GMC reminder: translations must be stamped and signed

The four things the GMC checks

Its guidance on translating documents is short and each sentence does work. The application must include a copy of the document in the original language as well as the translation. The translation must be complete, covering every part of the page including seals and marginal notes, not a summary of the substantive text. It must be stamped and signed, and it must show the contact details of the translator or the translation service, so that the registration team can verify it. And it must be made directly from the original language: a Turkish diploma translated from a German version of itself is refused.

Where applicants come unstuck

Two places. The first is the reverse of a Turkish transcript, which carries the grading scale and the credit system and is routinely left untranslated because it looks like a form. The second is the tıp fakültesi seal and the dean's signature block, which are part of the document and belong in the translation as described elements rather than being dropped.

What we put on the certification

Every page we issue for a GMC application carries our stamp and signature, the company's legal name and Ankara Trade Registry number, address, e-mail and telephone, the date, and a statement that the translation is accurate and complete. Read the GMC page, the guide for Turkish doctors applying to the GMC, and the GMC application checklist.