Ordering Your Final US Transcripts and Verifying Your Degree From Abroad

Where to request your transcript

Your university registrar's office issues your official transcript, and most schools route these requests through the National Student Clearinghouse , a nonprofit that handles transcript ordering for a large share of US colleges. Order through your school's own website or directly through the Clearinghouse's ordering system, available online at any time from any country.

You do not need to be enrolled or in the United States to order. Log in with your student credentials, or set up an account with your name and student ID if you graduated a while ago, and pay by credit card. If your school does not use the Clearinghouse, check your registrar's website directly for its own ordering portal.

Electronic versus paper delivery

Choose electronic delivery whenever the receiving institution or employer accepts it. An electronic transcript arrives as a secure PDF within a few business days in most cases and costs less than international mail. Paper transcripts mailed abroad take longer and cost more, with express international mail available for an added fee.

Some receiving institutions require a sealed paper transcript specifically, especially government agencies or older evaluation systems in some countries. Confirm the exact format required before you place your order, since a reissue for the wrong format wastes both time and money.

When you need an apostille or authentication

If a school, employer, or government agency abroad asks you to authenticate your US degree or transcript, you likely need an apostille or an authentication certificate from the US Department of State Office of Authentications . An apostille works for countries in the 1961 Hague Convention, while an authentication certificate applies to documents headed to a country outside that convention. Confirm which one your destination country requires before you request it.

Nearly all university diplomas and transcripts are state-issued documents, so you get your apostille from the Secretary of State in the state where your school is located, after notarization, not from the federal Office of Authentications.

The federal office mainly comes into play for documents issued by a federal agency, or for authentication certificates needed for countries outside the Hague Convention. Confirm the exact process with your registrar, as detailed on the State Department's apostille certificate guidance .

Getting your degree recognized in another country

Many countries and employers require a credential evaluation to translate your US degree into a format they recognize, especially for further study or professional licensing. Use an evaluator that belongs to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), since these are the evaluators most foreign institutions and employers already trust.

A course-by-course evaluation, which lists every class and its foreign-equivalent grade, generally takes longer and costs more than a basic document evaluation confirming your degree exists and its US equivalent level. Order the type your destination institution specifically asks for, since a general evaluation does not always satisfy a program that needs the detailed version.

Diploma versus transcript, and why the difference matters

Your diploma is a single certificate confirming your degree and graduation date. Your transcript is the detailed record of every course, grade, and credit hour.

Most foreign institutions, employers, and evaluators ask for the transcript, not the diploma, since it shows the coursework behind the degree, so confirm which document a request actually means before you order.

Order a few extra sealed or certified copies of both documents while you are still enrolled or shortly after graduation, before you leave the country. Requesting documents later from abroad still works through the Clearinghouse or your registrar, but having originals on hand saves a step if a receiving institution insists on a copy mailed directly from you rather than routed electronically.

Translation requirements

If your destination country does not use English, you likely need a certified translation of your transcript alongside the original. Check whether the receiving institution accepts a translation from any certified translator or requires one from a specific approved provider, since requirements differ by country and by institution.

A NACES member credential evaluator sometimes provides translation as part of its evaluation service, which can cover both steps in one order. Confirm this option directly with the evaluator before paying for translation separately.

Realistic timelines

Build weeks, not days, into your plan when you need transcripts, apostilles, and a credential evaluation together. The Office of Authentications processes documents dropped off in person in Washington DC fastest, but a request mailed from abroad, the realistic option for most international students, takes longer, so check the office's current processing times before you set a deadline. Credential evaluations from NACES members also take real time depending on the service tier you choose.

Start the process as soon as you know you need the document, instead of waiting until a deadline is close. If you are unsure which combination of documents your destination requires, contact the receiving institution directly and ask exactly what they need before you order anything.

Step-by-step checklist

• Confirm exactly which documents your destination institution or employer requires

• Order your transcript through your registrar or the National Student Clearinghouse

• Choose electronic delivery unless a sealed paper copy is specifically required

• Confirm whether you need an apostille or an authentication certificate, and from which authority

• Use a NACES member evaluator if your destination requires a credential evaluation

• Start weeks ahead of any deadline, international processing and mail both take time