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University of South Florida: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
The University of South Florida requires a certified English translation of every document not written in English, for first-year, transfer and graduate applicants alike, and its international admissions pages recommend the American Translators Association directory to find a certified translator. The University of South Florida accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Foreign college work can also need a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member (some graduate programs require one, and USF may ask for one for transfer credit), which we do not provide.
ATA directory
USF tells applicants to find a certified translator through the ATA.
Word-for-word
Its country list asks for word-for-word translations of final school records.
No notary signatures
Documents signed by a notary or by anyone outside education are refused.
USF requirements at a glance
| What USF asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | A certified English translation for every document not written in English (first-year, transfer, graduate). The country list for final records says "certified word-for-word" (source). |
| Who may translate | A certified translator; USF recommends the American Translators Association to find one (source). The graduate pages ask for a certified translation without naming who makes it. |
| Notaries | The transfer and graduate pages say USF will not accept documents signed by a notary or by any other person with no educational affiliation (transfer, graduate). |
| Evaluation | First-year: none asked. Transfer: USF may require one for any non-US college transcript (source). Graduate: required by some programs and highly recommended (source). Always course-by-course from a NACES member. |
| Copies or originals (undergraduate) | Original or certified copies; digital copies count only when a school official emails them to USF. Sealed envelopes opened by the student become unofficial (source). |
| Copies or originals (graduate) | Unofficial copies uploaded for review; enrollment is blocked until official paper transcripts arrive in a sealed envelope from your former Registrar (source). |
| Timing | Final records before the first day of classes, and USF asks you to allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. USF asks for a certified English translation of every document not in English and suggests finding a certified translator through the American Translators Association (first-year steps, transfer steps); 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 USF's own page before you submit.
The ATA recommendation and the notary sentence
USF's first-year and transfer steps say the same thing in two lines: include a certified English translation for every document not written in English, and, if you need help, use the American Translators Association to find a certified translator (first-year, transfer). eVerbary is an ATA corporate member (#273062). USF recommends the directory; its pages do not make ATA membership a condition.
The transfer and graduate requirements add a sentence most universities do not have: USF will not accept documents signed by a notary or by any other person with no educational affiliation (transfer, graduate). The pages do not spell out how that applies to a translation, but they do make clear that a notary's signature does not make a document acceptable to USF, and USF does not ask for notarized translations. If you are unsure about a particular document, write to international@usf.edu before you send it.
Final records: the country list and the word-for-word rule
Admission is conditional until USF receives and evaluates your final transcripts, which are due before the first day of classes (source). The same page lists, country by country, the exact credential USF wants: for Argentina the transcript with the Bachillerato; for Brazil the Histórico Escolar with a statement of completion, or the Certificado de Conclusão if the transcript lacks one; for China the transcript with the senior high school graduation diploma; for Colombia the Título de Bachiller; for Mexico the Certificado de Bachillerato. For each one in another language it repeats that a certified word-for-word English translation must accompany it.
Word-for-word means the translation keeps the document's own credential name, every subject and every mark as printed, so USF can match it to its list. Cambridge, Edexcel, AQA, OCR, IB and CXC results are a different case: USF wants them verified online or sent directly by the exam board rather than by your school.
Graduate applicants: translate before you apply
USF's graduate requirements make the applicant responsible for having transcripts translated, and evaluated where the program requires it, before submitting them; all transcripts submitted must be in English (source). You can upload unofficial copies (mark sheets, completion certificates, diploma supplements) to speed up review, but an offer made on them is not final until sealed paper transcripts arrive from each Registrar.
Some programs require a course-by-course evaluation, and a three-year bachelor's degree of under 120 hours from outside the Bologna area needs a NACES evaluation to confirm equivalency, while three-year degrees from the European Higher Education Area are treated as equivalent (source). USF lists Academic Evaluation Services, The Evaluation Company, ECE, Josef Silny and Atlas Credential Evaluations, and says every document the evaluator issues must include a copy of the original and an English translation. The evaluation goes directly to the Office of Admissions in Tampa.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Final secondary school transcripts and mark sheets for every year
- The diploma or completion certificate named on USF's country list (Bachillerato, Certificado de Conclusão, Título de Bachiller...)
- National exam results that are not issued in English
- University transcripts, degree certificates and diploma supplements
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 USF
First-year and transfer applicants apply through the USF application or the Common App and then use the Applicant Portal to see missing items and upload documents (source). Final records are emailed by a school official to internationaltranscripts@usf.edu, mailed by the school, or handed in still sealed (source); the certified translation must accompany each record not issued in English. The pages do not say whether it must travel in the school's envelope, so ask international@usf.edu if your school will not include it.
Graduate applicants upload unofficial transcripts with their translations in the online application, then have each institution mail an official paper transcript in a sealed envelope to the Office of Admissions (source).
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. At USF that means we translate your records; the course-by-course evaluation some graduate programs require, or that USF may request for foreign college credit, comes from a NACES member.
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
University of South Florida's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 (IIE), doctoral universities hosting the most international students in 2024/25: number 33, with 7,268 students.
- International first-year: how to apply
- International transfer: how to apply
- International transfer: academic requirements
- Submit final transcripts, with requirements by country
- International graduate: academic requirements
- International graduate: how to apply
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my documents for USF?
A certified translator. USF asks for a certified English translation of every document not in English and recommends the American Translators Association to find one (source). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Should I have my translation notarized for USF?
USF does not ask for notarization, and its transfer and graduate pages say it will not accept documents signed by a notary or by anyone with no educational affiliation (source).
Does the translation have to be word-for-word?
For final school records, yes: USF's country list asks for a certified word-for-word English translation (source).
Do I need a credential evaluation for USF?
Not for first-year admission. USF may require a NACES course-by-course evaluation for foreign college transcripts, and some graduate programs require one (transfer, graduate).
Can I email my final transcripts to USF myself?
No. Digital copies are accepted only when a school official emails them to internationaltranscripts@usf.edu; otherwise the school mails them, or you hand them in unopened (source).
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 USF?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.