Fees and steps checked on
US degree attestation makes an American college or university diploma valid in the UAE for a work permit, a golden visa or degree recognition. A notary certifies the diploma, the Secretary of State of that state authenticates the notary, the US Department of State authenticates the state, and the UAE Embassy attests it digitally together with MOFA. Expect about 7 weeks from start to finish.
Price: AED 1,025 per document plus VAT, about 1 month and 3 weeks, all official fees included. Only a clear scanned copy is needed, so you keep your original. See attestation fees.
Who needs a US degree attested
- Employees in skilled roles. The UAE work permit for skilled jobs requires an attested education certificate. See degree attestation for a UAE work visa.
- Golden visa applicants. The skilled professional route asks for an attested bachelor's degree, among other conditions. See attestation for the golden visa.
- Degree recognition. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research recognises foreign degrees through a Certificate of Recognition, the successor of the equivalency certificate.
Which US degrees are accepted
The UAE Embassy accepts educational documents only from US-based institutions accredited by a recognised regional accreditor. Before anything is notarised, we check your school against that rule, because an unaccredited degree is refused at the embassy after the US fees have been paid.
US degree attestation step by step
- Notarisation. The diploma, or a copy of it, is notarised by a US notary public.
- Secretary of State. The Secretary of State of the state where it was notarised authenticates the notary's signature.
- US Department of State. The Office of Authentications adds its certificate, filed with form DS-4194.
- UAE Embassy and MOFA, digital. The application is made on the MOFA portal and VFS Global, which has handled the Washington embassy's attestation since 21 August 2025, receives the document. The embassy and MOFA attest it together.
- Delivery. You receive the digitally attested degree by email.
Official fees and timing
| Stage | Who stamps it | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Notarisation | US notary public | varies |
| State authentication | Secretary of State | varies by state |
| Federal authentication | US Department of State | about 5 weeks by mail |
| Embassy and MOFA | UAE Embassy via VFS, digital | usually 2 to 3 working days |
Our from-price already includes these fees and courier. The chain for every other US document is on USA certificate attestation.
US degree attestation cost and steps in AED
The price is AED 1,025 plus VAT per document. Allow about 1 month and 3 weeks, or up to about 7 weeks for the full chain, because the US Department of State alone takes about 5 weeks by mail. The notary, Secretary of State, US Department of State, UAE Embassy and MOFA fees and courier are all inside that price. A degree and a transcript are two documents with two fees.
What to send us for a US degree
- A clear scan of the diploma. We work from the scan, so the original stays with you.
- The name of the university and the state where it is located, so we can check its regional accreditation before anything is ordered.
- The photo page of your passport, so the name can be matched.
- A marriage certificate or name change document if your name differs from the diploma. See US name change attestation.
US degree attestation for the UAE: which page is yours
This page is the answer for the diploma itself, whether it is a bachelor's, master's or doctorate from an accredited US school. If you also need the university transcript, it is a separate document with its own fees, covered on US transcript attestation. A high school diploma follows a different route, explained on US high school diploma attestation. For degrees from any other country, use degree certificate attestation.
The State Department only confirms the seal of the state official. It does not judge the degree itself, which is why the accreditation check by the UAE Embassy matters so much.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Bundled documents. The New York mission states that bundled apostilles are not accepted. The diploma and each transcript need separate certificates.
- Wrong state. The Secretary of State must be the one that commissioned the notary. A New York notary cannot be authenticated in California.
- Laminated or damaged diplomas. MOFA does not accept laminated documents. Ask the registrar for a replacement diploma first.
- Name changes. If your passport name differs from the diploma, attest your US marriage certificate too.
- Leaving it late. Federal authentication alone takes about 5 weeks. Start before you sign the job offer if you can.
Once attested, the degree can be checked at verify.mofa.gov.ae with its reference number and issue date. The general route for degrees from any country is on degree certificate attestation.
