MOHRE Equivalency Certificate 2026: MoHESR Degree Recognition, Fees and Steps

A MOHRE equivalency certificate is the everyday name for the UAE recognition report that confirms a university degree earned outside the country is genuine and comes from an accredited institution, so that it can be used in the UAE for employment, further study, visas and government services. Since 2024 this equivalency certificate (UAE) is issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR), not by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and no longer by the Ministry of Education. The process has two stages: an approved partner checks your degree with the university, and MoHESR then issues a digital recognition report. UAE degrees and school certificates use separate services.

This guide covers only degree equivalency (UAE) and school certificate equivalency: which authority issues each one, the service names, fees, documents, timelines and when each authority needs them. It was written from MoHESR and MoE service cards, Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025, Cabinet Resolution No. 103 of 2026, u.ae and GDRFA Dubai, as published on 23 September 2026. The attestation chain has its own attestation process guide, and the full cost of attestation is in our attestation cost guide.

MOHRE equivalency certificate at a glance: who issues what in 2026

People say “MOHRE equivalency certificate” for several different services. The table shows each one, which ministry runs it, the official fee and the official service time. Where the official pages disagree, the row says so and the detail follows further down.

Sources: MoHESR service cards (read from the Ministry’s service catalogue on 23 September 2026, last modified 11 September 2026); MoE service cards for Grade 12 and class transfer equivalency. MOHRE does not appear in this table, because it issues none of these documents.

MOHRE equivalency certificate: how MIRDXB PRO handles it for you

Most people who contact us about a MOHRE equivalency certificate already have a job offer, a visa step or a licence waiting on it. The recognition itself is an online service, and plenty of people finish it alone. Where it goes wrong is around it: the wrong service chosen, a name that does not match the passport, a university that does not answer the partner, an employer who needed attestation and not recognition, or a Golden visa file sent back because the degree was attested but not recognised. We are a PRO and visa services firm in Al Barsha 1, and degree work sits with our degree certificate attestation service in Dubai.

What we do

• Tell you which document you actually need. MoHESR degree recognition (UAE), an MoE equivalency certificate for school, attestation, an authenticity letter or nothing at all. We check it against what the receiving body (MOHRE, GDRFA, ICP, a regulator, a school) says it wants.
• Check your file before you pay. We compare the name on the degree, transcript and passport. We check the university’s licensing and accreditation position for the year you graduated, and whether any earlier degree the file relies on is in order.
• Prepare and submit the application with you. We help with the partner application and the MoHESR recognition step through your UAE Pass. We upload clear PDF scans and keep to the 7-working-day window for any extra documents.
• Chase the verification with the partner and tell you exactly what your university has been asked for.
• Link it to what comes next. That might be attestation through the MOFA attestation service, legal translation, the work permit, the Golden visa or the teacher licence.

How it works

1. WhatsApp us a photo of the degree, the transcript and your passport page, and tell us who is asking for the MOHRE equivalency certificate.
2. We reply in writing with the service you need, the official fees, a realistic timeline, what could go wrong, and our fee.
3. You approve, and we prepare the scans and the application with you. You sign in with UAE Pass yourself, because the service is personal.
4. Verification runs with DataFlow or QuadraBay. We follow up, and we pass on any request from the university or the partner the same day.
5. MoHESR issues the digital equivalency certificate (UAE) by email. We check the name, degree title and dates before it goes to MOHRE, GDRFA or your employer.

What a MOHRE equivalency certificate costs with us

Government and partner fees are passed on at cost, and you see every receipt. On today’s MoHESR card that is AED 350 to the partner and AED 50 to the Ministry for degree equivalency (UAE) of a foreign degree. Some universities charge their own verification fee on top. Our service fee depends on the file and is quoted in writing before we start. Our general approach is on the fees page.

Why residents use us

• We publish our sources and show you every receipt.
• We tell you when you do not need us. If your university is among those whose UAE degrees are recognised automatically, or your recognition report already exists, we will say so.
• We cover MoHESR, MoE, MOFA, MOHRE, GDRFA and ICP.
• Office in Al Barsha 1, Dubai. Open by appointment; whatsApp us any time, 24 hours; office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 (Dubai time).

Why people search “MOHRE equivalency certificate” (and who actually issues it)

The name is understandable. Most people first meet the requirement at MOHRE, when a skilled work permit or a higher job title stops until a degree is “equalised”. The request comes from the labour side, so people search for the labour side, and many HR teams and typing centres still say “MOHRE equivalency certificate”. You will be understood if you use it. Just know that the MOHRE equivalency certificate application goes nowhere near MOHRE.

The second reason is history. Degree equivalency (UAE) has moved between ministries and systems several times in ten years, and each move left pages describing a system that no longer exists.

So, in plain terms: MOHRE uses the MOHRE equivalency certificate, MoHESR issues it for degrees, and MoE issues the MoE equivalency certificate for school certificates. If a page tells you to apply to MOHRE, or quotes the 2023 ranking bands as current, it is out of date. MOHRE’s own role is explained in our guide to what MOHRE is and does.

Recognition, equivalency, attestation and authenticity: four different things

Much of the confusion about degree equivalency (UAE) comes from treating four separate services as one. Each answers a different question, and each is run by a different authority.

The key point is that attestation and degree recognition (UAE) are not substitutes. Attestation confirms the paper is real. Recognition decides whether the qualification counts. A fully attested degree from an institution that was not accredited when you graduated will still fail recognition. A recognised degree may still need attestation if the body you are applying to asks for it. Some bodies accept either, and some ask for both. The section on who needs it sets out what each authority’s own page says.

“Equivalency” is the older word. “Recognition” is the legal word today: Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025 lets a recognised qualification be used “for employment, career progression, further studies, or other relevant purposes”. The equivalency certificate UAE employers ask for and the MoHESR recognition report are the same document.

The rules now: degree recognition (UAE) under Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025

The legal basis for degree recognition (UAE) of foreign qualifications is Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025, signed on 15 January 2025 by Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar as Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. MoHESR publishes an English version marked “not an official translation”. It has seven articles and one annex.

Announcing it on 28 April 2025, MoHESR said the system uses “two unified standards across all specialisations and universities”, and that its pilot cut the required documents from 14 to four and declined requests from 8.3 percent to 3.5 percent (the Ministry’s own figures).

Step by step: getting your MOHRE equivalency certificate from MoHESR

The official service is “Recognition of qualification from outside the UAE” (service code 431-005-006-000), for “holders of academic university degrees issued from outside the UAE”. It runs online with UAE Pass, on mohesr.gov.ae or the MoHESR UAE app.

1. Start the service on mohesr.gov.ae and choose one of the Ministry’s accredited verification partners.
2. Sign in with UAE Pass on the partner’s portal, enter your details, upload the documents and pay the partner verification fee (AED 350 on the card).
3. The partner contacts your university to confirm that the degree is genuine and that the details match. You may be asked for more documents. The card warns that if you do not provide them within 7 working days, the Ministry “reserves the right to close and cancel the request”.
4. Once verification is complete, you receive an email with a link to the recognition application.
5. Enter the verification reference number and your date of birth. Your details appear automatically. Check them carefully, then pay the recognition report fee (AED 50 on the card).
6. Receive the decision by email, with a link to download your digital equivalency certificate (UAE). The report carries a document number and a verification number that anyone can check on the MoHESR site.

The card adds two useful notes. First, “automatic recognition”: if a scholarship body on the Ministry’s list sponsored you, your qualification is recognised automatically. If your sponsor is not on the list, you may submit your official scholarship letter instead of a verification report. Second, some files take longer “due to the need for further review or delays in submitting the required documents”. It also states plainly: “all service fees are non-refundable.”

The approved verification partners for degree equivalency (UAE)

For degree equivalency (UAE), the partner does the hard part: getting a clear answer from a registrar abroad. MoHESR listed three partners on 23 September 2026.

MoHESR’s configuration lists the verification fee as AED 350 and the delivery time as “Up to 18 Days”. It does not say whether the two active partners charge the same in every case. Some universities also charge their own fee to answer a verification request. Cabinet Resolution No. 103 of 2026 confirms that such costs come on top of the Ministry’s own fee (Article 2(2)).

Documents for degree equivalency (UAE)

The Ministry has cut the list for a MOHRE equivalency certificate sharply. The service card asks for two documents.

Worth preparing anyway: an official transcript, a name-linking document if your degree and passport differ (a maiden name or a one-letter transliteration difference is the most avoidable delay), and a signed consent letter if your university will not answer third parties without one. MOFA attestation is not on the card for recognition itself, though the body you apply to may ask for it. If a translation is requested, our legal translation service can do it.

Fees for a MOHRE equivalency certificate: what the official pages say

Fees for a MOHRE equivalency certificate are quoted everywhere, often from systems that no longer exist. Here is every official or attributed figure, with its source.

Worked total for a MOHRE equivalency certificate on a foreign degree today: AED 350 + AED 50 = AED 400, plus any university charge. The card’s summary says “from 450 – 550 AED” without explaining the gap, so budget AED 550 and expect to pay less. Attestation and translation are extra, and only if the receiving body asks. See the attestation cost guide.

Cabinet Resolution No. 103 of 2026 exempts graduates of digitally integrated UAE universities (Art. 4(4)) and Ministry-supervised scholarship students (Art. 4(5)). It takes effect three months after publication in the Official Gazette. Its AED 50 matches the card, so the fee should not change.

How long degree recognition (UAE) takes

The published service time for degree recognition (UAE) is 18 working days, and MoHESR’s partner settings say “Up to 18 Days”. The Ministry step is quick once verification is done; the time goes on the partner and the university.

Plan backwards from the date you need the equivalency certificate (UAE), and start recognition first. A slow university can turn 18 working days into two months, and no one in the UAE can speed up a registrar abroad.

How MoHESR decides degree recognition (UAE): the Annex 1 service track

Annex 1 to Ministerial Decree No. 34 of 2025 is a one-page flowchart, the “Higher Education Certificates Recognition Service Track”. It explains why similar degrees can have very different experiences. After you pay, the Ministry makes a “university/country assessment” and sends the file down one of three routes.

Primary source verification has three outcomes. Authentic, accredited and low-risk country: granted. Authentic and accredited but medium or high-risk country: an extra cross-check. Fake degree or unaccredited university: “Recognition rejected with penalties and referral to law enforcement authorities in case of fraud.” The country risk list is not published.

Degrees from UAE universities: degree recognition (UAE) at AED 50

UAE graduates use a separate MoHESR service, “Recognition of qualification from the UAE”.

• Fee: AED 50 per document. All pages of an academic transcript count as one document.
• Time: 3 working days.
• Documents: for graduates, the graduation certificate or equivalent, or the academic transcript. For current students, the transcript or an official “To Whom It May Concern” letter from the institution.
• Conditions: the document must be authentic, and the university licensed with programmes accredited by the Ministry.
• Proof: recognition appears as a QR code on the certificate or transcript.

Many UAE graduates need no degree recognition (UAE) application at all. Under automatic recognition, participating universities send graduate data to MoHESR, and the recognised documents go to the graduate’s digital wallet and UAE Pass. MoHESR reported 41 participating universities and 20,536 qualifications recognised this way by mid-August 2026. Check before you pay. Holders of professional (non-academic) qualifications must first be registered with the National Qualifications Center.

School certificates: the MoE equivalency certificate for Grade 12

Here the name “MoE equivalency certificate” is still correct: u.ae states that the “Ministry of Education is the entity authorised to equalise high school certificates in the UAE”. It is needed for university admission, some jobs and some permits.

MoE equivalency certificate for a Grade 12 from abroad

The card then sets curriculum-specific evidence: for example SAT, IELTS or TOEFL scores for the American curriculum, one A-level or two AS-levels plus five GCSEs for the British system, the IB Diploma or 21 points across six subjects for IB, and board certificates for Grades 10 and 12 for Indian and Pakistani students. Check the card for your curriculum before applying.

Grade 12 from a foreign-curriculum school in the UAE

Graduates of foreign-curriculum schools in the UAE pay AED 50 for the MoE equivalency certificate, with a service time of 5 working days. Certificates must first be attested by the local regulator: ADEK (Abu Dhabi), KHDA (Dubai), SPEA (Sharjah), the Department of Knowledge (Ras Al Khaimah) or MoE (other emirates). Muslim students need Islamic Studies, and Arab students Arabic, in their last three years. Where American-curriculum test scores are missing, “a limited equivalency outcome will be issued”.

Moving a child into a UAE school

Class transfer equivalency, for children joining mid-schooling, costs up to AED 50. Ask the school registrar what they need.

When you need a MOHRE equivalency certificate: MOHRE, GDRFA, regulators and universities

An equivalency certificate (UAE) is only useful because other bodies ask for it. Each one has its own wording, and the differences matter. The table sets out what each body’s own published page says. Our reading follows in the sections below.

MOHRE work permits, skill levels and the MOHRE equivalency certificate

This is the “MOHRE” in MOHRE equivalency certificate. MOHRE classifies jobs into nine professional levels based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations. On u.ae, in text marked “provided by MoHRE”, work is classed as skilled only if all four conditions are met:

• the worker is at professional level 1 to 5;
• the worker holds “a certificate higher than the secondary certificate or an equivalent certificate”;
• the certificate is “attested by the competent authorities”; and
• the monthly salary, excluding commission, is at least AED 4,000.

The published MOHRE test says “attested”, not “recognised”. That is why some employers ask only for a MOFA-attested degree while others, especially for level 1 and 2 roles, also want the MOHRE equivalency certificate (the MoHESR report). MOHRE’s website did not load for us on 23 September 2026, so we cannot confirm its system’s current checks. The safe position for level 1 or 2 is to hold both. MoHESR’s “Verifying Qualification Authenticity” card is also offered to MOHRE work permit applicants in Umm Al Quwain as a soft launch.

Skill level matters beyond the permit. ICP gives skilled workers at levels 1 to 3 a 90-day grace period after a residence permit is cancelled or expires, against 30 days for most other categories. The details are in our residence visa grace period guide. The permit types themselves are covered in our work permit types guide, and the employer’s side of the application in our MOHRE work permit service.

Golden visa: degree recognition (UAE) for skilled professionals

GDRFA Dubai’s card for the Golden residence of specialised professionals asks for a bachelor’s degree. It adds that “the applicant must provide a certificate of recognition of the academic qualification from the Ministry of Education” where the university is outside the UAE, and attestation where it is inside. The card still names the Ministry of Education. The equivalency certificate (UAE) now comes from MoHESR, and it is the same document. A degree that is attested but not recognised is not enough for Dubai. The full route, including the AED 30,000 salary and MOHRE skill level 1 or 2, is in our Golden visa salary requirement guide. For doctors, nurses and teachers, see Golden visa for nurses and other professionals.

Health professionals: DHA, DoH and MOHAP

Health regulators run their own checks. The Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR), issued by a committee of the UAE health regulators (MOHAP, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and DHA), require that licensing documents “be verified directly from the original or primary source” (clause 1.4.1). That covers qualifications, experience certificates and licences. Clause 1.1.1 says qualifications “acquired through honorary nature, correspondence, distance-learning, and equivalency criteria(s) are not counted”. Clause 1.1.4 says hybrid certificates are not accepted, except those issued during exceptional periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is one place where degree equivalency UAE matters directly. For allied health professionals, clause 17.1.3 says a qualification “can be considered acceptable for the required title if it has been equalized by the Ministry of Education (MOE) or the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)” as equivalent to the one listed in the PQR. For UAE graduates, the programme and university must be accredited (MOE/NQC in the PQR’s words). So a nurse, doctor or therapist needs the regulator’s primary source verification to be licensed. MoHESR recognition is a separate process, which can help an allied health title and is needed for things like a Golden visa or postgraduate study. The two can run in parallel.

Teachers: MoE, KHDA, ADEK and degree equivalency (UAE)

u.ae says teachers need at least a bachelor’s or four-year degree in the relevant field, criminal clearance, a UAE medical report and, for foreign graduates, MOFA and embassy attestation. The Education Professional licence is mandatory. The MoE transitional licence (AED 50, about 30 working days, valid two years) needs a degree “attested by the Ministry of Education” or a “University Qualification Equivalency from the Ministry of Education”. Recognition of an international licence costs AED 100.

Appointments go through KHDA (Dubai private schools), ADEK, SPEA, the RAK Department of Knowledge, or MoE (Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah). Khaleej Times reported in September 2025 that KHDA accepts degrees from MoHESR-accredited UAE universities, KHDA-recognised free zone branch campuses and home-accredited international universities, with existing teachers given until 1 September 2028 (secondary source).

Further study and government employment

For a postgraduate place at a UAE university, the university will usually ask for recognition of your foreign bachelor’s degree. u.ae and MoHESR describe the equivalency certificate (UAE) as the official document for “employment, further studies, visas and government services”. Federal and local government employers typically ask for it as a matter of course.

Do you still need attestation before degree recognition (UAE)?

For the MOHRE equivalency certificate itself, the MoHESR card asks only for the certificate and passport page; the partner verifies with the university. MOFA attestation is not on the list.

Attestation is still asked for elsewhere: by MOHRE’s skilled-work definition (“attested by the competent authorities”), by u.ae for teachers, by the MoE card for Grade 12 from abroad (“attested by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs”), and by many employers and courts. So the practical answer is: recognition does not need attestation, but your purpose may. Ask the receiving body which it wants, in writing if you can. If you need attestation, the order is set out in our attestation process guide. The apostille vs attestation guide explains what changes for countries in the Apostille Convention. Country routes are in our guides to Indian degree attestation, Pakistani degree attestation and Philippines documents attestation.

When degree recognition (UAE) is refused: asking MoHESR to reconsider

The MoHESR card lists four cases in which a qualification “will not be recognized”:

• “Lack of sufficient evidence to verify the authenticity of the qualification.”
• “The qualification is issued by an educational institution not recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates.”
• “The qualification is issued by an educational institution not recognized by the academic accreditation authorities in the country of study.”
• “The certificate does not comply with any of the recognition requirements and standards.”

If you receive a formal non-recognition decision, the “Reconsideration of recognition decision” service lets you ask the Ministry to review it. It has no fee. You must apply within three months of the decision date, and only once for each qualification. You sign in with UAE Pass, attach any new official documents that were not submitted before, and receive a final decision in 20 working days. The card notes that “evaluation times may vary based on case complexity”.

If degree recognition (UAE) stays refused, decide quickly: a role or visa route that does not rely on that degree, a qualification that can be recognised, or a change of plan. MOHRE levels 6 to 9 are not skilled work, so no certificate is needed for those permits.

Fraud, withdrawn recognition and unlicensed providers

Degree recognition (UAE) exists to protect employers. On 13 September 2026 MoHESR said it had referred “limited cases” of qualification fraud to the courts, with some rulings of up to three years in prison and AED 30,000 in fines. It cited Article 252 of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 (up to 10 years for forging an official document). It processed 253,000 verification requests by early September 2026 and called forgery “isolated and very limited”.

Recognition can be withdrawn from a whole institution: on 9 December 2025 MoHESR withdrew it for all qualifications of Midocean University, which ran an office in Fujairah, after finding unaccredited programmes. Article 4 of Decree No. 34 of 2025 allows individual revocation too, and Federal Law No. 9 of 2021 prohibits using certificates from unlicensed entities.

Old MoE equivalency certificate holders: digital copies and checks

An old paper MoE equivalency certificate is still a valid decision. MoHESR’s “Issuance of digital copy of recognition report” has no fee and takes 2 working days: email info@mohesr.gov.ae with your passport, Emirates ID and the old report. Limits on the card:

• the new copy uses today’s format but “will not change the content of the original decision or subject it to current conditions”;
• for applications submitted in 2000 or earlier, you must make a new recognition application;
• if records are missing from the old archive or the current system, a new application is needed; and
• submitting a request “does not obligate the Ministry to issue a digital copy”.

Anyone can check a MoHESR report at no cost and instantly with “Verification of qualification recognition authenticity”, using its document and verification numbers. MoE runs a similar no-fee check for digital equivalency it issued; for older paper ones, email client.corr@moe.gov.ae.

What goes wrong with a MOHRE equivalency certificate

What circulates online that is not true

Worked cases: degree equivalency UAE in practice

These MOHRE equivalency certificate cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

Case 1: the Golden visa file sent back

An operations manager in Dubai, on a level-1 work permit and a salary above AED 30,000, applied for the Golden visa with an MBA from a university abroad. The degree was fully attested by MOFA. GDRFA returned the file: its card asks for “a certificate of recognition of the academic qualification” for foreign universities, and attestation alone did not meet that. She applied for degree recognition (UAE) through DataFlow. She paid AED 350, the university confirmed within about two weeks, and she paid AED 50 for the report. She then resubmitted. The lesson: for the Dubai Golden salary route, recognition is a separate document, and it should be the first thing you do.

Case 2: the engineer who read the 2023 rules

A civil engineer read online that engineering degrees were “excluded” and that his university’s ranking would decide the outcome. He delayed a job move for months. Under Decree No. 34 of 2025, the general conditions are the same for every field: a genuine degree from an institution licensed and accredited when it was issued. His degree was recognised. Separately, he still needed the engineering licence from the emirate’s authority for the job itself, which is a different approval. The lesson: check the date of any rule you rely on.

Case 3: the silent registrar

A finance professional’s university abroad had merged with another institution. The partner’s verification request went unanswered, and the file was nearing the 7-working-day limit for extra documents. She got the successor institution’s records office to issue a letter confirming the award, and uploaded it together with her transcript. Verification completed, and so did recognition. The lesson: if your university has closed, merged or renamed, find out who holds your records before you apply.

Case 4: the UAE graduate who paid twice

A graduate of a Dubai university paid AED 50 per document for degree recognition (UAE) of his degree and transcript, for a government job. It turned out that his university was among those whose degrees MoHESR recognises automatically, and the recognised documents were already in his digital wallet through UAE Pass. The lesson: UAE graduates should check the automatic recognition list and their UAE Pass wallet first.

Case 5: the school leaver with a GED

A young resident with an online GED applied for Grade 12 equivalency to start a UAE university programme. The MoE card states that certificates from distance learning, open school or level-determination systems (GED) are not equalised. The application could not succeed. The family chose a route through a UAE school’s Grade 12 programme. The lesson: read the “not equalised” list on the MoE card before relying on a school certificate.

How to verify every degree equivalency (UAE) figure in this guide

MoHESR: 800511, info@mohesr.gov.ae. MOHRE: 600590000.

What we will and will not do

• We will tell you which document you need (degree recognition (UAE), an MoE equivalency certificate, attestation or none), and why, with the official source.
• We will prepare and check your application, follow the partner verification and pass on every query the same day.
• We will pass on government and partner fees at cost with receipts, and quote our own fee in writing before we start.
• We will tell you when you do not need us, for example when your UAE degree is already recognised automatically.
• We will not promise a date that depends on a university abroad, or claim influence over MoHESR, MoE or MOHRE decisions.
• We will not submit, “fix” or arrange any qualification we have reason to believe is not genuine, or suggest wording that misstates your studies.
• We will not sign in to UAE Pass as you.

Related guides

• Attestation process in the UAE, step by step
• Apostille vs attestation in the UAE
• Attestation cost in the UAE, 2026
• Indian degree attestation for the UAE
• Pakistan degree attestation for the UAE
• Philippines documents attestation for the UAE
• Golden visa salary requirement
• Golden visa eligibility 2026
• Work permit types in the UAE
• UAE employment visa cost breakdown

Getting a MOHRE equivalency certificate and linking it to the permit, visa or licence it is for is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles every week.