Attestation
HEC Degree Attestation
HEC attestation is the first link in the chain for any Pakistani university qualification going abroad. MOFA will not attest a degree that HEC has not verified first, and a translation prepared before either step will not carry the stamps the receiving office is looking for.
HEC Degree Attestation in short
HEC degree attestation is verification of a Pakistani university qualification by the Higher Education Commission. It is required before MOFA and embassy attestation for degrees going abroad. HEC verifies the degree with the issuing university, which is why it takes time. Translation comes after attestation, never before, so the stamps appear in the translated document.
The sequence
- Obtain the original degree or provisional certificate and all transcripts or DMCs from your university
- Submit to HEC for verification, which HEC confirms directly with the issuing institution
- Take the HEC-attested originals to MOFA for attestation
- Attest at the destination country's embassy or consulate in Islamabad, where required
- Translate last, so the attestation stamps appear in the translated document
We do not perform attestation. Every step above is a government process completed by you or an authorised agent. We translate the documents afterwards and will tell you where translation belongs in your sequence. Anyone offering to guarantee or accelerate an attestation outcome is selling something they do not control.
Where HEC sits in the chain
For a Pakistani university qualification going abroad, the order is fixed and each link depends on the one before it:
University → HEC → MOFA → destination embassy → translation
HEC is not a rubber stamp. It verifies the degree directly with the issuing institution, which is why it takes longer than a counter visit and why the timeline depends partly on how quickly your university responds.
MOFA attests the seal of a body it recognises. Without the HEC endorsement on the document, MOFA has nothing to attest, and it will refuse. That refusal is not discretionary and it is the most common reason a first attempt fails.
HEC or IBCC?
These get confused constantly, and the distinction is simple:
| Document | Verifying body |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral degrees | HEC |
| University transcripts and DMCs | HEC |
| Matric and intermediate certificates | IBCC |
| Foreign qualification equivalence | IBCC |
If your file contains both a degree and an FSc certificate — which many Gulf employment files do — you need both bodies, and they are separate visits.
What to have ready
- The original degree or provisional certificate. Not a photocopy, not an institutionally attested copy.
- All transcripts or DMCs for every year, if your destination asks for them.
- CNIC and passport copies.
- Your university’s own attestation where HEC requires it first.
Check the current document list and submission process on hec.gov.pk before travelling. HEC has changed its process more than once, and this page describes a structure rather than today’s counter arrangements.
On fees and timelines
We publish no fee figures on this page, deliberately.
HEC fees are set by HEC, charged per document, and revised periodically. A number that is right today quietly misleads someone reading this in six months — and since these fees are per document, a six-document file multiplies whatever error we introduce.
The same applies to processing times, which depend on your university’s responsiveness as much as on HEC’s queue.
Check both on hec.gov.pk before you budget or book anything. We would rather send you to the source than have you rely on a figure we cannot keep current.
Where translation belongs, and why it is last
Translation comes after the whole attestation chain. Not because it is unimportant, but because of a physical fact: attestation stamps are applied to the original document.
A translation prepared before attestation cannot contain stamps that did not exist yet. When the embassy or employer places your translation next to the attested original, the endorsements they are checking for are present on one and absent from the other. At best you pay for the translation twice. At worst the file is returned and you lose an appointment.
The exception is where a receiving authority explicitly asks for a translation earlier in the sequence, which some Gulf employers do. Follow your checklist, and tell your translator so the document can be reissued once the final stamps are on.
Our MOFA attestation checklist covers the full chain across all document types.
After attestation: what we do
Once your degree and transcripts carry their stamps, we translate them with the marking scheme preserved exactly. A DMC showing 780 out of 1100 stays 780 out of 1100 — converting to a GPA is credential evaluation, performed by bodies such as WES or IQAS, and a translator who converts quietly has altered your record.
See educational document translation for the service, and translating DMCs and transcripts for UK and Canadian universities for what those institutions actually ask for.
Send the attested documents on WhatsApp with your destination and deadline, and we will confirm the price before any work starts.
Official sources
Fees and processing times on this page are deliberately not published, because the authorities revise them. Verify the current position directly:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is HEC degree attestation?
Verification by the Higher Education Commission that a Pakistani university qualification is genuine. HEC confirms the degree directly with the issuing institution rather than inspecting the paper, which is why it takes longer than a counter stamp. It is the prerequisite for MOFA attestation on any university qualification.
Do I need HEC attestation before MOFA?
For university degrees and transcripts, yes. MOFA attests the seal of a body it recognises, so something has to verify the document first. HEC handles university qualifications; IBCC handles matric and intermediate certificates. MOFA will refuse a degree that has not completed its HEC step.
How much does HEC attestation cost?
Fees are set by HEC, are charged per document, and change, so we deliberately do not publish a figure here. A stale number is worse than no number when you are budgeting for six documents. Check the current fee on hec.gov.pk before you plan.
How long does HEC attestation take?
It depends on how quickly your university responds to the verification request, which is outside both your control and HEC's. Plan in weeks rather than days, and start as soon as you know you will need it rather than when a deadline appears. HEC publishes current timelines on its own site.
Should I translate my degree before or after HEC attestation?
After, and after MOFA too. Attestation stamps are applied physically to the original document, so a translation prepared beforehand cannot show them. The officer comparing your translation against the attested original will see endorsements missing from one side. This is the single most common way applicants pay for the same translation twice.
My degree is already in English. Do I need a translation at all?
Often not. Most Pakistani universities issue degrees and transcripts in English, in which case you need attested copies rather than a translation. If only a seal, a board endorsement, or a marginal note is in Urdu, that portion may need translating while the rest does not. Send us a photograph and we will tell you honestly.
Can you handle HEC attestation for me?
No. HEC attestation is a government process completed by you or an authorised representative. We translate the documents and can tell you where translation belongs in your sequence. Anyone promising to speed up or guarantee an HEC outcome is selling something they do not control.
Does an equivalence certificate replace HEC attestation?
No, they answer different questions. IBCC equivalence establishes what a foreign qualification is worth against the Pakistani system. HEC attestation verifies that a Pakistani qualification is genuine. If you hold a foreign degree and need it recognised in Pakistan, that is a different route entirely.
Attestation done? Send the documents for translation
Translation comes after the stamps are on. Send the attested documents on WhatsApp at +92 349 9343134 with your destination and deadline, and we will confirm the price before any work starts.