Fees and steps checked on
A US transcript is attested for the UAE as a separate document from the degree. The university registrar signs a statement that it is an official record, a notary notarises that signature, the Secretary of State of the notary's state authenticates the notary, and the US Department of State authenticates the state. The UAE Embassy in Washington then attests it digitally together with MOFA. It is often needed for degree recognition, for a medical, nursing or teaching licence, and for a master's place at a UAE university.
Price: AED 1,025 per transcript plus VAT, with the authentication, embassy and MOFA fees and courier included. Expect about 1 month and 3 weeks. We work from a clear scan of the registrar's certified copy. See attestation fees.
Degree diploma or transcript: which page you need
If you need the diploma itself, go to US degree attestation for the cost and steps. This page is for transcripts only. The two are separate documents, each with its own authentication certificates and fees, and many UAE offices want both.
What to send us for a transcript
- A scan of the registrar's certified transcript, every page.
- The university's name and state, so we can check accreditation before anything is ordered.
- The photo page of your passport, so the name can be matched.
- The UAE office or regulator asking for it.
Only a clear scan is needed to begin, and the price is AED 1,025 per transcript plus VAT. Federal authentication by the US Department of State is the slow stage, at about 5 weeks by mail. The finished attestation can be checked at verify.mofa.gov.ae, as described on MOFA attestation verification.
Ask the registrar for the right version
Most registrars send transcripts electronically, or in a sealed envelope addressed to another school. Neither can carry state stamps. Ask for a transcript prepared for authentication abroad: a paper copy with a signed statement from a registrar's office official, notarised in the same state. In New York the official certifies the record as official or a true copy, signs before a notary, and the County Clerk certifies the notary.
The State Department notes that it does not authenticate the content or validity of diplomas or transcripts. It only confirms the state official's seal. That is why the registrar's signature, not the grades, is what travels through the chain.
Accreditation comes first
The UAE Embassy in Washington accepts educational documents only from US-based institutions with recognised regional accreditation. You can look a school up on the CHEA database. If your college does not qualify, the transcript is refused at the embassy after the US fees are spent, so we check this before anything is ordered.
Transcript steps
| Stage | Who acts | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registrar's office | Signed statement on the transcript |
| 2 | Notary public in the same state | Notarises the official's signature |
| 3 | County Clerk, where the state requires it | New York is one example |
| 4 | Secretary of State | Authenticates the notary |
| 5 | US Department of State | Federal certificate, form DS-4194 |
| 6 | UAE Embassy via VFS, with MOFA | Digital attestation for the UAE |
Several schools, several transcripts
Each transcript is one document. A community college transcript, a bachelor's transcript and a master's transcript are three. Ask the UAE office which ones it wants. Degree recognition at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research usually looks at the transcript of the degree being recognised. See equivalency certificate in the UAE.
Documents to send
- A scan of the registrar's certified transcript
- The university's name and state
- Your passport copy, and the degree if it is being attested too. The degree route is on USA degree attestation.
What goes wrong
- An electronic transcript only. It cannot be notarised. Order a paper certified copy.
- A notary in another state. The registrar in Ohio and a notary in Florida do not match. The Secretary of State must be the notary's state.
- Name changes between degrees. If your name changed after marriage, attest the US marriage certificate too.
- A WES report sent instead. It is a separate private evaluation. See WES evaluation and the UAE.
For transcripts from other countries, see transcript attestation.
