In short:
- The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) accepts documents in Arabic or English. Anything issued in another language needs a certified translation attached.
- Translation does not replace primary-source verification (such as DataFlow). They are separate steps.
- Names on translated documents must match your passport exactly.
- We translate degrees, transcripts and experience letters as stamped certified translations, and take orders on WhatsApp 24/7.
Hospitals and clinics across the Eastern Province employ thousands of health practitioners from around the world: nurses from the Philippines, doctors from Egypt and Sudan, technicians from India and Pakistan, pharmacists from Europe and Africa. Every one of them faces the same gateway before practising: SCFHS classification and professional registration.
A large part of the classification file is made up of academic and professional documents issued in the practitioner’s home country. If those documents are not in Arabic or English, translation comes in. This article explains when you actually need it, when you do not, and how to avoid the mistakes that slow a file down.
What SCFHS usually asks for
SCFHS publishes its professional classification requirements online, and the details vary by profession and the grade you are applying for. In general, a file includes:
- The qualification you are being classified on, plus all prior qualifications.
- Transcripts and internship or training certificates, depending on the specialty.
- A Ministry of Education equivalency for some foreign degrees.
- Your professional licence from your home country and experience letters.
- A verification report from the provider SCFHS uses.
- A copy of your ID, iqama or passport.
The official list on the SCFHS website and the Mumaris Plus portal is always the reference, and additional documents may be requested for your case.
When do you need a translation?
The rule is clear: accepted documents are in Arabic or English. If your nursing degree was issued in English by a university in India or the Philippines, you probably do not need a translation. If it was issued in French, Spanish, Urdu, Indonesian or any other language, you need to attach a certified translation into Arabic or English.
Situations that confuse people
- Bilingual certificates. If the full text appears in English alongside another language, the document may be fine as it is. If the English part is shortened or incomplete, translating the whole document is the safer choice.
- A stamp or note in another language. Sometimes a certificate is in English but carries a stamp or endorsement in another language. Ask SCFHS whether that part needs translating.
- An Arabic experience letter from outside Saudi Arabia. Arabic is accepted, so it usually needs no translation.
- Transcripts. Often forgotten, even though most specialties require them.
Translation is not verification
This matters. Verification means a specialist provider contacts your university or former employer to confirm the document is genuine. Translation means rendering the document’s content accurately in another language. A certified translation does not prove a degree is authentic, and verification does not translate it. They are separate, and you may need both.
Matching names and dates
What delays classification files most is rarely language. It is small details:
- Your name on the translation must match your passport exactly, even if the original certificate spells it differently.
- Start and end dates of employment must be copied exactly, never rounded.
- Job titles and specialties are translated precisely. We will not write “general nurse” if the certificate says “intensive care nurse”.
- Grades and GPAs are reproduced as they are, without converting them to another system.
That is why our academic certificate and experience letter translation service asks for a passport copy with every file. Each translation is checked by a second translator before it is stamped and signed.
A quick checklist before you send
- Have you photographed every page, including the back if it carries stamps?
- Is your transcript complete for every year, not just the final one?
- Do experience letters state start and end dates and your job title clearly?
- Is your home-country licence still valid?
- Do you know which documents are not in Arabic or English? Only those need translating.
If you also need medical reports translated, for insurance or a medical check, see our medical report translation service.
Working shifts at a local hospital?
We know rotas do not always allow a branch visit during office hours. So:
- Scan or photograph your documents clearly as PDFs.
- Send them on WhatsApp at any time, day or night.
- We reply with a quote and delivery time.
- You receive a stamped electronic copy ready to upload.
Printed copies can be collected from our Al Khobar branch (Office 205, SQ Towers, Al Khuzama), Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 to 16:00. Still abroad? You can send documents from home and upload the e-copy straight away; printed copies are collected at the branch after you arrive, as we do not send printed copies outside the branch city. Full steps are on our how to order page.
FAQ
Will SCFHS accept your translation?
SCFHS asks for a certified translation, and we are a translation office licensed since 1982. The final decision always rests with SCFHS.
My degree is in English. Do I need a translation?
Usually not, as English is accepted. Translation is needed for documents in other languages.
Do you handle verification or Mumaris Plus registration?
No. We provide translation only. Verification and registration go through SCFHS’s official channels.
Can I get it urgently?
Yes. Urgent service is available for an extra fee shown in your quote, and we agree the delivery time before starting.
Note: SCFHS requirements change from time to time. Always check the SCFHS website before preparing your file. This article is general guidance only.
Written by the Almadani Translation Team · Information last reviewed: October 2026