Fees and steps checked on
UAE MOE equivalency is the Ministry of Education decision that a school certificate, usually Grade 12, matches the UAE secondary level. You need it for university admission, for some school places and for jobs that ask for a recognised Grade 12. Your certificates must be attested before the ministry looks at them: the UAE government portal says by the Ministry of Education and/or the education authority of the issuing country.
Price: the school equivalency file is quoted after you share a copy on WhatsApp, with the total price before any work starts. Attestation of the certificates starts from AED 985 plus VAT for the UK, AED 1,025 plus VAT for the USA and AED 1,900 plus VAT for Canada. MOFA attestation of a UAE-issued certificate starts from AED 250 plus VAT. All official fees are included. See attestation fees.
Who needs Ministry of Education equivalency
- Students starting university in the UAE with a secondary certificate from abroad or from a UAE private school with a foreign curriculum.
- Students moving into the upper grades of a UAE school, when the school asks for proof of the grades already completed.
- Job applicants whose employer or licensing body asks for a recognised Grade 12.
- Adults returning to study in the UAE years after finishing school.
Three things that are not MOE equivalency
People mix these up all the time. Each one has a different office and a different file.
| You need | Who handles it | Our page |
|---|---|---|
| Equivalency of a degree or higher diploma | MoHESR, after a verification report | equivalency certificate in the UAE |
| Transfer certificate from a Dubai private school | KHDA, through the school | KHDA attestation |
| Attestation of a UAE school certificate for use abroad | Emirates Schools Establishment, then MOFA | MOE attestation |
| Equivalency of a school certificate, Grade 12 and below | Ministry of Education | this page |
Documents the ministry asks for
The UAE government portal lists:
- the original certificates, mainly for grades 10, 11 and 12, returned after checking
- a copy of your Emirates ID and passport (the applicant must be a UAE resident)
- a legal translation, also attested, if a certificate is not in Arabic or English
The ministry has separate service pages for certificates from abroad and for certificates from UAE schools. Check the current list there before you apply, because a missing transcript is the usual reason a file comes back.
The route for a school certificate from abroad
- Collect the papers. The final certificate and the transcripts or report cards for the last three years of school.
- Home education authority. The education ministry or exam board of the issuing country confirms the certificate, where that country has such a step.
- Foreign ministry. The issuing country's foreign ministry legalises it or adds an apostille. The UAE is not in the Apostille Convention, so this is not the last step.
- UAE embassy and MOFA. The UAE embassy in that country attests it, then MOFA attestation follows. For many countries both stamps now come together digitally.
- Translation, if needed. A legal translation into Arabic or English, attested as well. See legal translation in Dubai.
- Apply to the Ministry of Education online after registering on the ministry website, or at a ministry office in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
If you studied at a UAE private school with a foreign curriculum
The ministry's guide for UAE-based private schools (2024 to 2025 edition) sets conditions per curriculum. A few examples from it:
- The student must have completed 12 years of schooling, and the certificate must qualify for university in the country whose curriculum the school follows.
- American curriculum: grades 10, 11 and 12 passed, with at least five subjects per grade.
- British curriculum: five GCSE or IGCSE passes, plus two AS level subjects or one A level.
Islamic Education and Arabic are not counted in those subject totals. Ask your school which conditions apply to your year group.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Applying before attestation. The ministry checks attested certificates. Start the chain first, as it takes weeks from abroad.
- Only the final certificate. Bring the grade 10 and 11 records too.
- Wrong ministry. A college diploma or degree goes to MoHESR, not MOE.
- Laminated originals. MOFA does not accept them, so the chain stops before equivalency.
- Names that do not match the passport. See attestation for school admission for what schools usually check.
How we help
We are a private document service in Dubai, not the Ministry of Education or any government office. We check your certificates, run the attestation chain in the right order, arrange any translation and prepare the equivalency file with you. The ministry makes the equivalency decision.
Official sources
Checked :
- UAE Government portal: equalising high school certificates
- UAE Ministry of Education: equivalency of a general education certificate from abroad (Grade 12)
- UAE Ministry of Education: guide to academic certificate equivalency for UAE-based private schools, 2024 to 2025
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
