Home / Licensing boards / Michigan MDE
Michigan Department of Education, Office of Educator Excellence: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes, through the evaluation: Michigan MDE asks for a credential evaluation, and WES, one of the agencies it accepts, takes certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Credential evaluation: NACES or AICE course-by-course report
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
The Michigan Department of Education asks educators trained outside the US for an official course-by-course report from a member of NACES or AICE, which it takes instead of an official transcript; it publishes no translation rule of its own.
WES, a NACES member, accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary, and ECE and Educational Perspectives accept outside translations too.
We translate your diploma, transcripts and teaching certificate for the agency; the report, and its delivery to MDE, come from the agency.
Michigan MDE at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
Michigan MDE accepts course-by-course reports from any NACES or AICE member (out-of-country applicants); WES is a NACES member (NACES members) and accepts a translation by a professional translator or certified translation agency (WES translation rules), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets the evaluation agency's rule. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- Through the evaluation; no MDE rule
- Who may translate
- Set by the agency; WES: professional translator
- Credential evaluation
- NACES or AICE course-by-course report
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Grades
- As recordedNever converted to a US GPA
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Michigan MDE's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Michigan MDE
Report replaces transcript
The course-by-course report stands in for your official transcript.
NACES or AICE
Any member in good standing; no shorter state list.
Three years, no tests
Experienced certified teachers may skip the MTTC.
Michigan MDE requirements in detail
Translation
MDE publishes no translation rule; your documents are translated for the evaluation agency, under that agency's rule (Guidance for educators from other countries).
Who may translate
Evaluation
An official course-by-course report from a recognized service, converting your coursework and degrees into US terms; not needed for some Canadian certificate holders (Ontario, Newfoundland, Quebec, Saskatchewan) (Guidance for educators from other countries).
Accepted agencies
Members of NACES or AICE (Guidance for educators from other countries).
How the report arrives
It is treated like an official transcript: not a copy you upload, but sent directly, on paper or electronically to MDE-EducatorHelp@michigan.gov from the sender (documentation criteria).
Other documents
After you apply in MOECS, it emails a checklist; transcripts and your foreign teaching certificate or diploma go in through MOECS, with a $210 evaluation fee (Guidance for educators from other countries).
Testing
Three years of teaching under a standard foreign certificate may exempt you from the certification tests (MCL 380.1531); otherwise MDE's evaluation tells you which MTTC tests to take (Guidance for educators from other countries).
The report is your transcript in Michigan
MDE's documentation rules accept only official transcripts for coursework, and for educators trained abroad they substitute an original course-by-course report from a recognized service (Documentation: criteria for accurate application).
The report has to reach MDE the way a transcript does: on paper from the sender, or electronically straight from the institution or a confidential documents service, never as a copy you upload yourself.
That makes the agency's file the place where your translation matters.
The agency reads the translated transcript to list each course, its hours and grade, and the student teaching that MDE requires as part of a foreign preparation program.
We translate every page, the practicum record included, and keep grades exactly as recorded; conversion to US credits is the agency's work.
Choosing a NACES or AICE member
Michigan does not narrow the field: any member of NACES or AICE will do (Guidance for educators from other countries). Translation rules vary between them.
WES does not translate and wants an exact, word-for-word translation by a professional translator (WES). ECE accepts a literal translation made by anyone, or translates for its report for a fee (ECE).
Educational Perspectives takes a reputable agency or a certified professional translator (EP).
Ask the agency for a course-by-course report for Michigan teacher certification, and have it send the report directly to MDE, so it counts as an official document.
Where Michigan's pages differ
The out-of-country page tells you to submit transcripts through MOECS (Guidance for educators from other countries); the documentation criteria page says the course-by-course report replaces the official transcript and must arrive like one (Documentation: criteria for accurate application).
In practice, upload what the MOECS checklist asks for and have the agency send the report directly. If the checklist is unclear, ask the Office of Educator Excellence at MDE-EducatorHelp@michigan.gov.
Need a certified translation for Michigan MDE?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents applicants usually translate
- University diploma or degree certificate
- Transcripts and mark sheets for the degree and the teacher preparation program
- Student teaching or practicum records
- Teaching certificate or license from the other country
- Letters confirming teaching experience, for the testing exemption
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- Grades, hours and credits exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA or equivalency.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Michigan MDE
The translation goes to the NACES or AICE agency with your documents, under that agency's instructions (WES, for example, takes uploads in your WES account); the agency then sends its official report to MDE (Documentation: criteria for accurate application).
Your application, the foreign teaching certificate or diploma and the other checklist items go through MOECS (Guidance for educators from other countries).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service or a licensing agency: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, we cannot send documents on behalf of the school or authority that issued them, and we do not file the license application.
For Michigan MDE that means we translate your records for the evaluation agency; the course-by-course report, its delivery to MDE and the certification decision are outside what we do.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan require a translation of my foreign transcripts?
MDE asks for a course-by-course report from a NACES or AICE member (Guidance for educators from other countries); the agency needs your documents in English under its own rule. WES, for example, wants a professional translator (WES: translation requirements).
Which evaluation agencies does Michigan accept?
Members of NACES or AICE, such as WES or ECE (Guidance for educators from other countries, NACES).
Can I upload the evaluation report myself?
MDE wants the report like an official transcript, sent directly rather than copied or printed by you (Documentation: criteria for accurate application).
Do I have to take the Michigan tests?
Not if you have taught three years under a standard certificate from another country (Guidance for educators from other countries).
Can I translate my own documents?
Not for WES, which refuses applicant translations (WES: translation requirements). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets its rule.
Sources
Michigan Department of Education, Office of Educator Excellence's own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for Michigan MDE?
Upload a scan of your diploma, transcript or license and see the price and delivery time before you pay.