Fees and steps checked on
New Zealand degree attestation makes a New Zealand university or polytechnic degree valid in the UAE for a work visa, a professional licence or degree recognition. The route is: notarisation, New Zealand authentication (UAE is a Category A country), the UAE Embassy in Wellington, then MOFA attestation. You can stay in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or any other emirate throughout.
Price: New Zealand has no fixed price on our list. Send a copy on WhatsApp and you get the total price, all official fees included, before any work starts. See attestation fees.
Who needs a New Zealand degree attested
- Professionals hired for skilled roles, where the UAE work permit asks for an attested degree. See degree attestation for a UAE work visa.
- Teachers, nurses, engineers and other licensed professions.
- Golden visa applicants on the skilled professional route, who also need degree recognition. See attestation for the golden visa.
Step by step
- Notarisation. A degree is a certificate from a university, so it is usually notarised before the government step.
- Education check where required. The UAE route lists an education authority check for academic documents. We tell you if your degree needs it.
- New Zealand authentication. The New Zealand government authentication service issues a Category A authentication certificate for the UAE, within 15 working days after verification.
- UAE Embassy in Wellington. The embassy legalises the authenticated degree.
- MOFA in the UAE. MOFA attests the degree. Where digital attestation is offered, the embassy and MOFA stamps come together.
- Return. The attested degree is returned to you in the UAE.
Timing
| Step | Who stamps it | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | New Zealand notary public | depends on appointment |
| Authentication (Category A) | NZ government authentication service | within 15 working days |
| Urgent authentication (if eligible) | NZ government authentication service | within 5 working days |
| UAE embassy | UAE Embassy, Wellington | confirmed with your quote |
| MOFA | UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | confirmed with your quote |
Our total price includes all of these official fees and the courier. A New Zealand apostille is the wrong certificate for the UAE, so do not order it.
Documents you need
- The original degree certificate (not laminated)
- A copy of your passport
- The academic transcript, if your employer or licensing body asks for it
Common problems with New Zealand degrees
- Ordering an apostille. New Zealand offers both. The UAE needs the Category A authentication, then embassy legalisation.
- Skipping notarisation. A degree that is not prepared correctly can be refused at the government step.
- Laminated or damaged certificates. MOFA does not accept them.
See why attestation gets rejected.
After attestation
You can check the MOFA attestation at verify.mofa.gov.ae with the reference number and issue date. If you also need recognition of the degree, see equivalency certificate in the UAE. For family documents, see New Zealand marriage certificate attestation and New Zealand birth certificate attestation, or the full New Zealand certificate attestation page.
