Let us help you understand what documents are required to apply for your general application. Please be sure to check over the Country-Specific requirements down the page as well, as it may impact your evaluation decision.
Document requirements for application
If you already know the organization you wish to apply to, the organization may have pre-determined whether you require original or official documents. For many organizations, the mandatory requirement is to submit official documents; this is not optional. Please check the list of Organizations using ICES to see if your organization is listed. You must submit ONE of these two options depending on who the assessment is for:
- Preferred method: a full set of official documents (documents sent directly from your institution to ICES). If translations of official documents are required, clients will be contacted once the official documents arrive at ICES.
OR - A full set of original documents (the documents in your possession) with translations into English if necessary. (Please refer to the organization to whom you are applying as they may have specific requirements regarding documents, there may also be specific country requirements regarding your specific institution)
Important: ICES does not request educational documents on the client’s behalf. Status updates will remain as incomplete until the required documents have been received at ICES.
Using official documents
Official documents (such as degrees, diplomas, certificates, transcripts, marks cards, academic records or diploma supplements) are documents that must come directly from the educational institution or educational authority that awarded you the credential. The official document must bear the proper seals, signatures, and/or postal markings.
Using original documents
Original documents consist of a full set of documents that were awarded for a completed educational credential and are usually the documents that you have in your possession. A full set of original documents should include both an academic record (such as a transcript) and the document you were awarded upon completion (such as a degree certificate).
What if I can’t get official or original documents?
If you do not submit a complete set of official or original documents, ICES may still be able to complete an evaluation report. However, your report will include the following statement:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Document Authentication – ICES recommends all official or original documents be submitted for evaluation. Since official or original documents were not submitted for evaluation, authentication of this credential is not possible.
Further, your report may not be accepted by some institutions, organizations, or employers if your evaluation was not completed with official or original documents.
You may revise your completed report to remove this note if you later acquire official or original documents and submit them. The fee for revision is $51.00. This includes the submission of original documents to replace photocopies, the submission of additional course outlines/syllabuses, and other similar situations.
Country-specific requirements & restrictions
Some countries have specific requirements or restrictions for applying with ICES.
We recommend taking a look at our country-specific information before moving forward with your application.
Step 3: Service fees
If you’ve read all the document requirements, you’re ready to move onto step 3 and learn about service fees for general applications.