By profession
Certified translation of medical credentials for ECFMG certification and a US medical license
An international medical graduate's path to practice in the United States runs through ECFMG certification, USMLE, residency and a state medical board, and the translation made for the first step is read at every later one. ECFMG requires that any document not in English be accompanied by a word for word translation prepared from the original or a photocopy by a government official, a medical school official or a professional translation service, bearing that person's signature and title and the seal if there is one, on letterhead that identifies the company as a translation service, with a certification statement in English; it rejects summaries, notary only translations, unsigned translations and translations without a certification statement, and it does not allow applicants to translate their own documents. Eagle Translate is a professional translation service and an ATA Corporate Member, and every delivery carries each item on that list. Certified translation is $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, in 2 to 3 business days, and STUDENT25 takes 25% off.
In their own words
What ECFMG says, in its own words
Any document submitted to ECFMG that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation that meets ECFMG's translation requirements.The requirements are six, word for word, from the original or a photocopy, by an official or a professional translation service, signed with title and seal, on letterhead, with a certification statement in English.
include a certification statement, in English, from the translator or a representative of the translation service certifying that the translation is correct.Our Certificate of Translation Accuracy is that statement, in English, signed by the translator and issued by a company officer.
Additionally, applicants for ECFMG services are not permitted to translate their own documents.A physician fluent in English still needs a third party. The certificate states the translation was not produced for a family member, friend or business associate of the translator.
Do not submit professional evaluations of your final medical diploma. ECFMG does not accept such evaluations in lieu of your final medical diploma.Physicians do not buy a NACES evaluation for ECFMG. ECFMG verifies the diploma with the medical school itself, so the translation is the document that matters.
Requirement by requirement
ECFMG's list and the Eagle Translate delivery
| What they require | What Eagle Translate delivers |
|---|---|
| Word for word, from the original or a photocopy | Complete, translated from the scan of the original you upload, every stamp and seal described in place |
| By a professional translation service, on letterhead identifying it as one | Eagle Translate, Certified Document Translation, ATA Corporate Member 199762, on the certificate letterhead |
| Signature and title, and seal if there is one | Signed by the translator as Qualified Professional Translator and by a company officer, with the company stamp |
| Certification statement in English | The Certificate of Translation Accuracy, in English, certifying the translation complete and accurate |
| Not translated by the applicant, not by a notary | Translated and certified by our translator; no notary involved |
Pricing
Exact prices, shown before you pay
A diploma with its transcript is the set almost every credential evaluation starts from. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 3 to 8 pages comes to $74.85 to $199.60. The exact total is measured from your real document and shown before payment.
Standard
$19.95 per page
3 to 5 business days
A professional translation with digital delivery.
Certified
$24.95 per page
2 to 3 business days
A certified translation accepted for official use.
Premium
$39.95 per page
1 to 2 business days
A certified translation, translated first.
One page is up to 250 words.
Two discount coupon codes for students and professionals
STUDENT25 takes 25% off your certified translation
Enter STUDENT25 at checkout and certified translation drops from $24.95 to $18.71 per page. It applies to diplomas, transcripts, and any other document your evaluation needs.
Discount coupon codeSTUDENT25FREERUSH gives you Premium delivery at the Certified price
On a deadline? Choose the Premium level (1 to 2 business days) and enter FREERUSH; it is charged at $24.95 per page instead of $39.95, through 31 December 2026. One code applies per order.
Discount coupon codeFREERUSHRequirements
What an international medical graduate's file requires
- Documents must be submitted to ECFMG in the original language, and any document not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation that meets ECFMG's requirements; translations without the original, and originals without a compliant translation, are not accepted.
- The final medical diploma is submitted in the original language with the issue date and all signatures of the medical school officials, with a compliant English translation when it is not in English; ECFMG requests the final transcript from the medical school when it verifies the diploma.
- The translation must be word for word, prepared from the original or a photocopy, by a government official, a medical school official or a professional translation service, signed with title and seal, on letterhead, with a certification statement in English.
- Translations by a notary who is not an official or a translation service representative, unsigned translations, non literal translations and translations without a certification statement are not accepted, and applicants may not translate their own documents.
- ECFMG recommends Straker Translations but does not require it; with any other service the applicant is responsible for ensuring the translation meets the requirements.
Common reasons translations get rejected
- Using the medical school's English language certificate as the translation. ECFMG accepts it only if it is a word for word English version of the original document.
- Uploading the translation alone. ECFMG rejects translations not accompanied by the original language document.
- Paying a NACES evaluator to evaluate the medical diploma for ECFMG. ECFMG does not accept evaluations in lieu of the diploma.
- Letting ECFMG arrange the translation by default. If the school's credential is not in English and no acceptable translation is provided, ECFMG has it translated and bills your account without notifying you first.
Who relies on it
Where a physician's certified translation goes
- To ECFMG with the application for certification, for the final medical diploma and, when requested, the transcript and any other credential not in English.
- To residency programs, hospital credentialing offices and the state medical board later, and to USCIS for the visa petition, all of which ask for certified translations of the same diploma, transcript and licenses.
Good to know
Good to know for physicians
ECFMG's rule is the most detailed on these pages, and a translation that meets it also meets the shorter rules of the NACES evaluators and of USCIS, so one translation of the medical diploma serves the whole path.
A medical transcript is the long document in the file, often six to twelve pages of course lists; we bill by 250 word pages, so a dense page counts as its words rather than as one sheet.
Certified translation with us is $24.95 per page of up to 250 words; STUDENT25 takes 25% off and FREERUSH gives Premium delivery at the Certified price. One code per order.
How it works
From upload to certified delivery
Step 1
Upload and get an instant quote
Send us your document, choose your languages, and see your price right away.
Step 2
A professional translator translates it
A qualified professional translator translates your document.
Step 3
Reviewed for accuracy and certified
Your translation is reviewed for accuracy and certified with a signed certificate of accuracy.
Step 4
Receive your certified translation
You receive your certified translation, ready for official use.
Questions
Common questions
- Does ECFMG accept translations from Eagle Translate?
- ECFMG accepts translations by a professional translation service that are word for word, signed with the representative's title, sealed, on letterhead identifying the company as a translation service, and certified in English, and our delivery carries each of those. ECFMG makes the applicant responsible for a translation from a service other than Straker, and decides each file; we do not give legal advice.
- Do I need a credential evaluation as well?
- Not for ECFMG, which verifies the diploma with the medical school and does not accept evaluations in lieu of it. Some employers or visa petitions may ask for one later; the translation is the same either way.
- Does the translation need to be notarized?
- No. ECFMG lists translations by a notary who is not an official or a translation service representative among the unacceptable ones. Its rule is the translation service's signature, seal, letterhead and certification statement.
- How much does the translation cost and how long does it take?
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 source words, in 2 to 3 business days, no certification fee. STUDENT25 takes 25% off; FREERUSH gives Premium 1 to 2 business day delivery at the Certified price. One code per order.
- Can ECFMG or a hospital verify the certificate?
- Yes. Each certificate carries its own number and a QR code that lead to eagletranslate.com/verify, where the number is confirmed against our records.
A translation error is ours to fix
If your certified translation is rejected because of a translation error we made, we correct it at no charge, and if the corrected translation is rejected again for that same error we refund what you paid for it. Our Refund Policy sets out the conditions and what it does not cover. Your documents are encrypted and kept confidential from start to finish.
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