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Kenyan degree attestation makes a bachelor's, master's or diploma from a Kenyan university valid in the UAE for a work permit, a professional licence or an equivalency certificate. The degree is certified on the education side, authenticated by the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attested by the UAE Embassy in Nairobi, and completed with MOFA attestation.
We are a private document service in Dubai, not MOFA, an embassy or a government office. Your documents are picked up and delivered free anywhere in Dubai.
Price: there is no fixed price for Kenya. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price plus VAT, all official fees included, before any work starts.
How Kenya authenticates academic documents
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticates documents through its Legal and Host Country Affairs Directorate. Its rule is that the relevant issuing authority certifies a document first, and for academic certificates it names the Ministry of Education. Since the end of 2023, the ministry's authentication service has moved online to mfa.ecitizen.go.ke, where you apply with an eCitizen account.
For a UAE file, the foreign ministry stamp is the middle of the chain, not the end. Without the UAE Embassy in Nairobi and MOFA, the degree is not accepted by a UAE employer or visa office.
Which documents you need
- The original degree certificate.
- The official transcript, if the UAE request names it.
- A copy of your passport or Kenyan ID.
- Your eCitizen login, or our help setting one up, for the foreign ministry application.
- For equivalency later: your Emirates ID copy and the exact course dates.
Step list for a Kenyan degree
- University confirmation. The university confirms the degree and, where needed, the transcript.
- Education side certification. Certification of the academic document as the foreign ministry requires, which it lists as the Ministry of Education for academic certificates.
- Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Authentication, applied for on mfa.ecitizen.go.ke.
- UAE Embassy in Nairobi. The embassy attests the Kenyan ministry stamp. The application and government fees go through the MOFA portal, and VFS Global handles UAE embassy attestation for Kenya.
- MOFA. The final stamp. On the digital route it is issued together with the embassy step.
CUE, KNQA and KNEC: which one applies
Kenyan graduates often hear three acronyms and are not sure which one they need.
- Commission for University Education (CUE). Accredits universities in Kenya and runs recognition and equation for degrees earned abroad. It is not the attestation step for a Kenyan degree going to the UAE. Its published list of accredited universities is still worth checking, since UAE equivalency looks at accreditation.
- Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA). Deals with foreign qualifications used in Kenya.
- Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). Verifies KCSE and other national exam certificates. Relevant only if the UAE side wants your school results.
After attestation
For skilled roles, golden visas and some licences, the UAE Ministry of Higher Education issues a Certificate of Recognition. That is a separate step after attestation: see equivalency certificate in the UAE. For the job side, see attestation for an employment visa.
Common problems with Kenyan degrees
- Foreign ministry stamp only. Many Kenyans arrive in Dubai with a degree authenticated in Nairobi and think it is finished. It still needs the UAE Embassy and MOFA.
- Transcript left out. A nurse or engineer attests the degree, then the regulator asks for the transcript, and the chain starts again. Read the request first.
- Private college degree. A diploma from a college that is not a university, or a degree awarded through a partner institution, can raise questions at equivalency. We look at the award before you spend anything.
Already in the UAE?
You do not need to fly to Nairobi. The foreign ministry step is applied for online, and the original travels with a courier or a relative. MOFA lets anyone file the UAE application for you. For degrees from other countries, see degree certificate attestation. For every Kenyan document, see Kenya certificate attestation, and for your child's papers, Kenyan birth certificate attestation.
