Two kinds of document
Everything in your file is either permanent or perishable, and students routinely start with the perishable ones because they feel like progress.
Permanent documents — certificates, transcripts, the birth certificate, the syllabus set — never expire. Start them first. They are also the slowest to obtain.
Perishable documents — test results, police clearance, medicals, bank statements, insurance — have a clock. Start them last, in the right order, or you will pay for them twice.
The table
| Document | How long it is good for | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS | Two years from the test date | The test provider |
| TOEFL iBT | Two years from the test date | ETS |
| Duolingo English Test | Two years from the test date | The test provider |
| Medium of Instruction certificate | No expiry, but treated as weak if very old | The receiving university |
| Passport | Usually required to be valid well beyond the intended stay; many files want six months or more beyond it | The consulate or immigration authority |
| Police clearance certificate | No printed expiry; commonly treated as valid three to six months | The receiving authority |
| Medical certificate and chest X-ray | Commonly three months | The receiving authority |
| Bank statement | Usually issued within the last month, covering three to six months of history | The consulate |
| Sponsor income documents | Current tax year or most recent return | The consulate |
| Health insurance | The policy's own dates; must cover the period asked for | The insurer and the authority |
| Accommodation contract | Its own term; must cover the start of studies | The authority |
| Attestation and legalisation stamps | No formal expiry; some authorities prefer them within six months | The receiving authority |
| Admission or offer letter | Has an acceptance deadline and often a fee deadline | The university |
| Academic certificates and transcripts | Never | — |
| Digital birth certificate | Never, but must be the verifiable digital version | — |
| NID number | Never; a smart card carries its own printed validity date | The Election Commission |
⚠️ "No printed expiry" is not the same as "accepted forever". A police clearance certificate has no expiry date on its face, and a consulate will still reject one issued eight months ago. When a document has no stated validity, the receiving authority's habit is the real rule, and the safe assumption is three months.
The sequencing that saves money
Work backwards from the application date.
Twelve months out or earlier. Passport, certificates, transcripts, syllabus set, NID and name corrections, the bank account that will hold your funds. None of these expire and all of them are slow.
Six to nine months out. English test. Two years of validity sounds generous, but it has to cover application, admission and the visa decision — and if you are refused and reapply a year later, an expired test is an avoidable extra cost.
Three to five months out. Attestation and legalisation, translation, credential evaluation.
One to three months out. Police clearance certificate, medical tests, insurance quote, accommodation.
Weeks out. The bank statement itself, printed and stamped fresh, and any sponsor documents.
The mistakes this table prevents
Taking IELTS too early. A test taken in the first year of a bachelor's degree is often expired by the time the master's application is filed. The clock starts on the test date, not on the application.
Getting the police clearance first. It is the document students most often obtain months before it is needed, and it is one of the shortest-lived.
A passport that expires during the course. Some authorities require validity covering the whole permit period; renewing mid-application forces a change of number across every portal. If under a year remains, renew before applying — renewing your passport mid-application covers what that costs.
A bank statement printed a month before the appointment. It has to be recent at submission, not recent when you collected it. Print it in the final fortnight.
Insurance bought too early. A policy that starts in June for a September intake wastes three months of cover and may not extend far enough at the far end. The rules are in health insurance for a European student visa.
Where the exact number lives
Every figure above is a typical practice, not a statute, and every receiving authority is entitled to set its own. Two things override anything you read here: the test provider's own validity statement, and the destination authority's current document list. Check both before you spend.
What to do next
- 1Write your target submission date at the top of a page.
- 2Mark each document permanent or perishable.
- 3Schedule the perishable ones backwards from that date using the sequence above.
- 4Build the personalised version with the document checklist and the deadlines page.
Official sources — check for yourself
Rules and figures change. We review these articles periodically and show the date above, but always confirm the current requirement with the official source before you act on it.
Common questions
How long is an IELTS score valid for European universities?+
Two years from the test date. That window has to cover your application, your admission decision and your visa or residence permit decision, so taking the test very early in a degree often means paying for it twice.
Does a police clearance certificate expire?+
It carries no printed expiry, but receiving authorities normally treat one as current for around three to six months. Because the Bangladeshi process itself takes time, the right moment to start it is once your destination and intake are fixed, not at the beginning of your planning.
How much passport validity do I need?+
More than the length of your intended stay, and many files expect at least six months beyond it; some immigration authorities want validity covering the whole permit period. If under a year remains on your passport, renew before you apply rather than mid-cycle.
Do attestation stamps expire?+
There is no formal expiry, but some authorities prefer legalisation completed within the last six months and a very old set of stamps invites questions. Since attestation is slow, plan it into the middle of your timeline rather than at either extreme.
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