A Singapore-specific, execution-first checklist for overseas scholarship and university applications: how to organise your document pack, handle certified true copies (CTCs), apostille/legalisation via SAL, translations, sealed…
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Q: What’s the most common way students “mess up” an overseas scholarship application?\
A: They start too late on documents — and then get stuck on slow steps like sealed letters, certified copies, translations, and apostilles. This guide helps you build a document pack you can actually submit from Singapore.
TL;DR (60 seconds)\
Pick your application channel first (Singapore embassy vs university vs other). That choice determines what counts as “certified”, what needs apostille, how many copy sets, and when you submit medical forms.\
Build two folders: Stage 1 (photocopies/scans) and Stage 2 (certified/apostilled originals).\
Start the slow steps early: sealed recommendation letters, certified true copies, apostille/legalisation (if required), and translations (if required).
Status: Last reviewed 2026-01-20. This is a planning guide (not legal advice). Always follow the latest official instructions for your scholarship, your embassy/consulate, and your target university.
0) Before you begin: pick your “channel”
When students say “I’m applying for MEXT” or “I’m applying for GKS”, they often skip the most important question:
Where are you submitting from, and who is doing your first screening?
In practice, the same scholarship can have different channels:
Embassy route (common for government scholarships): you submit to the embassy/consulate (or follow their local process).
University route (varies): you apply to a participating university that recommends you.
Local institution route (some programmes): you apply through a local university / ministry channel.
If you only do one thing today, open the official page for your channel and write down:
deadline,
whether they want originals, photocopies, or certified true copies,
whether they mention apostille / legalisation / consular confirmation, and
A certified true copy is a photocopy that has been stamped and signed to confirm it matches the original.
The important part: different scholarships accept different “certifiers”. Some will say “via your school”, others allow notarisation, others specify a government office.
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a document for use overseas, for countries that accept apostilles under the Hague Apostille Convention.
In Singapore, the official starting point is the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL):
Scholarship instructions use these terms differently, but the safe way to treat them is:
“Apostille” is one specific form of legalisation for countries that accept apostilles.
If the destination country does not accept apostilles, you may need additional steps (for example, embassy legalisation) — follow SAL + the receiving embassy’s instructions.
Use the official Hague status table to check whether the destination country accepts apostilles:
Example B — MEXT (Singapore embassy): CTCs for academic documents; medical form timing varies
For some MEXT tracks, the Embassy of Japan in Singapore pages include Singapore-specific document handling notes, including reminders about certified true copies and when health certificates are required.
“Grading system” / conversion notes (if the programme asks for it)
Any required test scores (English/Japanese/Korean, admissions tests, portfolio links)
C) Scholarship forms + essays
Application form(s)
Personal statement / study plan (word limits apply in some programmes)
University preference list (if applicable)
Any consent forms / declarations that require signatures
D) Referees
Recommendation letter(s)
confirm whether it must be sealed
confirm whether they want an original and how many copies
E) Authentication + translations (only if required)
Certified true copies (CTCs) — confirm who can certify for your scholarship
Apostille / legalisation (if required)
Translations (if required)
F) Submission logistics
Number of “sets” required (if paper submission)
Submission method (in-person / post / online portal)
Deadline cut-off time and timezone
Proof of delivery or submission confirmation
5) Scanning + file hygiene (the boring part that saves you)
This is where students lose time right before the deadline.
A practical folder structure
Keep one “source of truth” folder, then export submission packs from it:
01-Stage-1-Scans
02-Stage-2-Certified-Apostilled
03-Referees
04-Translations
05-Submitted (Final PDFs + screenshots)
File naming (make it obvious)
Pick a naming scheme you can keep consistent:
FullName_Passport.pdf
FullName_Transcript_SchoolName.pdf
FullName_GraduationCert.pdf
FullName_RecommendationLetter.pdf (if allowed to scan; some programmes want sealed originals)
Online portal constraints (example: GKS)
Some portals are strict. For example, the official GKS online application user guide highlights upload constraints like “one file per item” and file size limits.
If you’re applying for GKS, open the official user guide early and treat upload limits as “hard constraints”:
