Degree certificate

Degree certificate

Degree certificate work is usually route-driven by issuer and destination, with Australia fully covered and other jurisdictions mainly apostille-led.

What usually matters first

Start with the document itself, then check the issuing side, destination side, and receiving requirements.

  • Check whether transcript or supporting documents are also needed.
  • Confirm destination institution wording and translation needs.
  • Move to intake after route and document set are confirmed.

Practical notes

This section keeps to the public-facing points that usually matter first. Final handling still depends on the issuing authority, receiving side, and document format.

Australia-issued degree certificates

Australian tertiary documents can be legalised directly if they are original university documents, but the verification standard is stricter for copy routes than many clients realise.

Official baseline
  • DFAT can legalise original Australian tertiary documents issued by universities
  • For notarised copies, the notary must verify the original record with the issuing institution; a simple “true copy” statement is not enough
  • If the client does not want the original degree marked, a notarised copy can be used instead
EGS intake screening
  • Degree certificate scan or original sufficient to confirm award details
  • Passport bio page
  • If transcript or graduation evidence may also be needed, review the full academic set early

This screening is for preliminary route assessment only and is not legal advice. Original documents may still be required depending on document type, issuing authority, destination, and receiving-side requirements.

Common document types / examples
  • Degree certificate / testamur / graduation certificate
  • Academic transcript
  • Letter of completion / graduation letter
  • Enrollment letter / student status letter
  • Offer letter / admission letter
Expedite position

Australian academic routes can be workable where the university-issued document is already clean. If institution verification or supporting evidence still needs to be assembled, urgency becomes less reliable.

United Kingdom-issued degree certificates

UK qualification documents often need an upstream certification step before legalisation. The main professional judgment is whether the receiving side will accept a solicitor/notary-certified academic copy.

Official baseline
  • GOV.UK says qualification certificates can be legalised if certified by a UK public official such as a notary or solicitor
  • Applicants should check with the receiving side whether the original or certified copy is required
  • Where an e-Apostille is available, the document must be an electronically signed PDF from the certifying professional
EGS intake screening
  • Degree certificate scan and any transcript or award support
  • Passport bio page
  • Confirm whether the receiving institution wants transcript, degree only, or both

This screening is for preliminary route assessment only and is not legal advice. Original documents may still be required depending on document type, issuing authority, destination, and receiving-side requirements.

Common document types / examples
  • Degree certificate / diploma
  • Academic transcript
  • Letter of completion / award confirmation
  • Enrollment letter where still studying
  • Offer letter where the receiving side asks for admission proof
Expedite position

UK academic routes can move well when the certification format is settled early. If the client still needs to source the right academic pack, speed should not be promised too early.

Singapore-issued degree certificates

Singapore educational documents are usually not treated the same way as government-issued civil records. The upstream question is whether they first need notarisation or certification by the appropriate body before SAL apostille.

Official baseline
  • MFA says SAL is the competent authority for Singapore apostilles
  • Singapore guidance distinguishes government-issued documents from other documents that may need notarisation first
  • The receiving authority should be asked what exact academic format is required
EGS intake screening
  • Degree certificate scan plus any transcript or award proof available
  • Passport or NRIC details where matching is required
  • Review whether the file should start from a certified copy, notarised document, or another institution-issued version

This screening is for preliminary route assessment only and is not legal advice. Original documents may still be required depending on document type, issuing authority, destination, and receiving-side requirements.

Common document types / examples
  • Degree certificate / diploma
  • Academic transcript
  • Letter of completion or student status letter
  • Enrollment or matriculation letter
  • Admission or offer letter for school-entry use
Expedite position

Educational files from Singapore can be clean, but speed depends on whether the upstream document form is already the correct one for apostille.

Canada-issued education documents

Canada treats education documents as apostille-eligible public documents, but operationally the issuing province and whether the file is original or notarised still shape the route.

Official baseline
  • Canada says education documents can be authenticated with an apostille certificate
  • Certain provinces issue apostilles directly, while others still route through Global Affairs Canada
  • Notarised documents are also within the apostille framework
EGS intake screening
  • Degree certificate scan and province detail
  • Passport bio page
  • If transcript, letter of completion, or other school proof is part of the filing, review it together as one set

This screening is for preliminary route assessment only and is not legal advice. Original documents may still be required depending on document type, issuing authority, destination, and receiving-side requirements.

Common document types / examples
  • Degree certificate / diploma
  • Academic transcript
  • Letter of completion / confirmation of studies
  • Enrollment verification / student status letter
  • Offer letter or admission record where relevant
Expedite position

For Canadian education documents, the province and document form matter more to timing than the broad label “degree certificate”. EGS screens those first before discussing urgency.

Common institution references

This is a compact enquiry-facing reference only. Final route review still depends on the official institution name shown on the document, issuing details, and receiving-side requirements.

Australia

  • University of Melbourne (UniMelb)
  • University of Sydney (USYD)
  • University of New South Wales (UNSW)
  • Monash University (Monash)
  • University of Queensland (UQ)
  • Australian National University (ANU)
  • University of Western Australia (UWA)
  • University of Adelaide (UoA)
  • University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
  • Macquarie University (MQ)
  • RMIT University (RMIT)
  • Deakin University (Deakin)

Use the official issuing name shown on the certificate or transcript. Acronyms help with search and enquiry matching, but the file should still follow the institution’s formal wording.

United Kingdom

  • University of Oxford (Oxford)
  • University of Cambridge (Cambridge)
  • Imperial College London (Imperial)
  • University College London (UCL)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
  • King's College London (KCL)
  • University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh)
  • University of Manchester (Manchester)
  • University of Bristol (Bristol)
  • University of Warwick (Warwick)

Singapore / Canada / United States

  • National University of Singapore (NUS)
  • Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
  • Singapore Management University (SMU)
  • Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
  • Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
  • Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
  • University of Toronto (U of T)
  • University of British Columbia (UBC)
  • McGill University (McGill)
  • University of Waterloo (Waterloo)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • New York University (NYU)
  • University of Southern California (USC)
  • Columbia University (Columbia)
  • Harvard University (Harvard)
  • Stanford University (Stanford)