Equivalency certificate in the UAE: school and university, explained

What is an equivalency certificate?

It's an official decision that your certificate is equivalent to the UAE qualification at the same level. Universities use it for admission, and employers and government bodies use it to confirm that a qualification earned elsewhere counts here.

Two federal bodies issue them. The UAE government portal names the Ministry of Education as the authority for equalising high school certificates. For university qualifications from outside the UAE, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research runs a recognition service, which it describes as the new name for the service previously called equivalency.

Equivalency is not the same as attestation. Attestation confirms that a document is genuine through a chain of official stamps; equivalency confirms what level the qualification is worth. You often need attestation first.

Which certificate needs which service?

Students who follow the Ministry's own curriculum at a private school sit the Grade 12 general education exam and receive the General Secondary Certificate, which MOE's equivalency guide treats as equivalent to a public school certificate.

When you'll be asked for one

• University admission. MOE's service for certificates from abroad asks for a university admission letter when the equivalency is for study.
• Work. The same service asks for a job offer letter when the equivalency is for work. MOHESR says private employers use its recognition reports to confirm candidates meet academic and professional standards.
• Visa and residency checks. MOHESR lists government entities verifying credentials for visa and residency requirements among the users of its reports.

If a university, employer or authority asks you for equivalency, ask which certificate they mean and which authority's document they accept. That answer decides which service below you need.

Grade 12 certificates from a UAE school

If you finished Grade 12 at a private school in the UAE that follows a foreign curriculum, such as American, British, IB, Indian or Pakistani, apply to MOE through its website or app, signing in with UAE PASS. MOE lists a fee of AED 50 and a service time of 5 working days.

Attestation comes first. MOE asks for your Grade 12 transcripts and certificates to be attested by the education regulator of the emirate where you studied:

• Abu Dhabi: Department of Education and Knowledge
• Dubai: Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
• Sharjah: Sharjah Private Education Authority
• Ras Al Khaimah: Department of Knowledge
• Other emirates: Ministry of Education

You'll upload your graduation certificate and transcripts for your last three years of study. MOE adds two subject rules: Muslim students must have taken Islamic Studies in those three years, and students of Arab nationality must have taken Arabic. Files must be PDFs of up to 5 MB each, with several documents for the same requirement merged into one file.

MOE won't equalise a certificate from distance learning or open school study, or study that isn't aligned with the UAE education system. If documents are missing, MOE gives you seven days to provide them and contacts you three times before closing the application.

KHDA attestation for Dubai private school certificates

For a school in Dubai, KHDA attests the certificate electronically. KHDA's Attest School Certificate service costs AED 120 in total, made up of an AED 100 application fee and an AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation fee, and takes 3 working days.

The service runs on UAE PASS, through the KHDA portal or the Dubai Now app:

• The student or a parent signs in and submits the request with the certificate.
• The school reviews the data for accuracy and authenticity.
• KHDA does a final review and approves the request.
• You pay the fee and receive the electronically attested certificate.

The student must be registered in KHDA's system, so the service covers certificates and grade cards from Dubai private schools. Certificates from other emirates go to their own regulator. For school certificates issued abroad, see our school certificate attestation service.

Grade 12 certificates from abroad

For a Grade 12 certificate issued outside the UAE, MOE's service condition is clear: the transcript and certificate must be attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. MOFA attestation normally comes after the certificate has been attested in the country that issued it, so start that chain first.

MOE asks for these documents:

• Attested high school (Grade 12) certificate
• Attested certificates for the previous year and the year before
• Passport copy
• Job offer letter, if the equivalency is for work
• University admission letter, if it's for study
• Attested legal translation, if the certificates aren't in Arabic or English

The fee is AED 50. MOE publishes a range of service times: 3 to 5 working days when all conditions are met with no committee review or correspondence, and up to 30 working days when the file needs both. Missing documents stop the clock.

MOE won't treat as equivalent any certificate from distance learning, an open school or a level-determination system such as the GED, or study that isn't aligned with the education system accredited in the UAE. Exceptional cases may go to MOE's equivalency committee for input.

University degrees from outside the UAE: MOHESR recognition

MOHESR's recognition of qualifications from outside the UAE is what most people still call degree equivalency. It runs online, with UAE PASS, in three stages:

• Verification. You choose one of MOHESR's accredited verification partners, upload your documents and pay the partner AED 350. The partner contacts the awarding institution to verify your qualification.
• Recognition. Once verification is complete, you follow the emailed link, enter your verification reference number and date of birth, check your details and pay AED 50 for the recognition report.
• Decision. MOHESR emails the final decision with a link to download your digital recognition report.

MOHESR lists a service time of 18 working days and two required documents: the original graduation certificate, or its equivalent from the awarding institution, and a clear copy of your passport photo page. All fees are non-refundable.

Two conditions decide most outcomes. The certificate must be original, authentic and issued by the institution that awarded the qualification, and the university must have been accredited by the relevant authority in its country during your period of study. You then have seven working days to provide any documents MOHESR asks for, or it may close the request.

UAE nationals have two extra rules. If you graduated after 30 August 2025 from an institution that isn't on the ministry's approved list, you need an approved exception decision from the relevant committee. And if a scholarship entity on MOHESR's list sponsored your studies, your qualification is recognised automatically.

Attestation, translation and equivalency: getting the order right

Most delays come from doing things in the wrong order. A practical sequence:

• Attest the certificate in the issuing country, then with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where MOE or your employer requires it.
• Get a legal translation into Arabic or English if the certificate is in another language.
• Apply for MOE equivalency or MOHESR recognition.
• Send the equivalency certificate or recognition report to your university, employer or licensing body.

Hiring is a common trigger. The UAE government portal lists qualifications authenticated by MOFA among the documents for a mainland work permit, so many people need both attestation and recognition. Our UAE labour card guide covers the work permit side.

We handle the parts that can be done for you: educational certificate attestation, degree certificate attestation, legal translation and the online applications. The ministries make the equivalency decision.

Common reasons for delay or rejection

• The certificate comes from distance learning, an open school or a GED programme.
• The university wasn't accredited in its home country during your years of study.
• Transcripts for the earlier school years are missing; MOE asks for the last three years.
• The certificate wasn't attested by the right regulator or by MOFA.
• A legal translation is missing for a certificate that isn't in Arabic or English.
• Files are over 5 MB, or several documents for one requirement weren't merged into one PDF.
• Extra documents weren't sent in time: seven days for MOE and seven working days for MOHESR.

Send us your certificates before you apply and we'll tell you which authority, which attestations and which documents your case needs.