Documents to prepare before you apply abroad

Universities request different documents depending on the country, programme and study level. You do not need to prepare everything at once, but organising the core documents early gives you time to correct mistakes and request replacements.

Your identification document

Prepare a clear scan of the information page of your passport. Check that your full name, date of birth and passport number are readable. Use the same spelling and order of names throughout your application.

Certificates and academic transcripts

Gather your graduation certificates and the corresponding transcripts or results. Master’s applicants normally need their bachelor’s documents, while PhD applicants may need records from both bachelor’s and master’s study.

If a final certificate is not yet available, ask whether the university accepts a provisional result, statement of completion or current transcript.

Translations

When documents are not in the language accepted by the university, a translation may be required. Do not translate documents before checking whether the institution requires a certified translator, notarisation or another specific format.

Language evidence

Some programmes request an English or local-language test. Others may accept previous education taught in that language or arrange their own assessment. Check the rule for each programme instead of assuming one certificate works everywhere.

Supporting documents

Depending on the programme, you may also need:

• A motivation letter or statement of purpose
• An up-to-date CV
• Recommendation letters
• A portfolio for design or creative programmes
• A research proposal for some postgraduate applications
• Financial or sponsorship documents at a later stage

Keep your files organised

Use clear file names such as Passport–Full Name and Bachelor Transcript–Full Name. Save high-quality PDF copies in one secure folder and keep the originals available. Before submission, check that every page is included, upright and readable.