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Will it be accepted?
What UCAS's official guidance requires when your qualification certificates are not in English, including the rule most applicants miss: you cannot translate them yourself.
Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 17 August 2026.
The short answer
Route 1 · Awarding organisation
Source: UCAS, Uploading documents to your application
Route 2 · Certifying translator
Source: UCAS, Uploading documents to your application
UCAS's translation definition covers its document upload service. Each university still sets its own entry rules. UCAS itself tells applicants that many course providers accept international qualifications equivalent to UK requirements, and to check the course university's website or contact them. You can also get a statement of how your qualifications compare to UK equivalents from UK ENIC.
There is a verification trap. UCAS states it is your responsibility to upload relevant and accurate documents, and that UCAS, schools, colleges and centres will not be able to check or verify them. Verification can come later from the university itself: Cambridge, for example, tells postgraduate offer holders they will be asked to send original documents so it can verify their authenticity. Keep your originals ready.
No UCAS page we checked mentions apostilles or legalisation of foreign qualification documents. That is a recorded silence, not a rule either way. If a university asks you to legalise a document, that is the university's own requirement, so confirm the details with them directly.
Not accepted
Self-translations, under UCAS's own definition of an official translated qualification
2027 entry
UCAS has introduced its document upload service for all students applying for 2027 entry
No checks
UCAS, schools, colleges and centres will not be able to check or verify your uploaded documents. Accuracy is your responsibility
UCAS's own upload guidance answers this directly. A translation is official when:
Institution-specific, not UCAS rules
These are each university's own published requirements for the named application route. They do not apply anywhere else.
Cambridge does not define "registered translator" or say which register counts. Source: University of Cambridge, Supporting documents and Application process pages
Source: University of Edinburgh, Translations page for postgraduate applicants
We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.
| What it confirms | Official source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| The official-translation definition, upload rules and the no-verification warning | UCAS, Uploading documents to your application | 28 Sep 2026 |
| Universities setting their own entry rules and the UK ENIC comparison option | UCAS, Entry requirements for UK courses | 28 Sep 2026 |
| Cambridge's registered-translator rule and the original-documents verification request | University of Cambridge, Supporting documents | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Cambridge's English and Latin script requirement | University of Cambridge, Application process | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Edinburgh's accepted translators, including foreign sworn translators | University of Edinburgh, Translations | 21 Jul 2026 |
This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.
Our certified translations of degree certificates, school leaving certificates and transcripts come with the signed confirmation of accuracy and translator credentials UCAS's definition asks for, prepared by professional qualified translators.
Certified translations accepted across the UK. No obligation.
No. UCAS's official definition says a translation is official if it is produced by the awarding organisation or a recognised, qualified, and certifying translator, and it includes a signed confirmation of accuracy along with translator credentials. It states plainly that self-translations are not accepted.
No UCAS page we checked mentions apostilles or legalisation of foreign qualification documents, including the document upload guidance and the international entry requirements page. That is a recorded silence, not a rule either way. Individual universities set their own requirements, so confirm directly with your chosen course provider.
No. UCAS tells applicants to check the course university's website or contact them, because each provider sets its own entry rules. Two verified examples: Cambridge requires postgraduate translations from a registered translator and asks offer holders to send original documents for verification, while Edinburgh accepts translations from the awarding institution, a sworn translator from a non-UK court, or a Fellow or Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
UCAS's definition does not say. It asks for a recognised, qualified, and certifying translator without naming any register, body or country. The University of Edinburgh explicitly accepts sworn translators from non-UK courts for its postgraduate applications, but that is Edinburgh's own rule. Where the guidance is silent, confirm with the university before you order the translation.
No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can prepare your documents exactly as UCAS and your chosen universities ask. The decision always rests with them.
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