Diploma and Transcript Translation for Study and Work Abroad

Last updated: 14 October 2026 · By: Gaziantep Sworn Translation Office

When you need a diploma or transcript translation

A Turkish diploma or transcript is needed abroad for a master's or doctoral application, for professional recognition (for example as a nurse, engineer or teacher), for a work visa or a skilled worker permit, and sometimes for a job application. In the other direction, foreigners and Turkish citizens who studied abroad present their foreign diplomas in Türkiye for recognition by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), for university admission or for employment.

Before ordering a translation, find out three things from the university, employer or recognition authority: which language they accept, whether they want a sworn or notarised translation, and whether the original document must carry an apostille.

Turkish documents you may get in English without translation

Several Turkish education documents are available electronically, and some in English:

• Transcript via e-Devlet: YÖK provides a "Transkript Belgesi Sorgulama" service on e-Devlet that produces the transcript in Turkish and in English. It covers students registered or graduated from 1 October 2020 onwards; older records appear as universities upload them. The document carries a barcode and can be verified online.
• Graduate certificate via e-Devlet: YÖK also offers "Yükseköğretim Mezun Belgesi Sorgulama" (higher education graduate certificate) with an online verification service. We could not confirm from official sources whether an English version is offered for every record, so check the language options when you log in.
• University-issued English documents: many universities issue an English transcript, an English graduation certificate or a Diploma Supplement on request.

If the receiving institution accepts these English documents, you may not need a translation at all. If it asks for German, French, Italian, Russian or another language, or insists on a sworn translation, we translate the Turkish originals.

Apostille on Turkish diplomas and transcripts

Diplomas and transcripts of Turkish universities are public documents. For use in a country that applies the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is placed by the governorship (valilik) or district governorship (kaymakamlık). In some cases a notarised copy is required first, so ask the university and the governorship how they handle your document. For countries outside the Convention, consular legalisation is needed instead.

The translation can be prepared in two ways, and the receiving institution decides which it accepts: the original is apostilled and then translated together with the apostille, or the translation is certified by a notary and the notarised translation is apostilled. Some institutions ask for both.

Course contents and syllabi

Recognition authorities and universities abroad often want to compare your studies course by course. In that case they ask for course descriptions (ders içerikleri) stamped by your university, sometimes with credit hours and ECTS. These can run to dozens of pages. Ask your university whether it can supply them in English; if not, we translate them. Because course contents are usually long, plan for more time than for a diploma.

Foreign diplomas for recognition in Türkiye

If you studied abroad and want your degree recognised in Türkiye, the application goes to YÖK's recognition and equivalence service (denklik.yok.gov.tr), with a pre-application on e-Devlet. YÖK's document list for Turkish citizens includes the original diploma and the original transcript, each with a Turkish translation certified by a Turkish notary or a Turkish diplomatic mission, and for EU diplomas the Diploma Supplement with its certified translation. YÖK states that diplomas and transcripts from some countries, for example Ukraine and Bulgaria, must carry an apostille. Additional rules apply to graduate degrees and to foreign nationals, so read the current list on YÖK's website before you apply.

For admission to Turkish universities or for employment, the institution sets its own requirements, but a notarised Turkish translation of the diploma and transcript is the usual request.

What we check in education translations

• Your name is written exactly as in your passport, including special characters.
• Degree titles are translated faithfully. We do not "upgrade" or equate a Turkish degree with a foreign one; that is the recognition authority's job.
• Grading scales (for example 4.00 GPA or 100-point scales) and credit systems are kept as in the original, with the scale explained if it appears on the document.
• Faculty, department and programme names follow the university's own English names where they exist, so that they match the university's website and other documents.
• Stamps, signatures and QR codes are noted in the translation.

Step by step

1. Check whether the e-Devlet English transcript or a university-issued English document is accepted.
2. Ask the receiving institution about language, sworn translation and apostille requirements.
3. Send clear scans of all pages, including the back of the diploma.
4. We translate, the notary certifies, and we tell you where the apostille is obtained if it is needed.
5. Collect the documents in Gaziantep, or receive them by courier or digitally.

What determines the price

The price depends on the language, the number of pages (a diploma is one page, a transcript several, course contents many), whether notary certification and an apostille are needed and how urgently you need the translation. Send the documents for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

This guide is general information. Requirements of authorities can change; always check the current list of the institution you are applying to.