Fees and steps checked on
Educational certificate attestation is the set of stamps that makes a degree, diploma, transcript or school certificate from another country valid in the UAE. You need it for a skilled work permit, a professional licence, a golden visa, university or school admission. The route is: education authority or notary, then the issuing country's foreign ministry, then the UAE embassy, then MOFA attestation.
Price: UK education certificates from AED 985 plus VAT (standard), AED 1,200 (express) or AED 1,600 (premium). USA from AED 1,025 plus VAT, Canada AED 1,900 plus VAT, and a UAE-issued certificate going abroad, MOFA only, from AED 250 plus VAT. Every other country is quoted after you share a copy. All official fees are included. See attestation fees.
Education documents and where to start
| Document | What it covers | Our page |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Bachelor's, master's, doctorate | degree certificate attestation |
| Diploma | College, technical, vocational and professional diplomas | diploma certificate attestation |
| Transcript or mark sheet | Grades for each year or semester | transcript attestation |
| Dubai school records | Transfer certificates from Dubai private schools | KHDA attestation |
| UAE school certificates | Emirates Schools Establishment certificates going abroad | MOE attestation |
| School equivalency | Grade 12 and below, after attestation | MOE equivalency |
| Degree equivalency | Recognition by MoHESR, after attestation | equivalency certificate |
The general chain for education certificates
- Verification at the source. The university, exam board or education ministry confirms the document, or a notary or solicitor certifies a copy, depending on the country.
- Foreign ministry. The issuing country's foreign ministry legalises the document or adds an apostille. The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not accepted here.
- UAE embassy. The UAE embassy in the issuing country attests it. For many countries, including the UK and the USA, the embassy and MOFA stamps now come together digitally.
- MOFA. Where the digital embassy route does not cover it, MOFA attests the document in the UAE.
- Equivalency, if asked. Some files then go to MoHESR for a degree or to the Ministry of Education for a school certificate.
Educational certificate attestation by country
| Country | Usual route | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Solicitor certified copy, FCDO, UAE Embassy London, MOFA | from AED 985 plus VAT (standard), AED 1,200 (express), AED 1,600 (premium) |
| USA | Notary, Secretary of State, US Department of State, UAE Embassy Washington, MOFA | from AED 1,025 plus VAT |
| Canada | Notary, Global Affairs Canada apostille, UAE Embassy Ottawa, MOFA | AED 1,900 plus VAT |
| UAE-issued, going abroad | Issuing authority, then MOFA, then the destination embassy if asked | MOFA only from AED 250 plus VAT |
| India | State education department (HRD) authentication, then the national and UAE steps | quoted after you share a copy |
| Philippines | CHED, DepEd or TESDA CAV, DFA apostille, UAE Embassy Manila, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| Australia | Notary, university check, DFAT authentication, UAE Embassy Canberra, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| South Africa | Notary, SAQA, DIRCO, UAE Embassy Pretoria, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| Egypt | University, education ministry, Egyptian foreign ministry, UAE Embassy Cairo, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| Jordan | Ministry of Education, Jordanian foreign ministry, UAE Embassy Amman, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
| Nigeria | Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian foreign ministry, UAE Embassy Abuja, MOFA | quoted after you share a copy |
More country pages for degrees: Ireland, New Zealand, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait.
For Canadian school records and grades, see Canada transcript attestation and Canada high school diploma attestation.
What makes education documents different
A marriage or birth certificate usually goes straight to the foreign ministry. An education document often needs an extra check first, by the school, university or a national education body.
- Philippines: a Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV) comes from CHED for college degrees, DepEd for basic education and TESDA for technical courses, before the DFA.
- India: educational documents are first authenticated by the state government, the step most people call HRD attestation.
- USA: the UAE Embassy in Washington only attests education documents from US institutions accredited by a recognised regional accreditor.
- UK: qualification certificates must first be certified by a UK solicitor or notary, as GOV.UK explains.
Transcripts follow the same chain as the degree but count as a separate document. Many employers and the equivalency process ask for them, so order them early.
Attestation, then equivalency
Attestation proves your certificate is genuine. Equivalency says what level it is in the UAE. Golden visa applicants on the skilled route usually need both, and so do many regulated jobs such as teaching, engineering and nursing. Do the attestation first. Starting the equivalency before the degree is attested often means paying twice. See attestation for the golden visa and attestation for an employment visa.
Common problems with education certificates
- Apostille only. It is not enough for the UAE. The embassy step must follow.
- Missing source check. A Philippine diploma without a CAV, or an Indian degree without the state step, is refused further down the chain.
- Provisional certificates. Use the final degree, not a provisional or online copy.
- Laminated originals. MOFA does not accept them.
- Name mismatch between passport and certificate. Keep a marriage certificate or deed poll ready.
- Closed university. See attesting a degree from a closed university.
More causes are on why attestation gets rejected.
How we help
We are a private document service in Dubai, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office. We check each certificate, tell you which steps it needs, run the chain in the right order and return it to you anywhere in the UAE.
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