Your overseas degree certificate is a key document when applying for skilled migration, professional registration, or further study in Australia. If it was issued in a language other than English, you will need a certified degree certificate translation Australia institutions and government bodies will accept. This guide explains when you need one, what to expect, and how to get it done quickly.
When You Need a Degree Certificate Translation
A degree certificate (also called a diploma, testamur, or graduation certificate) confirms the qualification you were awarded. It is different from an academic transcript, which lists the individual subjects and grades. In many cases, you will need both documents translated — see our guide on academic transcript translation for details on that process.
Common situations requiring a degree certificate translation Australia services provide include:
- Skills assessment for skilled visas — bodies like Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, ACS (Australian Computer Society), ANMAC, and CPA Australia all require certified translations
- Skilled visa applications (subclass 189, 190, 491, 482) where the degree supports your nominated occupation
- University admission for postgraduate study — Australian universities need to verify your prior qualification
- Professional registration — nursing (AHPRA), engineering, teaching, law, and other regulated professions
- Employer verification — Australian employers may require translated copies of overseas qualifications
- Australian citizenship applications where educational background is relevant
Skills assessing bodies are particularly strict about translation quality. The translation must accurately reflect the exact qualification awarded, the institution's name, the date of conferral, and any honours or distinctions.
What Gets Translated on a Degree Certificate
A typical degree certificate translation covers:
- The name of the awarding institution
- The full name of the graduate
- The title of the qualification awarded (e.g., Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Science)
- The field of study or major
- The date of conferral or graduation
- Any honours, distinctions, or classifications (e.g., First Class Honours, cum laude)
- The signatures and titles of university officials
- The institution's seal or stamp
- Registration or certificate numbers
Our translators ensure that the qualification title is translated accurately and consistently with how Australian institutions would understand it. For example, a Chinese degree titled "工学学士" is correctly translated as "Bachelor of Engineering," not as a literal word-for-word rendering.
Languages We Translate Degree Certificates From
We provide certified translations of degree certificates from any language. The most commonly requested include:
- Chinese translation — for degrees from Chinese universities, the single most requested language for degree translations in Australia
- Vietnamese translation — for Vietnamese university and college degrees
- Korean translation — for South Korean degree certificates
- Japanese translation — for Japanese university graduation certificates
- Arabic translation — for degree certificates from universities across the Middle East
- Hindi translation, Telugu translation, and Tamil translation — for Indian degree certificates in various regional languages
- Nepali translation — for Nepalese university degrees, heavily in demand from skilled visa applicants
- Russian translation — for Russian and former Soviet university diplomas
- Spanish translation — for degrees from Spain and Latin American universities
- French translation — for French, Belgian, Canadian, and African university degrees
- Portuguese translation — for Brazilian university diplomas
- Thai translation — for Thai university graduation certificates
Degree Certificate vs Academic Transcript
It is important to understand the difference between these two documents, as skills assessors and universities often require both:
The degree certificate is a single document confirming the qualification you were awarded. It proves you graduated and holds the official seal of the institution. This is what hangs on the wall.
The academic transcript is a multi-page document listing all subjects studied, the grades received, and the credit points or hours for each. It proves what you studied and how well you performed.
Most skills assessment applications require both documents. If you are submitting both for translation, let us know when you place your order — we can often provide a package price for translating the degree certificate and transcript together.
Pricing and How to Order
Our degree certificate translation Australia service starts from $80 for a standard degree certificate. Most degree certificates are a single page, though some institutions issue multi-page documents with supplementary information.
Standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, and every translation is completed by a translator with over 10 years of NAATI experience. The finished translation includes the full NAATI certification — stamp, credential number, signed declaration of accuracy, and date. It is accepted by every Australian university, skills assessor, professional body, and government department.
To get started, scan or photograph your degree certificate and submit it through our quote form. We will confirm the price and delivery time within minutes.