Diploma & Transcript
Korean Diploma & Transcript (졸업증명서·성적증명서) — Certified Translation
For Korean academic documents — diplomas (졸업증명서), degree certificates (학위증명서), and transcripts (성적증명서) — the form of the translation and whether any authentication is needed are set by the body receiving them: a foreign university, employer, credential evaluator (such as WES or ECE), or immigration authority. Some accept documents the school issues in English as they are, and some credential evaluators have the school send the transcript directly. Where the receiving body asks for an apostille, national and public school documents can often go straight to the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA), while private-institution documents are often notarized first and then apostilled by the Ministry of Justice. Seoul Apostille confirms the receiving body's requirements and the route for your school, and delivers the certified translation, with notarization and the apostille where needed, through one service request.
When This Guide Is Relevant
- Credential evaluation by WES, ECE, IQAS, or other foreign evaluation bodies
- Graduate or undergraduate admissions applications at foreign universities
- Skilled migration and work visa applications that assess or verify educational qualifications
- Professional licensing abroad (engineering, nursing, accounting, teaching)
- Employer background verification that requires original academic documents with translation
What to Prepare
- Original diploma, degree certificate, and/or transcript (졸업·학위·성적증명서) — sealed or with official seal if required by the evaluator
- Whether the issuing institution is a national/public or private university — this determines whether notarization is required before apostille
- Target country, authority, and credential evaluator name (e.g., WES, University of British Columbia, NZQA)
- Any evaluator-specific requirements (e.g., sealed envelope, direct mailing from institution, include course descriptions)
Process Notes
- Public (national) university documents are typically apostilled directly by the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA); private institution documents usually require notarization first — we confirm which applies to your school
- Some credential evaluators (e.g., WES) have the school send the transcript directly — an apostille obtained on a copy you hold does not replace that document, while translations, where needed, are prepared and submitted by the applicant, so check the evaluator's document requirements before ordering
- The apostille certifies the document is genuine; the translation renders it readable — which of the two is needed differs by body (uni-assist in Germany, for example, takes a certified German or English translation and needs none when the school issues the document in English, and the three Australian skills assessors whose guidance we read did not ask for an apostille)
- Course description supplements to transcripts must also be translated if submitted — these are often required by graduate programs
- If the issuing institution has closed, we advise on which government authority now holds the records and the alternative route to a valid apostille
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need notarization before apostille for a private university diploma?
Usually yes. Private institution documents in Korea typically require notarization by a notary public first, and the apostille for a notarized document is issued by the Ministry of Justice, not the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA). National (public) university documents can often be apostilled directly by the OKA. We verify your institution's status and handle the correct route.
Can I get a diploma and transcript translated together?
Yes. Each document receives its own translated version, but we process all academic documents in a single request so they arrive as a matched set — useful for credential evaluations that require multiple documents submitted together.
Does WES require the apostille as well as the translation?
Check WES's document requirements first. WES may have the school send the transcript directly in a sealed envelope, so an apostille obtained in advance on a copy you hold may have no use. Where a translation is needed, the applicant prepares and submits it. Get an apostille only if WES or another receiving body asks for one. Requirements differ by school and document, so look up your own list in WES's Review Document Requirements tool before ordering.
My school has a Korean name only — will the translation be accepted abroad?
Yes. Our certified translators render the full Korean institution name and all academic terminology into English, noting the original Korean in parentheses where useful. This is standard practice for credential evaluations.
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