If you are applying to the Singapore University of Social Sciences with a qualification from an overseas institution, you can have it verified through RMI. The documents you need and the time required can differ according to the country and issuing institution. You should prepare your original qualification, identification, any required English translation and country-specific documents before you start the verification.
Can your overseas qualification be verified for SUSS?
Yes. RMI provides certificate verification for SUSS applicants whose qualifications were issued by educational institutions outside Singapore.
The purpose of SUSS overseas qualification verification is to obtain confirmation of your academic credentials from the institution responsible for issuing them.
RMI has been endorsed by SUSS to verify the authenticity of certificates submitted by applicants who wish to enrol at the university.
You can start your request through RMI’s SUSS verification service.
What documents should you prepare?
You need to provide a copy of your degree, diploma or certificate in the original language in which it was issued by your university, college or institute.
You will also need proof of identity. This can be your passport or a valid national identification card.
If your qualification was issued in a language other than English, you must also provide an English translation of the original document in accordance with SUSS requirements.
Make sure your scans show the whole document clearly. If parts of your academic record are missing or unreadable, RMI may need to ask you for further information before verification can begin.
You can check the current requirements in RMI’s FAQs for SUSS students.
Some countries have additional document requirements
Country-specific requirements are particularly important when you are preparing an overseas verification request.
If your educational institution is located in India, you also need to provide a copy of your marksheet.
If your institution is in China, you need to provide both your Degree Certificate, 学位证书, and your Graduating Certificate, 毕业证书.
If your qualification was issued in either country, it is worth having these additional documents ready when you submit your request.
Requirements can depend on the records and verification procedures used by your issuing institution. If further information is needed during the check, RMI will contact you.
Why your overseas education check can take longer
RMI states that the standard SUSS verification timeframe is an average of 15 business days from receipt of payment and all required documentation.
India- and China-based education checks are excluded from that standard timeframe.
Your overseas check depends on a response from the institution responsible for your academic record. Response times therefore vary.
Your institution may have its own process for handling third-party verification requests. Records may need to be retrieved before a response can be provided. Local public holidays or institutional closures can also affect timing.
The practical approach is to begin your verification as early as your application timetable allows.
You will need to authorise the verification
Before your educational institution can provide information about your academic record, RMI needs your permission to request it.
You therefore need to complete a Letter of Authorisation.
The LOA allows RMI to conduct the verification and gives your institution permission to provide the required student information.
RMI uses a digitally signed Letter of Authorisation. Some educational institutions require a handwritten signature instead. If your institution has this requirement, RMI will contact you so that you can sign and return the appropriate document.
Your SUSS overseas qualification verification cannot begin until the required authorisation and documents have been received.
What happens after you submit your documents?
Once RMI has the required information, your education verification is carried out through your institution’s registrar, administrator or another appropriate institutional source.
This direct check matters because the verification concerns the issuing institution’s own academic records.
You generally do not need to arrange this contact yourself. If RMI needs another document from you, or if your institution asks for further information before responding, you will receive an email.
Keep an eye on the email address you used when making your request. Responding promptly to requests for further documents can prevent additional delays.
What if your university has changed its name or closed?
Older and overseas qualifications can sometimes raise practical issues.
Your university may have changed its name, merged with another organisation or transferred responsibility for historical records. In other cases, the institution that originally issued your qualification may no longer operate in its original form.
You should provide the information shown on your original academic document rather than trying to update the document yourself.
If you have supporting information that explains a change to the institution, keep it available in case RMI asks for it during the verification.
If you are unsure about what to submit, contact RMI before making assumptions about the documents you need. RMI’s contact details are available online. [Internal link: Contact RMI]
Do you need to translate your qualification?
If your original document is not in English, yes.
You need to provide the document in its original language together with an English translation for SUSS verification.
The original remains important because it is the document issued by your educational institution. The English version allows the information to be assessed alongside it.
You should not submit only the translation unless you have been specifically instructed to do so.
When should you start verification?
Start early enough to allow for your issuing institution’s response time.
If your qualification was issued in India or China, pay particular attention to timing because these checks fall outside RMI’s standard average 15-business-day timeframe.
If your qualification was issued elsewhere, you should still avoid assuming that every institution will respond within exactly the same period.
Before you submit your request, check your academic documents, identity document and translation requirements. Complete the Letter of Authorisation promptly once it is requested.
That preparation can remove many of the delays that are within your control.
Starting your overseas qualification verification
Having an overseas qualification does not prevent you from completing the SUSS verification process. It does mean you need to pay closer attention to document requirements and institutional response times.
Before placing your order, check RMI’s SUSS verification page and SUSS student FAQs for the latest requirements.
If you have been asked to verify an overseas qualification as part of your SUSS application, you can start your SUSS overseas qualification verification through RMI.