Fairfax County Public Schools: Enrolling With Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about FCPS

FCPS requirements in detail

Who registers at a Welcome Center

FCPS sorts families by two answers on the Student Registration Form (IT-19): the languages spoken at home and the last school attended (FCPS: General registration requirements).

A child who last attended a US school registers at the local school, whatever the home language.

A child whose home language includes one other than English and whose last school was an international school registers at the closest Student Registration Welcome Center, where staff can explain enrollment in most languages and may assess the student's English and educational level.

There is one exception for English-speaking families: a student whose only home language is English but who last attended an international school and is entering grades 7 to 12 also goes through the international track, and the family may send the transcripts to InternationalTranscripts@fcps.edu so FCPS can check eligibility for high school credit testing at the Welcome Center (FCPS: General registration requirements).

The IT-19 is published in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese, and a registration video in nine languages.

The translation and the original travel together

FCPS's rule on previous schooling is short: records or original transcripts are required for secondary students, and a translated document must be accompanied by the original in the original language (FCPS: General registration documents).

In practice that means bringing both to the registration appointment, where the student and at least one parent must be present (FCPS: General registration requirements).

Because registrars and Welcome Center staff compare the two, the translation should follow the original line by line: every subject and year, the marks exactly as printed, the grading scale, stamps and signatures.

We translate grades as recorded and never convert them to a US GPA; any equivalence is decided by FCPS.

Birth certificates and health records from abroad

FCPS enters the student's legal name exactly as it appears on the original birth certificate, and a parent enrolling the child must be named on it; other caregivers follow FCPS's nonparent registration rules (FCPS: General registration documents, special situations).

When the certificate is in another language, a translation helps staff read the names, date of birth and parents correctly; the published rule on translations is the one for school records, so ask the registrar if you are unsure whether it is needed for the certificate.

Health documents follow Virginia rules: an immunization record signed by a licensed provider or health department employee, a physical examination for children entering elementary grades, and a TB screening for students from high-burden countries (FCPS: General registration documents).

If a vaccination card is in another language, a translation makes each vaccine name and date readable to the staff who check it against Virginia's requirements.

Documents families usually translate

• Report cards and transcripts from every secondary year completed abroad
• The most recent report card for elementary students
• Birth certificates issued abroad
• Vaccination cards and immunization booklets
• School leaving or transfer certificates

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 FCPS

• Bring the translation together with the original-language record to the registration appointment at the local school or at a Student Registration Welcome Center; FCPS asks families to call ahead for an appointment (FCPS: General registration requirements).

• Families of English-only students entering grades 7 to 12 from an international school can email transcripts in advance to InternationalTranscripts@fcps.edu for the credit-testing review (FCPS: General registration requirements).

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. 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