1. Check the UFES requirement and the actual upload field
UFES directs foreign postgraduate degree recognition requests to Carolina Bori and asks for readable scanned PDFs no larger than 5 MB. Its checklist includes identity documents, undergraduate and postgraduate diplomas with both sides, and academic transcripts. This is a different procedure from requesting a diploma after completing a UFES course.
Read the complete official checklist before preparing files. The page also lists a dissertation or thesis and other evidence. This guide covers ordinary supporting scans only; it does not establish eligibility, document authenticity or the availability of a place in the recognition queue.
The public page contains both historical capacity information and newer updates. Check the current programme and platform instructions. We have not tested authenticated upload fields. No general page count, total attachment count or byte definition of MB is stated in the cited file-format requirement. Do not treat 5 MB as a confirmed application-wide allowance.
2. Build a complete PDF for the requested record
Save untouched originals first. For a paper diploma, scan the front and reverse without cutting off registration details, seals or edges. Include required accompanying certification pages according to the official checklist and the field instructions. Do not combine unrelated categories into one application-wide PDF.
For JPG or PNG scans, open Images to PDF, select the images and arrange them in reading order. Download the PDF. If the pages are already separate ordinary PDFs, use Merge PDF instead. Combining pages can increase the size; measure the output before proceeding.
3. Compress only a scan that exceeds its limit
Inspect the PDF’s byte size. If it is too large, try a custom compression target of 4.8 MB as a working margin. This is our suggestion, not an official UFES value. PDFMinto uses decimal MB, so that target is 4,800,000 bytes; an explicit platform byte limit takes precedence.
Compression sends the PDF directly to the server and cleans up temporary processing files when the task ends. Inputs are limited to 30 MB and 200 pages. Download and measure the result rather than relying only on the chosen target. If it is still too large, the target has not been met.
If small text or stamps become unclear, keep the original and make a better source scan. Do not remove required pages or turn an entire thesis into images to manufacture a smaller file.
4. Compare the downloaded file before uploading
Open every output page beside the source. Check page count and order, front and reverse, names, grades, dates, registration numbers and seals. Zoom in on faint print. Check that no edge is clipped and that all required pages remain present.
Use the corresponding field in the official platform and inspect any preview or validation message it provides. A size-compliant file can still fail for another reason. Keep your originals and submission records; file preparation does not demonstrate that the university accepted the request.
Limits of this workflow
Do not process digitally signed, encrypted or interactive-form PDFs. Browser PDF tools also reject annotations and embedded attachments. Preserve original electronic records and ask the institution for instructions if a protected record cannot be uploaded. A scan of a handwritten signature is different from a PDF digital signature.
Images to PDF and Merge PDF run in the browser, with up to 40 inputs and 30 MB total, 200 PDF pages and 24 megapixels per image. Those are product limits. Compression runs on the server and can reduce image detail; it does not guarantee a target size or institutional acceptance.
This workflow does not create an apostille, certified translation or academic recognition. Keep a thesis in its original text-based form and follow the institution’s separate requirements for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 5 MB rule apply to every university on Carolina Bori? This guide reports UFES instructions only. Check the institution handling your application.
Should I merge my entire application? No. Prepare the record requested by each field and follow its grouping instructions.
Can I fix an incomplete diploma by compressing it? No. Obtain a complete copy from the issuing institution.
What if a clear file under the limit is rejected? Record the portal’s error and check the field’s format and other conditions. Ask UFES or platform support rather than repeatedly degrading the scan.