University Admissions Documents for International Applicants in Canada: Transcripts, Official Copies and Who May Translate

The same transcript can face three different translation rules at three Canadian universities in one season. The University of Alberta says "Only an English translation will be accepted." The Université de Montréal wants "une traduction française certifiée", made by an OTTIAQ member or your country's consulate. Waterloo wants an English translation by a certified translator, with the translator's affidavit, "sent directly to Waterloo from a notary public."

None of this is visible on a generic checklist, and all of it decides whether your file is complete by the document deadline.

This guide covers what Canadian universities ask international applicants for, the difference between uploaded and official documents, each example university's translation rule in its own words, and what to prepare for the study permit once the offer arrives.

What documents do Canadian universities ask international applicants for?

The academic record comes first, and the list depends on the level.

For undergraduate admission:

• Secondary school transcripts or mark sheets for the final years, with predicted or mid-year grades where the school issues them. Waterloo asks for "English-language copies, including predicted and/or mid-term grades as soon as they are available."
• The leaving certificate or diploma and national exam results, once issued.
• Proof of English or French proficiency, unless an exemption applies (see language tests).
• Program-specific material such as essays, portfolios or a supplementary application.

For graduate admission:

• Transcripts for all post-secondary study. U of T's School of Graduate Studies requires "a copy of their complete academic record issued directly from all post-secondary institutions attended", and UBC asks for "pdf copies of official, up-to-date, transcripts for all current and previous post-secondary study."
• Degree certificates, a CV, a statement of intent and reference letters, as each program specifies.

In Ontario, international applicants to first-year programs who are not taking Ontario high school courses apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) as Group B applicants. OUAC tells applicants that "your application will tell you which documents and transcripts you need to submit" and that "program deadlines vary by university and program."

What is the difference between uploaded copies and official documents?

An uploaded copy gets you assessed; an official document gets you admitted. UBC puts it plainly: "An official document is one sent directly from your school or a designated third-party verification service," and "Students cannot submit an official document."

How the universities use each:

• University of Toronto: uploaded documents may support "a provisional admission decision", but official transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution "are always required to finalize an offer of admission."
• University of Waterloo: portal uploads "will be considered unofficial". After an offer it needs "official documents sent directly from your school, ministry of education, testing centre, etc."
• University of Alberta: official documents come "from the issuing institution" directly. If the school cannot mail them, it can seal them in an envelope that you mail yourself; email must come "from the issuing institution's email address."
• UBC Graduate Studies: accepts scanned copies for the initial application and works with digital providers such as MyCreds | MesCertif, My eQuals, CSSD in China and Digitary Core.

Who may translate your documents for a Canadian university?

Each university sets its own rule, and the differences are large.

University of Toronto: notarized or certified English translations

For undergraduate applicants, U of T says: "If your documents are in a language other than English or French, you will also need to provide notarized translations." Its School of Graduate Studies requires "certified English translations of all international documentation written in a language other than English or French."

A notarized translation is usually understood as one the translator has sworn to before a notary; our guide to certified, sworn and notarized translations explains the difference. If your program's instructions use different wording, follow the program.

University of Waterloo: certified translator, affidavit, notary

Waterloo's rule is the strictest of the English-language examples. Any document not in English needs an English translation and "an affidavit stating the contents of the translation are a true representation of the contents of the original document." The affidavit "must come from the person who translated the document(s)", the translator must be certified, confirmed by a stamp or a professional association membership number, and the package must be sent to Waterloo by a notary public. "Translations by family members or friends are not acceptable." Transcripts issued by Canadian institutions need no translation.

University of Alberta: English only, by a certified translator

Alberta requires "an official English translation (done by a certified translator anywhere in the world)" for documents issued in a language other than English or French. Translations into other languages, including French, are refused. One useful exception: "Course descriptions do not require an official, notarized translation."

Université de Montréal: a certified French translation

Documents "qui ne sont rédigés ni en français ni en anglais" must be combined in one PDF "avec une traduction française certifiée", certified "par le consulat du pays d'origine" or by "un membre de l'Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec" (OTTIAQ). An English translation does not meet this rule.

Which language should the translation be in?

The language of the university's rule, not the language of instruction. A French transcript from a school in France needs no translation at U of T or the University of Alberta, but needs an English translation at Waterloo, which exempts only Canadian transcripts. A Spanish transcript needs English at Alberta and French at the Université de Montréal.

If you are applying to universities on both sides of that line, budget for two translations of the same record, and order the stricter one first.

What must an admissions translation show?

The admissions office reads the translation next to the original, line by line.

• Every course, grade and credit as issued, with the grading scale and legend. Converting grades is the university's job.
• The exact title of the credential, such as Bachillerato or Attestat, with a translation, not a Canadian equivalent.
• Predicted, interim or mid-year grades labelled as such.
• Stamps, seals, signatures and the reverse of every page, described in brackets.
• Names spelled as in your passport, the document every Canadian institution and IRCC will match against.

For detail on grading scales, course titles and multi-year records, see academic transcript translation.

What happens after the offer?

The offer starts the study permit. IRCC's document list always includes the letter of acceptance and proof of funds, needs a provincial or territorial attestation letter in most cases, and replaces it with the Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) for Quebec. Supporting documents for IRCC follow IRCC's own translation rule: a certified translator or, when the translation is not done by one, the translator's sworn affidavit.

The translations you used for admission can often be reused, provided they meet that rule. See study permit documents, and for entrance awards tied to your admission file, scholarship applications.

Why admission files stall

• The translation was made to another university's rule: an English translation sent to Montréal, or a French one to Alberta.
• A family member or friend translated it, which Waterloo states it will not accept.
• Only the diploma was translated, not the transcript or mark sheets.
• Grades were converted into percentages or letters.
• The official set was opened before it reached the university, so it no longer counts as official.
• Names differ between the passport, the transcript translation and the application.

Checklist: admission documents for a Canadian university

Questions people ask