Academic Transcript Translation for the Netherlands

English-taught programmes and the choice of target language

Most higher programmes in the Netherlands are taught in English and many universities accept an application with English documents directly, whereas a Nuffic assessment or certain official procedures may call for a Dutch translation. Which language the transcript is to be translated into therefore needs settling at the outset; a translation into the wrong language costs the application a round and brings extra expense.

Where the document is going to more than one recipient – the university, Nuffic, DUO – each may expect a different language and format; separating those expectations early saves having the same transcript translated twice. Confirming the target language in writing with the institution you are applying to is the safest step.

A transcript and course content (curriculum) documents are separate things: the transcript shows which course you took, with what credit and what mark, while the course content describes what was covered in those courses. Nuffic or the university sometimes asks for both, but they are different documents and their translations are planned separately. The principles on this page concern the transcript itself; a course content document, where one is needed, forms a separate translation project. Translating the course titles consistently across the two documents lets the assessor match them up easily and heads off unnecessary questions.

Progress by term and repeated courses

A Dutch assessor reads academic progress term by term, so the term headings and the academic year on the transcript are preserved in translation. Where repeated courses, cancelled marks or courses counted from a transfer are shown separately, the translation carries those distinctions across as they stand. Explanatory footnotes and symbols are given with their counterparts; reading the course load correctly makes the comparison Nuffic has to draw easier and reduces the questions that come later.

The application portal and multiple recipients

Applications to higher education in the Netherlands mostly run through a central portal (Studielink) and the university’s own system, and the transcript is scanned and uploaded into those environments. In the course of an application the same document may go to different recipients – the university admissions office, Nuffic, and DUO for student finance – each with its own expectations as to language and format. Which language the translation is to be in, and in what form it is to be presented, should therefore be settled at the outset; a translation in the wrong language, or in an incomplete form, costs the application a round. A legible scan of the translation, with verification features such as seals and signatures clearly visible, is what keeps the document assessable in an electronic environment. Knowing in advance that the document is bound for several places makes it possible to prepare the right number of sets, in the right language, in one go.

Do not convert into the 1-10 scale

Dutch higher education reads a mark between 1 and 10, where a 7 is a pass and cum laude is a separate designation. Turning a Turkish mark out of four or out of a hundred straight into a 1-10 equivalent in the translation means taking on the conversion of marks that is Nuffic’s to make. The translator carries the mark across as it stands and, where necessary, translates the explanation of the scale on the reverse, but assigns no Dutch equivalent. A graduation designation such as “cum laude” is carried across if it appears on the document; if it does not, it is not added to the translation.

ECTS and course titles

Since the Netherlands uses the ECTS system, the ECTS (AKTS) value on the transcript is read directly; the translation carries that value across exactly and does not recalculate it. Course titles are translated with comprehensible English or Dutch counterparts; which target language is wanted needs confirming with the institution, because many higher programmes in the Netherlands accept English as well. Course codes are identifiers and are kept.

The Rbtv number must be visible on the translation

A translator producing an official translation in the Netherlands is expected to be entered in the register of sworn translators (Rbtv); the registration number appears on the declaration page of the translation and the institution can check it. A translation without that number may be held up, however flawless its content, because its source cannot be verified. Where the translation is produced in Türkiye, a sworn translator signs it, a notary public notarises it and an apostille is added; confirm with the body you will be submitting to which route it will accept.

Seals, coherence and common mistakes

The faculty seal and the signature are marked in square brackets, and in a transcript running to several pages the order of the pages is preserved. Watch these points before delivery:

• Avoid raising a claim of equivalence by converting the mark into the 1-10 scale.
• Confirm that the Rbtv number appears on the declaration page of the translation.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation.

The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents need in our document guide and the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. Since requirements differ from one institution to another, we recommend obtaining confirmation before you apply.