Studying in France: Which Academic Documents Need a Sworn Translation?
Are you preparing to study in France with a degree, diploma, transcript or other academic document issued abroad?
French universities, grandes écoles and other higher education institutions may ask international applicants to provide academic documents in French so that their qualifications, previous studies and results can be assessed.
The exact documents required depend on the institution, the programme and your previous education. It is therefore important to check your admission instructions carefully before preparing your application.
Claudia Florentin, sworn translator-interpreter and judicial expert, provides English-French and French-English sworn translations of degrees, diplomas, academic transcripts and other educational documents for use in France.
Which academic documents may need to be translated?
An application to a French university or higher education institution may involve several different academic documents.
Depending on your academic background and the programme you are applying for, these may include:
- degree certificates;
- university diplomas;
- academic transcripts;
- marksheets;
- school-leaving certificates;
- statements of results;
- certificates of graduation;
- provisional degree certificates;
- diploma supplements;
- certificates of enrolment or attendance;
- other documents describing your previous studies.
The institution receiving your application determines which documents must be supplied and whether a French translation is required.
Does every foreign student need a sworn translation?
There is no single rule requiring every international student in France to translate the same set of documents.
French higher education institutions assess applications according to their own admission requirements. Campus France confirms that each institution determines its own admission criteria based on the applicant’s previous academic record and the requirements of the programme concerned.
Read the official Campus France information on recognition of foreign qualifications
This means that one university may ask for a translated degree and transcript, while another programme may request additional documents.
Before arranging your translations, check the list supplied by the university, school or admissions department handling your application.
Your degree or diploma
Your degree certificate or diploma is usually the main document proving the qualification you obtained.
Depending on the country, it may be called:
- Degree Certificate;
- Diploma;
- Bachelor’s Degree;
- Master’s Degree;
- Doctoral Degree;
- Provisional Degree Certificate;
- or another title used by the awarding institution.
The translation must reproduce the qualification appearing on the original document faithfully.
A foreign degree should not simply be renamed as a French degree that appears to be equivalent. Determining the academic level or comparability of a foreign qualification is separate from translating the document itself.
Sworn translation of academic degrees and transcripts
Academic transcripts and marksheets
An academic transcript provides substantially more information than the diploma itself.
It may show:
- subjects or modules studied;
- grades and marks;
- academic credits;
- semesters or academic years;
- examination results;
- the duration of the programme;
- the grading scale used by the institution;
- and sometimes the overall classification of the qualification.
In some education systems, particularly in India and several other countries, the academic record may consist of several separate marksheets rather than a single transcript.
If your institution asks for your full academic record, send all the relevant pages for translation. Translating only one semester or one page of a multi-page transcript may leave the receiving institution without the information it needs.
What about GPA, honours and foreign grading systems?
Academic grading systems vary considerably between countries.
A British degree may contain classifications such as:
- First-Class Honours;
- Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1);
- Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2).
An American or Canadian transcript may instead show a Grade Point Average (GPA), while other countries use percentages, letter grades, numerical scales or classifications specific to their education system.
A sworn translation reproduces the information appearing on the document. The translator does not arbitrarily convert a GPA into a French mark out of 20, or a British degree classification into a French academic distinction.
If the original transcript includes a grading scale or explanatory note, that information can also be reflected in the translation.
Should academic credits be converted?
No artificial conversion should be made by the translator.
Your document may contain ECTS credits, UK credits, semester credit hours or another credit system.
The translation reproduces the credit information given by the awarding institution. Assessment of how those credits correspond to the requirements of a French programme belongs to the receiving institution or competent academic authority.
What is a Diploma Supplement?
A Diploma Supplement provides additional information about a qualification, including its level, content, results and place within the education system in which it was awarded.
It can therefore help a French institution understand the applicant’s academic background.
Whether the Diploma Supplement itself needs to be translated depends on the institution and the language in which it was issued.
If your university asks you to provide it in French, the complete document should be transmitted for review before translation.
Do I need an ENIC-NARIC statement of comparability?
Not automatically.
France does not operate a general system in which every foreign university qualification must first be converted into a French diploma.
Campus France states that each higher education institution determines its own admission criteria and decides whether to admit an applicant on the basis of their previous studies.
Campus France – Recognition of foreign qualifications in France
In some situations, however, an institution may request an ENIC-NARIC France statement of comparability to help assess a foreign qualification.
The statement of comparability places an eligible foreign qualification within the French and European qualification frameworks. It is not the same as automatically awarding the holder an equivalent French diploma.
Read the official ENIC-NARIC France information
Important: ENIC-NARIC has its own translation rules
If you are applying specifically for an ENIC-NARIC France statement of comparability, follow the Centre’s own document requirements rather than assuming that the same rules apply as for a university application.
France Éducation international currently states that its ENIC-NARIC application requires the final diploma and academic records, but that translations are not required for documents written in English, German, Arabic, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese.
This exception concerns the ENIC-NARIC procedure itself. It does not determine what a university, school, employer or other French organisation may request for a separate procedure.
Check the current ENIC-NARIC France document requirements
What about documents from India?
Indian academic applications frequently involve several different documents.
Depending on the university and qualification, students may have:
- a Degree Certificate;
- a Provisional Degree Certificate;
- individual semester marksheets;
- a consolidated marksheet;
- an official transcript;
- additional certificates issued by the university.
If a French institution asks for the complete academic record, the diploma alone may therefore not be sufficient.
The same principle applies to academic documents from other English-speaking or English-medium education systems, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and other countries.
Can academic documents be translated from a scan?
For the review of your documents, preparation of a quotation and, in many cases, preparation of the translation, you can send a clear and complete colour scan.
Make sure that:
- all pages are included;
- the edges of the documents have not been cropped;
- grades and small-print references remain legible;
- stamps and signatures are visible;
- the reverse side is included if it contains information;
- any attached certification is also supplied.
This allows the volume and complexity of the academic documents to be assessed before the translation is started.
When should I arrange my translations for the academic year?
Do not wait until the final days before your university enrolment or admissions deadline.
Academic files can contain several documents and multi-page transcripts. During the summer and the beginning of the academic year, demand for academic translations may also increase.
Ideally, once your French institution has confirmed the documents it requires, gather the complete set and send them together for review.
This also helps maintain consistent terminology across your diploma, transcript and related certificates.
Do I need to translate every academic document I own?
The most efficient approach is to translate the documents that the receiving institution has actually requested.
If your university asks for a diploma and a transcript, there may be no benefit in automatically translating every certificate from your academic history.
Conversely, if it requires detailed course results, programme information or evidence of previous qualifications, sending only the diploma may be insufficient.
Always check the institution’s document list before finalising your translation request.
Need a sworn translation of your academic documents for France?
Claudia Florentin, sworn translator-interpreter and judicial expert, provides English-French and French-English sworn translations of degrees, diplomas, academic transcripts, marksheets and related educational documents.
Your documents can be submitted remotely for review, whether you are already living in France or are preparing your move from abroad.
Send complete and clearly legible copies of the documents requested by your university or institution so that the volume can be assessed and a quotation prepared.
Request a quote for my academic documents
More information
Sworn translation of academic degrees and transcripts
English-French sworn translation services in France
Recognition of British, American and English-language qualifications in France
Information checked against official French sources at the time of publication. Admission requirements, document requirements and procedures may vary between institutions and may subsequently change. Before arranging your translations, check the current requirements of the university, school or organisation handling your application.