What does “Official Transcript” actually mean?

An official transcript is a certified record of a student’s academic history issued by the registrar of the educational institution. It must include the official seal and registrar’s signature, and be delivered in a sealed envelope or through secure electronic transfer from the school to a third party (university, employer, or licensing board). For US graduate studies, your UAE institution sends the transcript directly to the US school. Applicants aren’t allowed to handle it.​

The transcript is unofficial if it’s sent, received or opened by the applicant. This includes a printout from your student portal, a scanned PDF you emailed yourself, or even a perfectly accurate copy you picked up from the registrar’s office.

Step 1: Gather transcripts from every institution you attended

US graduate programmes want a transcript from every post-secondary institution you’ve attended. This includes

• Exchange or study-abroad semesters, if grades aren’t already reflected on your home transcript
• Foundation or preparatory year programmes
• Any previous graduate coursework, even if it wasn’t completed

If transfer credits appear on your home institution’s transcript, you usually don’t need another one from the original school, but confirm this with the US institution. Request that your official transcript be delivered to the US. Start the process early, as international requests, processing, and mailing take time.​

If you want a copy of the transcript for your own use, translation, or credential evaluation, you can request two documents. One copy will be sent to the US graduate school and the other to the translation or credential evaluation company.  

For example, WES specifically requires documents sent straight from the issuing institution and won’t accept copies that have passed through you.​

Step 2: What a certified translation is and is not

A certified translation is a word-for-word English rendering of every element on the official transcript: course titles, grades, credit hours, dates, and any stamps, seals, or signatures. For example, “Licence” or “Licentiate” is not changed to “Bachelor’s Degree”; the evaluator determines equivalency.

Certified translation comes with a signed Certificate of Accuracy from the translator or agency, confirming the translation is complete and faithful to the original.​

A certified translation isn’t:

• A summary or abridged version
• A bilingual photocopy with handwritten notes
• A translation done by a friend, relative, or the applicant themselves

While some universities may accept applicant-prepared translations for preliminary review, official admissions decisions and credential evaluations typically require translations completed by a qualified translator or certified translation provider.​

Step 3: Translation vs credential evaluation: Know which one you need

If you need to submit a UAE-issued academic transcript to a US institution, it often requires a certified translation and credential evaluation. The certified transcript translation ensures it is in English for the institution, while credential evaluation verifies it meets US standards. Usually, translation comes before credential evaluation. Most organizations require official transcripts sent directly from your university. Some companies you may need include:

• World Education Services (WES): Provides a course-by-course report that lists every subject you studied, along with its US credit-hour and grade equivalents. Standard processing is roughly 7 business days once all documents are received, with fees typically in the USD 160–205 range.​

• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE): This respected NACES member accepts certified translations and offers a Translation Waiver for internal evaluation use. This waiver isn’t issued to the applicant; it stays between ECE and the translation provider.​

Note: Some universities don’t accept third-party evaluations for admission review. If that’s the case, you must send the official transcripts directly from your institution instead. The university will either arrange the translation or send the documents to the institution’s affiliated credential evaluation company. Always check the specific programme’s international applicants page before assuming WES or ECE is the right route.​

Step 4: How to submit transcripts to a US university

There are two ways you can submit an academic transcript to US institutions. The options available to you often depend on the institution and the other steps involved.

Electronic submission

Most institutions send transcripts through secure digital platforms such as Parchment, the National Student Clearinghouse, Digitary, or eSCRIP-SAFE. These send documents from your UAE institution directly to the US university admissions system, eliminating delays and issues from mailing paper copies.​

Hard-copy submission

If electronic transfer isn’t available, your registrar seals the transcript in an envelope and signs or stamps the flap. It’s sent by the UAE institution’s courier service; you might track delivery on your student dashboard. For translated transcripts, the legal translation provider seals and signs the translated package the same way.​

Every university has its own preferred submission method, so confirm this on the programme’s admissions page before sending anything.​

The UAE step: What happens before translation

​If your degree was issued outside the UAE and you’re having it translated by a UAE Ministry of Justice (MOJ)-licensed agency, it must undergo attestation. MOJ-approved translators typically require foreign-issued documents to be attested before they can apply a legal translation stamp.

The UAE attestation process involves three stages:

• Authentication by the issuing country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
• Legalisation by the UAE Embassy or Consulate,
• Final attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This attestation is usually required only for documents used within the UAE or when an embassy or authority requests it. For US university applications, you usually do not need UAE attestation or MOJ-certified translations. Most institutions accept a standard certified translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy. Still, requirements can vary, so confirm with the program before taking extra legalisation steps. If you hold a UAE-issued degree, request official transcripts from your registrar for international use.​

Common mistakes that delay or reject applications

• ​Sending transcripts yourself: Many US universities require official transcripts to be sent directly by the issuing institution or through an approved electronic transcript service. Some institutions permit applicants to submit unofficial transcripts during the application stage, while others accept sealed transcripts forwarded by the applicant. ​

• Omitting a school: If you attended multiple colleges or universities, most graduate programs require transcripts from each institution. Failing to disclose prior academic study may delay processing, result in requests for additional documentation, or, in serious cases, affect the admissions decision.​

• Submitting original, one-of-a-kind documents: Universities often do not return application materials, so avoid sending the only copy of an important document unless specifically instructed to do so. If original documents are required, check with your registrar or issuing authority to determine whether additional certified copies can be obtained for personal records.​

• E-transcripts with expiry windows during peak season: Some universities may experience processing delays during peak admissions periods. If an electronic transcript link expires after a limited time, confirm that the receiving institution can access it before the expiration date.​

• Assuming translation equals evaluation: A certified translation is not the same as a credential evaluation. The translation converts the document into English, while a credential evaluation analyses foreign academic credentials in accordance with the evaluator’s methodology and reporting standards. If your transcript is not in English, most evaluation agencies will require an English translation before or during the evaluation process.​

• A missing seal or signature on the translation: A certified translation should include any certification statement, signature, stamp, or other elements required by the receiving institution or evaluation agency. Missing certification information may result in delays or rejection of the translation.​

How long does the whole process take?

The process of getting your academic transcript certified takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Here’s a breakdown

• Requesting transcripts from your registrar: 2–4 weeks
• Certified translation (Legal Translators UAE): 2–5 business days
• Credential evaluation (WES, standard service): 7 business days after all documents are received

How LegalTranslators UAE can help

Our certified translations are accepted by US universities and by WES, ECE, and other NACES member agencies. We work across academic systems from the UAE, India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Europe, preserving every grade, course title, and degree name exactly as issued. Every academic transcript translation is handled by MOJ-approved translators for UAE use or professional translators if you need to submit it for a US graduate programme application. Pricing starts from AED 71.55 per page, with a standard turnaround time of 24 – 48 hours. You can also access our customer support line 24/7 if you have any queries or questions about your translation project.​

Upload your documents to receive a quote and a turnaround estimate for your transcripts.