Attesting and Legalizing Malaysian SPM, STPM and Degree Certificates for Overseas Applications

What foreign institutions want from your Malaysian certificates

A foreign university, immigration authority, or credential evaluator like WES wants a certified true copy of your SPM, STPM, or degree certificate, proof the awarding body and the government have confirmed it is genuine, and in some cases an English translation.

Step 1: get certified true copies

Take your original SPM slip, STPM certificate, or degree parchment to a Commissioner for Oaths or a notary public to get certified true copies made. Keep the originals safe and use the certified copies for the rest of the process, since some later steps require you to submit a copy rather than the only original you have.

Step 2: confirm your qualification with the awarding body

SPM results come from Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia (the Malaysian Examinations Board), and STPM results come from Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (the Malaysian Examinations Council). If you lost your original slip or an evaluator wants direct confirmation, both boards can issue a results verification letter. For a degree, check whether your program appears on the Malaysian Qualifications Register , maintained by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The register confirms your program was accredited while you studied, which gives an evaluator or foreign registrar independent proof your institution and program were legitimate.

Step 3: attestation at Wisma Putra

Submit your certified copies to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commonly known as Wisma Putra, for authentication. This step confirms the notary's or Commissioner for Oaths's signature is registered and genuine, and it is what lets a destination country or evaluator trust a Malaysian-issued document abroad. Malaysia has not joined the Hague Apostille Convention, so this full attestation chain applies regardless of destination country, unlike neighboring countries that now use a single apostille for documents going to fellow member states.

Step 4: destination embassy legalization, if required

Some destination countries ask for a further legalization step at their embassy or high commission in Kuala Lumpur after Wisma Putra attestation. Others, and most credential evaluators, accept the Wisma Putra-attested copy on its own. Check your destination country's embassy or high commission website directly, since this varies by country.

Translation

SPM and STPM certificates are issued bilingually in Malay and English, and most Malaysian university degree certificates are issued in English, so most applicants skip a separate translation step. If your institution issued a Malay-only document, get a certified translation before submitting it to your evaluator or destination institution.

Sending documents to your evaluator

If your program requires a foreign credential evaluation, register with WES or another recognized evaluator first and follow its exact document list. Some evaluators ask your school or examination board to send a copy directly, in addition to the attested copy you submit yourself. Confirm whether your program needs a document-by-document or course-by-course evaluation before you pay, since a course-by-course report that converts every subject grade costs more and takes longer.

Converting your grades

Malaysian degree results commonly use a 4.00-point CGPA scale close to the US system, while SPM and STPM use their own grade bands, A+ through G for SPM and a separate band system for STPM, rather than a GPA. A course-by-course evaluation converts secondary results into a format foreign admissions staff can compare directly. If a school asks you to self-report your results before formal evaluation, quote your grades exactly as printed rather than converting them yourself.

Quick reference

If your institution has closed, the Ministry of Higher Education keeps records for private higher education providers that stop operating, since closure procedures require handing over student records. Contact the ministry directly to ask how to get confirmation of your studies when your original institution no longer exists.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sending your only original document for attestation instead of a certified copy.

• Assuming MQA verifies the individual certificate itself, when it confirms program accreditation through the Malaysian Qualifications Register instead.

• Skipping Wisma Putra attestation and sending only a notarized copy, which most foreign institutions will not accept.

• Starting close to your deadline, when notarization, attestation, and any embassy step each add independent processing time.

Start the process two to three months before your application deadline. Confirm your destination country's exact embassy requirement early, since it changes what you need after Wisma Putra attestation.