School and College Transcripts for Algeria

Preparing U.S. Transcripts for Algerian Universities and Ministries

The transcript is the record Algerian reviewers actually read. A diploma states that a degree was awarded. The transcript shows how it was earned: the courses taken, the credit hours, the grades and the dates of study. That is why Algerian equivalence committees, universities considering a transfer student and employers checking qualifications often look at the transcript more closely than the diploma itself.

Sealed envelopes and e-transcripts

Many U.S. schools now send transcripts electronically through services such as Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse, or on paper in a sealed envelope addressed to another institution. Neither format can be apostilled as it is. An apostille attaches to a signature, so what is needed is a paper transcript signed by the registrar before a notary, or accompanied by a notarized registrar certification. Tell the registrar’s office the transcript is for use abroad with an apostille. Most offices know the format, and some will notarize in-house.

Grades, credits and the Algerian scale

U.S. transcripts use letter grades and a 4.0 GPA scale, while Algerian institutions grade out of 20. Reviewers will convert or interpret your results, so a transcript that includes the school’s grading key (usually printed on the back) avoids guesswork. Make sure the key is copied and certified along with the front pages. For equivalence of specialized degrees, a reviewer may also ask for course descriptions or syllabi. These are school documents too, and can be certified by the school and apostilled in the same way.

Partial studies and transfers

A transcript is also the document to use when you did not finish a degree: to transfer credits into an Algerian program, to prove years of study, or to document coursework from a community college before transferring. In those cases there is no diploma, and the apostilled transcript, sometimes with an enrollment or withdrawal letter, carries the whole file.

Several schools, several transcripts

If you studied at more than one institution, each school certifies its own transcript, and each transcript is apostilled by the state where it was notarized. Credits listed as “transferred” on a later transcript are not a substitute when an Algerian reviewer asks for the original school’s record.

Apostille only for Algeria

Algeria’s accession to the Apostille Convention took effect on July 9, 2026. For transcripts, the apostille from the notary’s state is now sufficient, without U.S. Department of State authentication or Algerian Embassy legalization. Translation into Arabic or French is done in Algeria before submission.