Attesting degrees, certificates and other documents

Who this is for

Anyone who needs a certificate or document accepted by a Qatari authority (for a job, residence, family visa, study or marriage), or a Qatari document accepted abroad. Attestation confirms the seals and signatures are genuine; it is not the same as degree equivalency, which is a separate Ministry of Education service that decides whether a foreign degree is recognised.

Before you start

• The original document with live seals and signatures. The Ministry says the chain must end with a seal and signature from a Qatari mission abroad or a foreign mission accredited to its Consular Affairs Department.
• For a foreign bachelor's degree: the transcript too. MOFA says the degree must be submitted with it.
• For degrees from abroad: the university must be accredited and recognised by Qatar's Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
• A user account on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-services portal (needed to submit online).

Steps

1. Work out where the document was issued

   Documents issued in Qatar are attested by the issuing body first (for example Qatar University, or the Ministry of Education and Higher Education for Qatari and foreign schools in Qatar; Qatar Foundation or the Ministry for foreign universities in Qatar), then by MOFA. Documents issued abroad must first be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country or an authorised agency, then by a Qatari mission.

2. Start overseas attestation online if the document is from abroad

   Since December 2024 MOFA offers an online service to complete attestation abroad: documents go to Qatar's diplomatic missions overseas, which authenticate them (or the host country's foreign ministry does if needed) and complete the attestation so they can be used in Qatar.

3. Submit to MOFA Consular Affairs

   Apply online on the MOFA e-services portal, or visit the Consular Affairs building Sunday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Electronic attestation is limited to certificates of good conduct and academic certificates issued by government schools; other documents follow the Qatar Post or courier routes described on the Ministry's attestation page.

4. Pay the fee and collect

   Pay online or at the counter, then receive the attested document by the delivery route you chose. The Ministry will not attest documents that violate regulations in force in Qatar.

5. If a foreign degree must be recognised, apply for equivalency

   Separately from attestation, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education runs an online university degree equivalency and attestation service for degrees conferred by universities and educational institutions, and says it may refuse equivalency or attestation if a certificate does not comply with its rules. Check the service page for conditions before applying.

Useful numbers and apps

• Government Contact Center 109 Source
• MOFA Consular Affairs, Attestation Department 4011 1188 Source
• Ministry of Education and Higher Education +974 4404 4444 Source

Good to know

• Attestation and equivalency are different: attestation confirms a document's seals and signatures; equivalency is the Ministry of Education's decision on recognising a foreign degree.
• A copy or scan is not enough: the Ministry asks for documents with live seals and signatures.
• Planning to study abroad? Get pre-approval from the Ministry of Education before you enrol, or the degree may not be recognised later (see the study guide).
• Third-party attestation agencies exist, but the official channels above are the ones the Ministry describes.