To translate foreign credentials for Canada, you submit a certified English or French translation of your foreign degree, diploma, or academic transcripts alongside the original documents. This translation is a separate step from the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which is the formal evaluation that verifies your foreign credential equals a Canadian one. IRCC and the designated assessment bodies do the evaluation. A certified translator prepares the translation. Getting both pieces right, in the correct order, is what keeps an Express Entry profile or a licensing file from stalling.

Foreign Credential and Degree Translation for Canada (ECA, WES)

If you earned a degree, diploma, or trade certificate outside Canada and you are now applying for permanent residence, a professional licence, or admission to a Canadian institution, you will almost certainly hit two requirements that get confused for each other: a credential evaluation and a certified translation. They are not the same thing, they are done by different parties, and submitting one when you needed the other is a common cause of delay. We are an ATIO-certified translation and interpreting company in Ontario and prepare the certified academic translations that feed into these files every week. This guide explains, from the official sources, what a foreign credential translation is, how it relates to an ECA from bodies like WES, who does what, and how to assemble a package that passes the first time.

Key Takeaways

• A credential evaluation (an ECA) is not a translation. The ECA verifies that your foreign degree or diploma is valid and equal to a Canadian one. The translation renders your documents into English or French. You often need both, and they are produced by different parties.
• For Express Entry, IRCC requires your ECA to be done by a designated organization or professional body. The five designated organizations are WES, ICAS, CES at the University of Toronto, IQAS in Alberta, and ICES at BCIT. Architects, doctors, and pharmacists must use a designated professional body instead.
• Your ECA must be less than five years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application, or IRCC will refuse it.
• The assessment bodies do not translate your documents. WES states plainly that it does not provide translation, so you are responsible for supplying certified translations of any document not in English or French.
• Translation standards vary by body. IQAS does not require a certified or notarized translation, while the Medical Council of Canada routes physicians through approved providers. A certified translation satisfies the strictest reader, so it is the safe default.
• For a certified academic translation prepared in 24 to 48 hours, you can request a free quote. Cost depends on the documents and language pair, so a quote is the only accurate figure.

What Is the Difference Between a Credential Evaluation and a Translation?

This is the distinction that trips up almost everyone, so nail it down first. A credential evaluation answers one question: what is my foreign qualification worth in Canadian terms? According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment “is used to verify that your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate (or other proof of your credential) is valid and equal to a Canadian one.” The output is a report, issued by a designated body, that says, for example, that your four-year engineering degree from abroad is equal to a Canadian bachelor’s degree. You can read the official definition on the IRCC educational credential assessment page.

A translation answers a different question: what do these documents say in English or French? It does not judge whether your degree is equivalent to anything. It faithfully reproduces the content of your diploma, transcript, or mark sheet in one of Canada’s official languages, word for word, so an assessor, immigration officer, licensing board, or registrar can read it. A certified translation adds a signed statement (and, in Ontario, a professional seal) attesting that it is accurate and complete.

Here is why the order and roles matter. The designated body performs the evaluation; it does not produce your translation. You, the applicant, arrange a certified translation and supply it with the original-language documents so the evaluator can do the assessment. WES is explicit: “we do not currently provide this service. Therefore, you are responsible for providing any translations necessary to process your application.” So the practical sequence is: get your documents translated by a certified translator, then submit those translations plus the originals to the assessment body, which issues the ECA report. We handle the translation half of that workflow as part of our broader document translation services.

Aspect	Credential evaluation (ECA)	Certified translation
What it does	Verifies your foreign credential is valid and states its Canadian equivalent.	Renders your documents into English or French, word for word.
Who produces it	An IRCC-designated organization or professional body (WES, ICAS, CES, IQAS, ICES, or a profession body).	A professional, generally certified, translator. The assessment body does not translate.
Output	An ECA report with a reference number.	A translated document with a signed certification and, in Ontario, an ATIO seal.
Judges equivalence?	Yes. That is its entire purpose.	No. It only reproduces content accurately.
When you need it	To earn education points or qualify as a principal applicant in Express Entry, or for licensing.	Whenever a document is not in English or French and must be read by a Canadian body.

Do I always need both an ECA and a translation?

Not always. WES notes that “in most cases, translation is not necessary for a WES credential evaluation,” because many institutions send official transcripts directly to the evaluator and a large share of applicants studied in English-language systems. Translation becomes necessary when your documents are issued in a language other than English or French. Conversely, you might need a certified translation with no ECA at all, for instance when a provincial regulator, a university admissions office, or an employer simply wants to read your diploma. The two requirements are independent, and which ones apply depends on who is reading your file and why.

What Is an ECA and Who Needs One?

An Educational Credential Assessment is the formal equivalency report used in Canadian immigration. IRCC states that if you completed your education outside Canada, you need an ECA to “be eligible as the principal applicant for Federal Skilled Workers Program (Express Entry)” or to “earn points for education you got outside Canada.” You can also earn points for an accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s education. You do not need an assessment for a Canadian credential.

To earn education points, your report has to show that your completed foreign credential equals a completed Canadian secondary school or post-secondary credential. In most cases you only need an assessment for your highest level of education, so a candidate with a master’s degree typically gets the master’s assessed and skips the bachelor’s. For points on two or more credentials, you need an assessment for each. You must include the ECA report and its reference number in your Express Entry profile.

One limit is worth stressing because it costs people their applications. IRCC says your ECA “must be less than 5 years old” when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application, and adds bluntly: “If you apply with an expired ECA, we’ll refuse your application.” If your assessment is nearing five years, contact the issuing organization about re-issuing it first. An ECA also does not guarantee a job or a licence to practise; if your occupation is regulated, you still have to be licensed by the regulator in the province where you settle.

Which organizations are designated to issue an ECA?

You cannot simply pick any evaluation company. IRCC requires the assessment to come from an organization or professional body it has designated. Most applicants use one of five designated organizations, listed below with the dates IRCC designated each, drawn from the official IRCC guidance.

Designated organization	Common short name	Date designated
Comparative Education Service, University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies	CES	April 17, 2013
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada	ICAS	April 17, 2013
World Education Services	WES	April 17, 2013
International Qualifications Assessment Service	IQAS	August 6, 2015
International Credential Evaluation Service, BCIT	ICES	August 6, 2015

Processing times and costs vary by organization, and each tells you how to submit documents once chosen. WES, for example, publishes its assessment options and fees on the WES evaluations for Canadian immigration page, while ICES describes its three service tiers (basic, comprehensive, and immigration ECA) on the BCIT ICES ECA page. The body you choose may shape exactly how your translated documents are submitted, so confirm the document checklist in your account before you start.

What if I am an architect, doctor, or pharmacist?

Certain regulated professions are routed to a designated professional body rather than the general organizations. According to IRCC, if your primary occupation is architect (NOC 21200) and you will need a licence, the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), designated on May 20, 2024, must do your ECA. If your primary occupation is a doctor in one of the listed medical categories, you must get an ECA for your primary medical diploma from the Medical Council of Canada, designated on April 17, 2013. If your primary occupation is pharmacist (NOC 31120) and you will need a licence, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada, designated on January 6, 2014, must do your assessment. The Alberta IQAS guidance confirms the same routing, noting that physicians, pharmacists, and architects intending to obtain a licence go to those bodies. If you do not need a licence for your role, one of the general designated organizations can assess your credentials instead.

Do Credential Evaluation Bodies Translate Your Documents?

No. The designated bodies evaluate; they do not translate. WES states it directly: “Many applicants ask if WES will translate their documents; however, we do not currently provide this service. Therefore, you are responsible for providing any translations necessary to process your application.” The same logic applies across the bodies. Your job is to supply a faithful English or French translation of every document in another language, so the evaluator can read and assess it.

WES is also specific about what it accepts. For Canadian evaluations it requires English or French translations of documents issued in other languages, and it “cannot accept English- or French-language versions of the documents in place of a translation,” so even if your institution issues an English diploma, WES wants an independently translated version of the original-language document. The standards: exact and word for word, clear and legible, and completed by a professional translator who “might be affiliated with a university, certified translation agency, or any other professional translation service.” WES will not accept handwritten translations, translations of photocopies, or translations done by the applicant. All of this is set out on the WES translation requirements page.

One detail saves a lot of grief: WES advises asking your institution for two sets of documents, one for WES and another for your translation service, because “unofficial documents or student copies might not correspond exactly to the official versions.” Your certified translator should work from the same official document the evaluator will verify. We explain the value of a credentialed professional for these high-stakes files on our page about why a licensed translator matters for your documents.

What Are the Translation Standards for Each Body?

Translation rules are not identical across the evaluation bodies, and the differences help you avoid both under-doing and over-paying. The common thread is that the translation must be complete, word for word, and produced by someone independent (never the applicant or a family member). They differ on whether a formal certification or notarization is demanded.

Body	Who may translate	Certified or notarized?	Source
WES (Canada)	A professional translator affiliated with a university, a certified translation agency, or another professional service. No handwritten translations, no translations of photocopies, none by the applicant.	A professional translation is required; WES does not demand a notary.	WES translation requirements page
IQAS (Alberta)	A qualified professional translator who “does not need to be certified in Canada.” Word for word, from an objective source, not the applicant.	Translations “do not need to be certified or notarized.”	Alberta IQAS apply page
Medical Council of Canada	One of MCC’s listed translation service providers, which deliver translations meeting MCC requirements. Not relatives or friends.	Routed through approved providers; a literal, word-for-word translation is required.	MCC document translation page

The takeaway is practical. IQAS tells applicants that translations “do not need to be certified or notarized” and can be “completed by a qualified professional translator who does not need to be certified in Canada,” as long as the work is a “word-for-word translation of the original document,” per the Alberta IQAS how to apply page. The Medical Council of Canada, by contrast, requires documents stored in your physiciansapply.ca account to be in English or French and routes physicians to approved translation providers, with the original-language document and the translation submitted together, as described on the MCC document translation page.

Because the institutions downstream of your ECA, including IRCC, universities, employers, and provincial regulators, frequently want a certified translation with a signed certificate of accuracy, the safe approach is to obtain one from the start. A certified translation satisfies the strictest reader and is accepted by the more relaxed ones, so you never redo the work when the next institution asks for more. In Ontario, that means a translation carrying an ATIO certified translator’s seal, which we explain on our ATIO certified translation page.

Which Documents Usually Need Translating for a Credential File?

For credential evaluation and licensing, the documents in play are the academic and professional records that prove what you studied and were awarded. If any are issued in a language other than English or French, they need a translation. The most common items are below.

• Degree and diploma certificates. The formal parchment or certificate that names the credential, the institution, and the year it was conferred.
• Academic transcripts and mark sheets. The detailed record of courses, grades, and credits. Evaluators read these closely to determine equivalency, so course titles and grades must be translated accurately.
• Diploma supplements and degree statements. Documents that describe the structure, length, and level of the program.
• Medical, dental, and pharmacy credentials. Primary medical diplomas and professional qualifications routed to bodies like the Medical Council of Canada.
• Professional licences and trade certificates. Certificates of qualification and licences from your home country, where a regulator wants to see them.
• Back pages and overleaf content. The MCC notes that the back page of a credential must be translated if it carries vital information or official stamps and seals, such as a graduation date or a Dean’s or Registrar’s signature.

A recurring snag is stamps and seals. Official registry stamps, embossed seals, and signatures that appear on a document in another language are part of the record and generally need to be rendered too, not left untranslated. A transcript whose course list is translated but whose institutional seal is left in the original script can read as incomplete. A careful certified translator accounts for these elements rather than skipping them. If your file also includes civil documents, such as a birth or marriage certificate for a name match, those follow the standard immigration translation rules covered on our guide to how to get documents translated for IRCC.

How Much Does Foreign Credential Translation Cost in Canada?

There is no single flat price, because cost depends on the documents and language pair. It helps to separate the two buckets: the evaluation fee, paid to the assessment body, and the translation fee, paid to your translator. They are different charges to different parties.

On the evaluation side, the bodies publish their own fees. IQAS, for example, lists an application fee of $260 for one credential, plus a $25 administration fee and courier fees, with rush service available at an additional cost, per its official apply page. WES publishes its Canadian immigration evaluation pricing on its evaluations page. These figures are set by the assessment bodies and change periodically, so always confirm current fees on the body’s own site before you budget.

On the translation side, cost is driven by the number of documents, their length and density (a multi-year transcript with hundreds of course entries takes longer than a single diploma), the language pair, the formatting, and the turnaround you need. Because those variables differ from file to file, the only accurate number is a quote based on your actual documents, which is why we do not publish a single price for credential translation. Send us your documents and we will give you a firm figure and a turnaround, typically 24 to 48 hours for standard sets. You can get a free quote here, or see our overview of document translation for what shapes certified translation pricing in Canada.

How Do You Assemble a Compliant Credential Translation Package?

Putting the pieces together in the right order avoids most of the back and forth. Steps vary by body, but the spine of the process is consistent.

1. Confirm which body you need. For Express Entry, choose a designated organization (WES, ICAS, CES, IQAS, or ICES), or the right professional body if you are an architect, doctor, or pharmacist who will be licensed.
2. Check your document checklist. Log in to the body’s portal or read its country-specific requirements to see exactly which documents are needed and how transcripts must reach the evaluator (often sealed and sent directly by your institution).
3. Get official documents in hand. Ask your institution for an extra official set so your translator works from the same official documents the evaluator will verify, as WES recommends.
4. Obtain certified translations. Have a certified translator render every non-English, non-French document word for word, including relevant stamps, seals, and back pages, with a certificate of accuracy.
5. Submit translations with originals. Provide the translation together with a copy of the original-language document. Bodies like the MCC require both files submitted together and tell you not to alter the translator’s file.
6. Enter your ECA in your profile. Once the body issues the report, record the ECA report and its reference number in your Express Entry profile, and check the five-year validity window against your application date.

A certified translator who has handled academic files before knows how to present transcripts so the evaluator can map courses cleanly, how to deal with grading scales, and how to render institutional names and seals. That experience is the difference between a translation that reads as a tidy, verifiable mirror of the original and one that prompts questions. We can prepare the translation portion while you manage the evaluation application. If you are in the Greater Toronto Area, our team of certified translators in Toronto handles academic credential work in over 500 languages.

Common Mistakes That Delay Credential Files

Most delays are avoidable and stem from a handful of recurring errors. Knowing them in advance is the cheapest insurance on a credential file.

• Treating the evaluation as the translation. Expecting WES or another body to translate your documents, when they do not, leaves your file stuck waiting for translations you were supposed to provide.
• Translating from an unofficial copy. A translation based on a student copy that does not match the official transcript can fail to line up with what the evaluator receives directly from your institution.
• Letting an ECA expire. Submitting an Express Entry application with an ECA that is five years old or older leads to refusal. Watch the validity window.
• Skipping stamps, seals, or back pages. Leaving official seals or a vital overleaf untranslated can render a translation incomplete in the eyes of a careful reader.
• Using a family member or yourself as translator. Bodies reject translations done by applicants or relatives. Use an independent professional.
• Assuming an English diploma needs no translation. WES may still want an independently translated version of the original-language document even when your institution issued an English certificate.

If you are weighing whether a certified translation, a notarized translation, or a sworn affidavit is what your particular file needs, the distinctions matter and are easy to get wrong. We break them down on our page comparing certified versus notarized translation in Canada, which pairs well with this guide for anyone assembling an immigration or licensing package.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a credential evaluation the same as a translation?

No. A credential evaluation, or ECA, verifies that your foreign degree or diploma is valid and equal to a Canadian credential, and produces a report stating that equivalence. A translation reproduces your documents in English or French, word for word, without judging equivalence. They are produced by different parties: a designated body does the evaluation, and a professional translator does the translation. Many applicants need both.

Does WES translate my documents?

No. WES states that it does not currently provide translation services and that you are responsible for providing any translations necessary to process your application. WES requires translations to be exact and word for word, clear and legible, and completed by a professional translator. It will not accept handwritten translations, translations of photocopies, or translations done by the applicant.

Which organizations can issue an ECA for Express Entry?

For Express Entry, IRCC has designated five organizations most applicants use: World Education Services (WES), the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS), Comparative Education Service (CES) at the University of Toronto, the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) in Alberta, and the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) at BCIT. Architects, doctors, and pharmacists who will be licensed must use a designated professional body instead.

How long is an ECA valid?

An ECA must be less than five years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application. IRCC will refuse an application made with an expired ECA. If your assessment is approaching five years, contact the organization that issued it about re-issuing it before you apply.

Do my academic translations need to be certified?

It depends on the body, but a certified translation is the safe choice. IQAS, for instance, states that translations do not need to be certified or notarized for its purposes. Other readers downstream, including IRCC, universities, employers, and provincial regulators, often want a certified translation with a certificate of accuracy. Getting one from the outset satisfies the strictest reader and avoids redoing the work later.

Can I translate my own diploma and transcripts?

No. The evaluation bodies do not accept translations completed by the applicant, and immigration bodies do not accept translations by family members. The translation must come from an independent, qualified professional, because a self-translation cannot be treated as objective.

What documents do I need to translate for a credential evaluation?

Typically your degree or diploma certificate and your academic transcripts or mark sheets, plus any diploma supplement, professional licence, or trade certificate in a language other than English or French. Official stamps, seals, and vital back-page content generally need translating too. If your name differs across documents, any record proving the name change may also need translation.

How much does it cost to translate foreign credentials in Canada?

There is no flat rate. Translation cost depends on the number and length of documents, the language pair, formatting, and turnaround, while the evaluation fee is separate and set by the assessment body. Because the variables differ per file, a quote based on your actual documents is the only accurate figure, usually with a 24 to 48 hour turnaround for standard sets.

I am a physician. Where do my medical credentials go?

If your primary occupation is a doctor in a listed medical category and you will seek a licence, IRCC requires the ECA for your primary medical diploma to come from the Medical Council of Canada. The MCC requires documents in your physiciansapply.ca account to be in English or French and routes applicants to its approved translation providers, with the original-language document and the translation submitted together. If you do not need a licence, a general designated organization can assess your credentials.

Does an ECA guarantee I can work in my profession in Canada?

No. IRCC is clear that an ECA report does not guarantee a job or a licence to practise in a regulated profession. If your occupation is regulated, you must still be licensed by the regulator in the province or territory where you settle. The ECA establishes academic equivalence for immigration points; licensing is a separate process.

Get Your Foreign Credentials Translated for Canada

Whether you are building an Express Entry profile, applying to a Canadian university, or working toward a professional licence, the translation step is one you control and should get right the first time. We prepare certified translations of degrees, diplomas, transcripts, and professional credentials in over 500 languages, word for word and ready to sit alongside your originals for any designated body or regulator. We serve clients across Canada, on-site from our Toronto and Hamilton base and remotely nationwide. Send us your documents for a firm quote and a turnaround you can plan around.