How to Get Your Diploma Translated for Working Abroad

General Procedure: Three Mandatory Steps

Regardless of the country, the process includes three stages:

1. Apostille (or consular legalization) — a stamp on the original diploma confirming the document's authenticity. Issued by the Regional Department of Education or the Ministry of Education and Science. Timeline — 5–45 business days.
2. Notarized translation — translation of the diploma along with the apostille, certified by a notary. Timeline — 1–3 business days.
3. Credential evaluation — recognition of the Russian diploma by a foreign authority or accreditation organization. Timeline — from 4 weeks to 4 months.

The order is critical: apostille first, then translation. If you translate before the apostille, you'll have to redo it — the translation must include the apostille text.

Country-Specific Requirements

Germany

Germany requires a notarized translation into German and an apostille on the original. For credential evaluation, the anabin database (Information Portal for Foreign Education Qualifications Recognition) is used. Russian universities from the top 100 rankings typically have "H+" status (recognition without additional procedures).

For medical and teaching specialties, additional qualification confirmation through Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) is required. Processing time — 3–4 months.

USA

American employers and universities require diploma evaluation through accredited organizations. The most common are WES (World Education Services) and ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators). The procedure:

• The university sends a certified copy of the diploma and transcript directly to WES (or you send it through an intermediary)
• WES evaluates the qualification and issues a report: the American degree equivalent (Bachelor's, Master's)
• Timeline — 7–10 business days after receiving documents (standard evaluation)
• Cost — $200–350 depending on the report type

The English diploma translation must be a "certified translation" — with the translation agency's seal and a Translator's Statement of accuracy. Notarization is not required for WES.

United Kingdom

The NARIC (UK ENIC) system is used. The evaluation determines which British qualification the Russian diploma corresponds to. For regulated professions (doctors, engineers, teachers), additional confirmation through professional associations (GMC, Engineering Council, QTS) is required.

The translation must be done by an accredited translator. We provide translations that meet UK ENIC requirements.

UAE

The UAE is not a party to the Hague Convention, so consular legalization is required instead of an apostille. The chain: notarization → Ministry of Justice → Ministry of Foreign Affairs → UAE consulate. The entire process takes 15–30 business days.

To work in the UAE, the diploma must be confirmed through the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE attestation). Translation must be into Arabic or English.

Diploma and Transcript Translation Specifics

When translating a diploma and its transcript, the translator handles several tasks:

• Name transliteration — must match the foreign passport. If the passport says "Dmitrii" rather than "Dmitriy", the translation must use the same spelling.
• University name — the official translation from the university's website is used. Most Russian universities have an approved English name.
• Specialty name — translated according to international classifiers (ISCED).
• Grades — the Russian scale (5, 4, 3, 2) is mapped to foreign systems (A-F, GPA). This is done by the evaluation organization (WES, NARIC), but the translator must accurately convey subject names.

Secondary School Certificate Translation

Certificate translation is less commonly required but necessary for undergraduate admissions at foreign universities. The apostille on the certificate is issued by the Department of Education at the place of issuance. Timeline — 5–10 business days.

Apostille: Where and How to Obtain It

The apostille on education documents is issued by:

• Rosobrnadzor — for higher and secondary professional education diplomas
• Regional Department of Education — for secondary education certificates

State fee — 2,500 RUB. Timeline — from 5 business days (standard) to 45 business days (if verification is needed). We handle the submission and collection of the apostille — the client doesn't need to go in person.

Cost and Timeline

The cost of diploma translation with notarization — from 2,900 RUB (diploma + transcript). Translation timeline — 1–2 business days. Full cycle with apostille — from 7 business days.

In business since 2013. Over 5,000 diplomas translated for 40+ countries. Office in Moscow, accepting documents by courier or mail from any region. Contract, closing documents, simplified taxation (no VAT).