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Portland State University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Portland State University requires an English translation of every transcript or degree certificate not issued in English, submitted together with the original official document, and defines a certified translation as an exact, precise translation prepared by the issuing institution or a professional translator. Portland State University accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. PSU reviews foreign records itself, so no evaluation report is needed, but the sealed or attested originals must come from your school, which we cannot do for you.
Professional translator
Or the issuing institution; exact and precise.
Never on its own
A translation without the original is not official.
No evaluation
PSU converts your GPA with its own country table.
Portland State requirements at a glance
| What Portland State asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Required for any transcript or degree certificate not in English, submitted with the original official document (Official Records Policy (Admissions)). |
| Who may translate | The issuing institution or a professional translator. Not you, your friends or your family (International Documents & Certified Translation). |
| What is not a translation | A notarized or government-authorized document, a photocopy of a translation without the original, or an ECE or WES evaluation (International Documents & Certified Translation). |
| Evaluation | None required. PSU converts grades to a 4.0 scale using its minimum requirements by country. |
| Copies or originals | Unofficial non-US transcripts are enough for the decision; official records are due before the end of your first term, or registration holds follow (Official Records Policy (Admissions)). |
| Official delivery | Sealed envelope from the school, stamped or signed on the flap; attested copies made by the issuing school are accepted (Official Records Policy (Admissions)). |
| Graduate | Same translation definition; upload one PDF per institution with its translation, then send officials after admission (Graduate admission transcript requirements). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. PSU's Official Records Policy defines an official translation as an exact, precise English translation prepared "by the issuing institution or a professional translator" (official records policy, certified translation page); a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is that kind of translation. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Portland State's own page before you submit.
What PSU counts as a certified translation, and what it does not
Portland State is unusually explicit. Its International Documents & Certified Translation page says a certified translation is an exact, precise English translation of your academic documents, prepared by the issuing institution or a professional translator. The same page lists what is not one: a document authorized by a notary or a government office, a photocopy of a translation that does not travel with the original official document, a translation by you, your friends or your family, and an evaluation from a credential service such as ECE or WES.
Two consequences follow. A notary stamp adds nothing for PSU, and a WES or ECE report does not replace the translation. And because PSU reads the record itself, the translation has to carry every course, mark and remark on the original, with the grading scale left as issued. We translate that way; grades are never converted.
PSU also publishes its own list of certified translation services, from Portland and Beaverton companies to national ones (International Documents & Certified Translation). The list is a convenience, not a closed list: the rule itself is "a professional translator".
The original travels with the translation
For PSU an official record is the original-language document issued by the school, college or university, in its sealed envelope with an institutional stamp or signature across the flap (Official Records Policy (Admissions)). The English translation is submitted along with that document, and a translation sent without it is listed among the things that are not official.
Many schools abroad issue a single original. PSU asks you not to send it: send a photocopy to the issuing school, which checks it, stamps it, seals it in an institutional envelope and mails it to the Office of Admissions, or you hand-deliver the sealed envelope (Official Records Policy (Admissions)). Exam certificates such as O-Levels, A-Levels or WAEC must come sealed from the examining body, not from your school. First-year and transfer applicants can apply on unofficial copies; the official set is due before the end of the first term.
Where Portland State's pages differ
The certified translation page says international transcripts must be on paper to be official and that electronic transcripts are accepted only from US institutions. The Official Records Policy and the international first-year page say PSU accepts secure emailed transcripts from providers such as Parchment and the National Student Clearinghouse, or sent by a school official to intladm@pdx.edu, for applicants with international credentials. We have not resolved this; ask International Admissions which route applies to your school before you send.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school transcripts and the graduation certificate or diploma
- National exam certificates (sent sealed by the examining body)
- University transcripts and degree certificates, for transfer or graduate applicants
- Bank statements and sponsor letters for the I-20
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 exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload.
- $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.
Uploading the translation to Portland State
Undergraduates apply through PSU's online application and may send unofficial records first. Officials go to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, by mail or in person at the University Welcome Center, with each translation enclosed with its original (International first-year admission, Official Records Policy (Admissions)).
Graduate applicants upload one PDF per institution, including translations, legend and degree certificate, then send officials to Graduate Admissions, PO Box 751 (GS), after admission (Graduate admission transcript requirements).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, and we cannot send documents on behalf of the school that issued them. For Portland State, we translate your records; the sealed or attested originals, and exam certificates from the examining body, come from the institutions that issued them.
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 upload it with the copy of the original wherever the institution asks for it.
Sources
Portland State University's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for Oregon (IIE), leading institutions in Oregon in 2024/25: number 2, with 1,378 international students.
- Official Records Policy (Admissions)
- International Documents & Certified Translation
- International first-year admission
- International transfer admission
- Graduate admission transcript requirements
- Minimum academic requirements by country
- Undergraduate dates and deadlines
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my documents for Portland State?
The issuing institution or a professional translator; translations by you, friends or family are not accepted (International Documents & Certified Translation).
Does the translation need to be notarized?
No. PSU lists a document authorized by a notary or government office among the things that are not official translations (Official Records Policy (Admissions)).
Can a WES or ECE evaluation replace the translation?
No. PSU says an evaluation from a credential service is not a certified translation (International Documents & Certified Translation).
Can I apply with copies?
Yes. Unofficial non-US transcripts are enough for the admission decision; official documents are due before the end of your first term of enrollment (Official Records Policy (Admissions)).
When are the deadlines?
For Fall 2027 first-year applicants, the application deadline is August 1, 2027 and documents are due August 5, 2027; PSU lists each term on its deadlines page. Transfer rules are on the international transfer page.
Will eVerbary convert my grades to a US GPA?
No. The translation reproduces the grades and the grading scale exactly as they appear. A GPA conversion is credential evaluation, which the institution or an evaluation agency does.
Translating documents for Portland State?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.