Attesting Your Degree & Documents for Qatar: Full Process

If you have recently moved to Qatar for work, are enrolling children in school, applying for a professional licence or completing family-residency procedures, you may be asked to have your qualifications or personal documents attested.

Document attestation is the process of verifying the seals and signatures on a certificate so that it can be accepted by the relevant authority in Qatar. For foreign-issued documents that require legalisation, the process generally begins in the issuing country and is completed through Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Here is the process, the current MOFA fees and how to submit an attestation request online.

Information current as of August 2026. Requirements can vary by document, issuing country and receiving authority, so confirm what is needed before beginning the process.

What document attestation means in Qatar

Attestation, sometimes called legalisation, is a chain of official verifications. Each authority verifies the seal or signature added by the authority before it.

For a foreign-issued document, MOFA checks that the required authentication chain has been completed before adding its own attestation for use in Qatar.

Attestation confirms the authenticity of the seals and signatures on a document. It does not automatically confirm the academic value of a qualification, grant a professional licence or guarantee that a particular employer or authority will accept it.

For example, a foreign university degree may also need equivalency or validation from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Professional regulators may require primary-source verification, examinations or other licensing procedures.

Why you may need to attest your degree in Qatar

Attested documents may be requested for:

Employment: An employer or authority may request an attested qualification when verifying your education or registered profession.

Professional licensing: Some regulated professions require authenticated qualifications. However, the exact process depends on the regulator, and primary-source verification may replace attestation in certain licensing routes.

Family residency: An attested marriage certificate may be required when sponsoring a spouse, while children’s applications may require attested birth certificates.

Education: Schools, universities and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education may request attested certificates as part of admission or equivalency procedures.

Confirm the exact document and attestation requirements with the organisation receiving it. Do not attest every certificate automatically if only one document is required.

The full attestation sequence, step by step

The correct sequence depends on the issuing country and type of document. The following is the usual route for documents issued outside Qatar.

Step 1 — Confirm the required process

Before submitting the document anywhere, ask the receiving employer, school, university, regulator or government authority exactly what it requires.

Confirm whether it needs:

• The original certificate
• A transcript or marks sheet
• An attested copy
• An Arabic or English translation
• Academic equivalency
• Primary-source verification
• Attestation by MOFA in Qatar

For bachelor’s degrees issued outside Qatar, MOFA requires the degree to be submitted with the academic transcript.

Step 2 — Verify the document in the issuing country

The certificate may first need verification by the institution that issued it or by another competent authority in that country.

Depending on the country and document, this may involve the university, registrar, notary, education authority or another government body.

Not every country uses the same departments, so follow the instructions issued by the relevant Qatari mission or the foreign ministry in the country of issue.

Step 3 — Obtain foreign-ministry authentication

The document generally needs authentication by the foreign ministry in the country where it was issued, or by an authority officially authorised to act on its behalf.

This confirms the seals and signatures added by the issuing institution and other domestic authorities.

Step 4 — Obtain diplomatic authentication

The document must then carry authentication recognised by Qatar.

This will normally be completed by the Qatari embassy or diplomatic mission in the issuing country. In some cases, a foreign embassy or mission accredited to MOFA in Qatar may complete the relevant diplomatic authentication.

Check the correct route before submitting the document, especially if Qatar does not have a mission in the issuing country.

Step 5 — Complete MOFA attestation in Qatar

Once the required overseas authentication has been completed, submit the original document to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

MOFA reviews the seals and signatures and, if the document meets the requirements, adds the final local attestation.

The receiving employer, school, regulator or government authority may still require a separate equivalency, verification, translation or licensing process.

How to attest at MOFA in Qatar online

MOFA’s online service allows you to submit the request electronically and have the original documents collected and returned through Qatar Post.

The process is:

1. Log in to the MOFA e-services portal through the National Authentication System.
2. Open the Attestation service and start a new request.
3. Select the appropriate document category and service.
4. Upload a clear copy of the document and any supporting papers.
5. Submit the request for review.
6. Once approved, pay the applicable fees online.
7. Confirm the collection address and arrange Qatar Post pickup.
8. Give the original documents to Qatar Post.
9. Track the request through your online account.
10. Receive the attested originals from Qatar Post.

MOFA normally reviews the initial electronic submission within one working day. The full process generally takes approximately three to four working days, although overseas verification, missing seals or additional checks can extend the timeline.

The submitted document should be in Arabic or English. A document in another language may need an approved Arabic or English translation.

Uploading a scan does not replace submitting the original. Qatar Post collects the physical documents after the electronic request has been approved and paid.

In-person MOFA attestation

Attestation services are also available at the Department of Consular Affairs building in the Diplomatic Area and at selected government service centres.

The main Department of Consular Affairs service pages list working hours as:

Sunday to Thursday: 7:30 am to 1 pm

Government service centres providing attestation services include locations in:

• Al Shamal
• Rawdat Al Hamama
• Al Khor
• Lusail
• The Pearl
• Al Rayyan
• Al Hilal
• Al Wakra

Some centres offer afternoon or evening services. Check the latest location and working hours before visiting, particularly during Ramadan, public holidays or other special periods.

Bring the original document, identification and any supporting documents required for the selected service.

MOFA attestation fees in Qatar

MOFA charges fees according to the type of document.

Current fees include:

Academic certificates: QAR 100 per document

Other educational certificates: QAR 100 per document

Birth certificates: QAR 100 per document

Marriage contracts: QAR 100 per document

Medical certificates and reports: QAR 100 per document

Most other standard certificates and documents: QAR 100 per document

Qatar Post collection and delivery: QAR 40 per request

Commercial documents and invoices may carry different fees.

A bachelor’s degree issued outside Qatar must be submitted with its academic transcript. Confirm whether the receiving authority requires the transcript itself to be separately attested, as an additional fee may apply if it is submitted as a separate document.

Completing attestation outside Qatar

MOFA’s Complete Attestation Outside Qatar service is intended for foreign documents that have not completed all the required authentication procedures in the country of issue.

Through this service, MOFA sends the documents to the relevant Qatari mission abroad. The mission may arrange authentication by the foreign ministry in the host country before completing the diplomatic attestation. The document is then returned for recognition in Qatar.

Current fees are:

Attestation-completion fee: QAR 150

Qatari mission fee: The equivalent of QAR 120

Foreign-ministry charges: Vary by country

For educational certificates, the university must be recognised and included in the accredited-university lists maintained by Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

This route may be useful when the overseas steps were not completed before the document arrived in Qatar. However, it can take longer because the original document must be sent to the relevant country.

Tips to avoid delays

Confirm what is actually required: Ask the receiving authority whether it needs attestation, equivalency, verification, translation or a combination of these services.

Follow the country-specific route: Do not assume that another country’s process applies to your certificate.

Include the transcript with a foreign bachelor’s degree: MOFA requires it as a supporting document.

Check every seal and signature: Foreign documents must carry the required authentication chain before standard MOFA attestation.

Upload clear copies: Ensure the entire document, seals, signatures and reverse side are visible where applicable.

Submit the correct original: Names, dates, qualification titles and document numbers should match the uploaded copy.

Check name spellings: Differences between the passport and certificate may require supporting evidence or correction.

Use an approved translation: Documents that are not in Arabic or English may need to be translated before submission.

Allow time for delivery: The one-working-day period applies to the initial electronic review, not necessarily the complete attestation and delivery process.

Complete overseas steps before travelling when practical: This can avoid the time and additional fees involved in sending the document abroad through the completion service.

FAQs

Is MOFA attestation always required in Qatar?

No single requirement applies to every document or purpose.

MOFA attestation is generally required when a Qatari authority, employer, school or other receiving organisation asks for a foreign document to be legally authenticated for use in Qatar.

Confirm the requirement before beginning, as some applications use equivalency or primary-source verification instead.

What documents can I attest at MOFA?

MOFA provides attestation services for educational, personal-status, civil, judicial, medical and commercial documents, as well as other certificates.

These can include degrees, diplomas, school certificates, birth certificates, marriage contracts, medical reports and certain employment-related documents.

The document must meet the authentication requirements for its category.

How much does degree attestation cost at MOFA?

The MOFA fee for an academic certificate is QAR 100 per document.

Qatar Post collection and delivery costs QAR 40 per request. Additional costs may apply for translation, overseas authentication, degree equivalency or separate attestation of supporting documents.

How long does MOFA attestation take?

MOFA normally reviews the online request within one working day.

The full electronic process, including collection and return through Qatar Post, generally takes approximately three to four working days. Overseas verification or incomplete documentation may take longer.

Can I attest my degree without visiting MOFA?

Yes. You can submit the request through MOFA’s website, pay online and arrange collection and delivery of the original documents through Qatar Post.

You do not normally need to visit a service centre when the online request is approved and completed through Qatar Post.

Do I need to attest documents in the issuing country first?

For the standard MOFA attestation service, foreign documents normally need the required authentication from the country of issue and diplomatic authentication recognised by Qatar.

If the overseas process is incomplete, you may be able to use MOFA’s Complete Attestation Outside Qatar service.

What login do I need for the MOFA online service?

You need access to Qatar’s National Authentication System to log in to the MOFA e-services portal.

After completing the necessary document procedures, browse the latest jobs in Qatar on Qatar Living, explore Qatar Living Properties and read our other guides to residency and settling in Qatar.

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