
- Sworn translation of a criminal record certificate — required for regulated professions with background-check verification.
- Sworn translation of a birth certificate — basic identity document in many administrative files.