Equivalency Certificate Attestation
UAE qualification recognition confirms the official status of a school or university qualification for use in the United Arab Emirates. Although the term equivalency certificate UAE remains widely used, the current system follows two separate government routes. The UAE Ministry of Education handles Grade 12 and General Education equivalency, while the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research handles the Recognition of higher education qualifications issued outside the UAE.
Equivalency Certificate UAE
GloboPrime assists with degree attestation, legal translation, and country-specific document attestation where these steps are required for your qualification. We coordinate your legal translation and application process to assist in meeting ministry requirements. All final equivalency, recognition, and approval decisions remain at the sole discretion of the relevant UAE authorities.
What Is an Equivalency Certificate in the UAE?
An equivalency certificate is an official outcome confirming that a foreign school qualification meets the UAE requirements for general education. It is commonly required when a student completes Grade 12 under a foreign curriculum and needs the qualification accepted for university admission or another official purpose in the UAE.
For diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees and doctoral qualifications issued outside the UAE, the official service is now called Qualification Recognition. Previously referred to as university certificate equivalency, this process results in a Recognition Report issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The Recognition Report states whether the qualification meets the Ministry’s applicable recognition policies and academic standards. The process also considers the authenticity of the qualification and the accreditation status of the awarding institution in the country of study.
School certificates and university qualifications do not follow the same procedure. Before applying, determine whether you require:
- MOE Grade 12 Equivalency
- MOHESR Qualification Recognition
- Certificate or degree attestation only
MOE Equivalency or MOHESR Recognition: Which One Do You Need?
You normally need MOE equivalency when you hold a Grade 12, secondary school or foreign-curriculum school certificate that must be accepted for university admission or another official purpose in the UAE. You normally need MOHESR recognition when you hold a diploma, bachelor’s degree, postgraduate diploma, master’s degree or doctorate issued by an accredited higher education institution outside the UAE. You may only need degree certificate attestation when an employer or authority wants confirmation that the document and official stamps are genuine but does not require an academic recognition decision.Who Needs an Equivalency Certificate in the UAE?
A UAE equivalency certificate or Recognition Report may be requested for:
- University or postgraduate admission
- Government and public-sector employment
- Participation in the UAE labour market
- Regulated professional licensing
- Visa and residency applications
- Eligible Golden Visa categories
- Federal or local government submissions
- Employer verification of foreign qualifications
The requirement remains case-specific. A private employer may accept a properly attested degree, while a government entity, university, licensing authority or immigration route may request full MOE equivalency or MOHESR recognition.
Applicants should confirm the exact requirement with the receiving authority before paying for verification or beginning the application.
How to Get an Equivalency Certificate in the UAE
The process depends entirely on whether you are applying for school-level equivalency or higher education recognition.
Process 1: MOHESR Qualification Recognition for Foreign University Degrees
This process applies to diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees and doctoral qualifications issued by accredited institutions outside the UAE.
Step 1: Select an Authorised Verification Partner
Before applying for degree equivalency UAE applicants must first complete qualification verification through a partner authorised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The partner contacts the university or awarding institution directly to verify the authenticity of the qualification. The official process currently directs applicants to approved partners, including DataFlow and QuadraBay. DataFlow states that successful degree verification is required before proceeding to the Ministry’s Recognition stage.
Step 2: Submit the Verification Application
The applicant must provide the required personal and academic information, upload the graduation certificate and passport copy and pay the qualification-verification fee.
The partner may request additional evidence depending on:
- The qualification type
- The awarding institution
- The applicant’s name or identity details
- The institution’s response
- The mode and period of study
- Transferred credits or previous qualifications
Step 3: Receive the Qualification Verification Report
The verification partner contacts the awarding institution and confirms whether the degree is authentic.
After successful verification, the applicant receives an email containing the reference details or direct link required to continue the MOHESR recognition application.
DataFlow publishes a delivery period of up to 18 days for its degree-verification document, although the process can take longer when the university delays its response or further evidence is needed.
Step 4: Continue on the MOHESR Platform
Enter the qualification-verification reference number and date of birth. The verified academic information should appear automatically for review.
Applicants can log in using UAE PASS. The official service also provides a passport-details login option for applicants who do not have UAE PASS.
Review all personal and qualification information carefully before proceeding. Name differences, incorrect dates, missing academic details or mismatched passport information can delay the decision.
Step 5: Pay the Recognition Report Fee
The official qualification-verification fee is AED 350.
The additional MOHESR Recognition Report fee depends on the academic level:
| Qualification | Verification Fee | Recognition Fee | Total Official Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma or bachelor’s degree | AED 350 | AED 100 | AED 450 |
| Postgraduate diploma or master’s degree | AED 350 | AED 150 | AED 500 |
| Doctoral degree | AED 350 | AED 200 | AED 550 |
These totals exclude legal translation, certificate attestation, embassy legalisation, MOFA attestation, courier charges and private application-support fees where required.
Step 6: Receive the Recognition Decision
The Ministry issues one of two decisions:
- Recognised
- Not Recognised
The final Recognition Report can be downloaded from the applicant’s MOHESR account.
The official service time is 18 working days. Additional time may be required when the awarding institution delays its response, the Ministry requests more documents or the qualification requires further review.
Once the verification stage has been completed and all Ministry requirements have been satisfied, the Qualification Recognition page states that the Recognition Report may be issued within two working days.
Process 2: MOE Grade 12 Equivalency
MOE Grade 12 equivalency applies to General Education certificates issued by foreign-curriculum schools inside the UAE or, through the appropriate MOE service, school certificates issued outside the UAE.
Step 1: Log In Using UAE PASS
Access the Ministry of Education service and log in through UAE PASS.
Step 2: Complete the Application
Enter the required information and upload the graduation certificate together with transcripts for the final three years of study.
The exact requirements depend on the curriculum completed during the applicant’s last year of study.
Step 3: Complete the Required Attestation
For foreign-curriculum schools inside the UAE, Grade 12 transcripts and certificates must be attested by the relevant educational regulatory authority:
- Abu Dhabi: Department of Education and Knowledge
- Dubai: Knowledge and Human Development Authority
- Sharjah: Sharjah Private Education Authority
- Ras Al Khaimah: Department of Knowledge
- Other Emirates: UAE Ministry of Education
For school certificates issued outside the UAE, applicants may need authentication from:
- The issuing Board of Secondary Education or recognised educational authority
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country of study
- The UAE Embassy or Consulate
- The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The exact sequence depends on the country of study, the certificate and the MOE service used.
Step 4: Upload Curriculum-Specific Documents
MOE requirements differ according to the curriculum. The Ministry currently provides separate requirements for:
- American Curriculum
- British AS and A Level
- British BTEC Level 3
- International Baccalaureate Diploma
- International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme
- French Baccalaureate
- Indian Curriculum
- Pakistani Curriculum
- Bangladeshi Curriculum
- Canadian Curriculum
- Australian Curriculum
- Russian Curriculum
- Iranian Curriculum
- Philippine Curriculum
Documents issued in a language other than Arabic or English require a legal translation.
For the Grade 12 service, Muslim students must have completed Islamic Studies during the last three years of study, while students of Arab nationality must have completed Arabic during those years, subject to the applicable MOE requirements.
Step 5: Pay the Fee and Receive the Outcome
The MOE fee is AED 50, and the published service time is five working days.
Exceptional applications may be referred to the General Education equivalency committee for additional review. Applicants must also respond to requests for additional documents within the period specified by the Ministry.
Documents Required for UAE Equivalency
Documents for MOHESR Recognition
The standard documents are:
- Original graduation certificate or equivalent
- Clear passport copy
- Qualification-verification report or reference number
- Legal name-change certificate where applicable
- Certified legal translation where required
- Additional evidence requested by the verification partner or Ministry
Although the official service lists the graduation certificate and passport as the core documents, the Ministry or verification partner may request transcripts, previous qualifications, study information or other supporting evidence when needed.
Documents for MOE Grade 12 Equivalency
The standard documents generally include:
- Grade 12 graduation certificate
- Transcripts for the final three years of study
- Attestation from the relevant education authority
- Passport and UAE PASS details
- Legal translation for documents not issued in Arabic or English
- Curriculum-specific examination results
- Any additional documents requested by MOE
If several documents apply to the same upload requirement, they should be merged into one PDF. The MOE service states that each uploaded PDF must comply with the applicable file-size limit.
Check Your Equivalency Requirement Before Applying
Every equivalency case is unique. The exact same Master’s degree will require a completely different submission process if it is being used for a Dubai school appointment versus an Abu Dhabi engineering visa or a MOHRE Skill Level 1 work permit.
Already collecting documents?
Before you apply, review our complete UAE Equivalency Document Checklist to ensure your degree, transcripts, passports, visa copies, attestation stamps, and DataFlow reports are correctly compiled for your specific purpose.
Equivalency Certificate UAE for Indian Degrees
Applicants looking for an equivalency certificate UAE for Indian degrees must first identify whether the qualification is a school certificate or a university degree.
Indian Grade 12 Certificates
Indian Grade 12 certificates generally follow the MOE General Education equivalency route.
The exact requirements may depend on whether the applicant studied under:
- CBSE
- CISCE
- A recognised state board
- Another approved Indian curriculum
Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12 academic records may be requested depending on the applicant’s curriculum and academic pathway.
Indian University Degrees
Indian diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and doctoral qualifications issued outside the UAE normally follow the MOHESR Qualification Recognition route.
The verification partner may contact:
- The awarding university
- An autonomous institution
- The university controlling an affiliated college
- The relevant examination or records department
Common issues affecting Indian degree verification include:
- The applicant studied at an affiliated college, but the degree was issued by a university
- The passport name differs from the degree or marksheets
- Only a provisional certificate is available
- Consolidated or semester marksheets are incomplete
- The university takes time to answer the verification request
- The institution changed its name
- The programme involved transferred credits
- The qualification was completed through distance, online or blended study
- The institution or programme was not properly accredited during the study period
A document pre-check can identify many of these issues before the qualification-verification application is submitted.
Can You Apply from Outside the UAE?
Applicants can begin MOHESR recognition from outside the UAE. The current government process allows UAE PASS login and provides a passport-details route for applicants without UAE PASS.
For MOE Grade 12 equivalency, UAE PASS is normally required. Applicants who studied outside the UAE should complete the necessary school-certificate attestation and prepare their academic documents before travelling where possible.
Government accounts, personal declarations, identity confirmation, payments and final submissions may need to be completed directly by the applicant. A private service provider cannot legally replace the applicant in every part of the government process.
Can Online or Distance-Learning Qualifications Be Recognised?
The Ministry of Education states that General Education certificates completed through distance-learning or open-school study are not equalised under the Grade 12 service.
For university qualifications, recognition depends on the current MOHESR standards, the accreditation of the awarding institution, the authenticity of the qualification and the characteristics of the programme.
Applicants holding online, distance, blended, transferred-credit or branch-campus qualifications should obtain a case review rather than assuming that the qualification will automatically be accepted or rejected.
Why UAE Equivalency Applications Are Rejected or Not Recognised
A higher education qualification may not be recognised when:
- There is insufficient evidence to verify its authenticity
- The awarding institution is not recognised by MOHESR
- The institution was not accredited by the competent authority in the country of study
- The qualification does not meet the Ministry’s recognition requirements
- The university does not confirm the qualification
- Required documents or data remain incomplete
- Personal or qualification information is inconsistent
- A required legal translation or name-change document is missing
- The applicant fails to provide requested information within the permitted period
MOHESR may return or discontinue an application when the required documents or information are not fully provided within 30 working days. The official fees are non-refundable.
For MOE Grade 12 equivalency, delays or rejection may also arise when:
- Curriculum requirements are not satisfied
- The final three years of transcripts are incomplete
- Educational-authority attestation is missing
- Arabic or Islamic Studies requirements are not satisfied where applicable
- A required legal translation is missing
- The study mode is not eligible
- The certificate does not align with the UAE education system
Independent Service Provider Notice: GloboPrime is an independent private document attestation service provider. We do not issue UAE equivalency certificates or qualification recognition reports. General education equivalency certificates are issued exclusively by the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE), while higher education qualification recognition reports are issued exclusively by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). Final verification, recognition and approval decisions remain solely with the relevant government authorities and their authorised verification partners. Our services are limited to document attestation, certified translation, and application guidance.
Recognition of GloboPrime by Gulf News
What Our Clients Say
Client Stories: UAE Equivalency & Attestation
Ready to Get Started?
Contact GloboPrime today for a free consultation and personalized quote. We’ll guide you through the process and ensure your documents are attested accurately and efficiently. Visit our office or call us today!
Request a Quote
Request an individual quotation. We'll assess your requirements and get back to you within one working hour.
Request a Callback
Fill in the form to request a callback. One of our specialist advisors will call you back as soon as possible.
Get in touch with us on Whatsapp if you prefer! Message us on +971564625222 to get started. Text only.