Academic records we translate.

Premium Lingua translates the academic record itself, in the format your institution issued it. The record is prepared from the document supplied, with grades, credits and terminology carried across accurately.

University academic transcripts
College transcripts
Statements of academic record
Academic record extracts
Subject and module lists
Grade reports
Credit records
Examination results
Final academic transcripts
Foreign-language transcripts
Accompanying qualification records where relevant

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Need the certificate translated too? A transcript proves your academic record; a degree or diploma certificate proves the qualification awarded. Tell us if you need both, so the quote covers the full set.

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Academic transcript translation for SAQA evaluation.

SAQA evaluates foreign qualifications in South Africa. Where the qualification is not from a country in which the language of learning and teaching is English, SAQA may require the graduation certificate and the transcript in the original language to be accompanied by a sworn English translation.

SAQA also asks applicants to submit the original-language documents together with the translations, not the translations on their own. So the translation is prepared to sit alongside the originals, page for page.

Premium Lingua provides the translation. It does not carry out the SAQA evaluation itself. Tell us that the documents are for SAQA when you request your quote so the translation is prepared in the form SAQA expects.

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Translation vs qualification evaluation.

Academic transcript translation

What it does: Renders the academic record into another language so the receiving institution can read it. The grades and credits are reproduced as they appear on the original.

Qualification evaluation

What it does: Determines how a foreign qualification compares within a recognised qualification framework. In South Africa this evaluation is carried out by SAQA.

If an institution or employer has asked for a SAQA evaluation, you will usually need both: the translated documents, and the evaluation based on them. Premium Lingua provides the translation.

Transcripts for university applications.

Undergraduate applications
An admissions office may ask for a translated transcript to assess prior study and entry requirements.
Postgraduate applications
Master’s and doctoral applications often turn on the detail in the transcript rather than the certificate alone.
International student applications
Institutions abroad frequently require a translated transcript alongside the qualification document.
Credit-transfer applications
Course codes, credits and credit hours must read clearly so credit can be assessed against the destination programme.
Exchange programmes
Exchange and study-abroad arrangements may require a translated record of results.
Scholarship applications
Scholarship panels may request a translated transcript to confirm academic standing.

Transcripts for professional registration.

A professional regulator often needs to see the subjects studied, the credits, any clinical or practical components, and the academic results, rather than only the fact that a qualification was awarded. For registration purposes the transcript can matter more than the degree certificate on its own.

Where you also need the qualification document translated, tell us, and we can quote the full set together:

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South African academic documents for use abroad.

DIRCO treats South African educational documents differently from ordinary civic documents. For overseas legalisation, the verification authority depends on the qualification: SAQA for completed tertiary qualifications, Umalusi for relevant school qualifications, the QCTO for certain occupational and trade qualifications, and other education authorities for specified records.

Translation and verification or legalisation are separate processes. Depending on its rules, a foreign authority may require the academic transcript, the degree or diploma certificate, a verification, a translation, and possibly legalisation. Confirm the sequence with the authority receiving the documents.

Tell Premium Lingua where the translation will be used and which documents are involved, and we will prepare the translation to fit that process.

Academic transcript translation vs Apostille or legalisation.

Translation

What it does: Changes the language of the academic record so the receiving institution can read and compare it with the original.

Verification and legalisation

What it does: Confirms the authenticity or official status of the underlying educational document, or of a verification letter about it, for international use.

DIRCO does not simply authenticate original qualification certificates or diplomas. The appropriate education authority must first verify the qualification or document, and it is that verified record, or a verification letter, that then goes through legalisation where required. Confirm the requirements before submission.

Foreign transcripts for use in South Africa.

A foreign transcript is commonly submitted in South Africa for:

SAQA evaluation
South African university admission
Professional registration
Employment
Recognition of a foreign qualification

Where the records are not in English, SAQA requires the original-language documents together with official English translations, where applicable. Send the complete transcript and tell us it is for a South African process, and whether SAQA is involved.

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Grades, credits and academic terminology.

Foreign transcripts can contain numeric grades, letter grades, honours classifications, ECTS credits, credit hours, local grading scales, course abbreviations and academic status codes.

Premium Lingua translates this terminology faithfully. It does not invent an equivalent South African grade or restate results on a different scale, because that is the job of a credential evaluation, not a translation. If the transcript carries a grade legend or an explanatory key, the legend is translated too, so the reader can interpret the results correctly.

Grade systems, credit values and academic terminology are translated accurately, without changing or “converting” the academic result, unless the receiving authority specifically requires a separate credential evaluation. Translation and credential evaluation are different services.

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What should you send us?

The complete academic transcript
All pages
The reverse side, if it carries a legend or grading scale
The degree or diploma certificate, if it will also be translated
The source language
The language you need it translated into
The receiving institution
Whether the documents are for SAQA
Any sworn or certified requirements
Your deadline

Please send the complete transcript, including any grading legend or explanatory notes, so the translation can preserve the academic context correctly.