HEC, IBCC and foreign office move towards unified digital attestation system

Students and job applicants may soon be able to get their educational documents attested through a single digital portal, ,

Islamabad:  Students and job applicants may soon be able to get their educational documents attested through a single digital portal, as the Higher Education Commission, the Inter Boards Coordination Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working together to reduce delays, costs and repeated visits to different offices.

The development was shared in a written response by Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to a question raised by Senator Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan in the Senate. The response also revealed that the Higher Education Commission charges Rs 3,000 for attesting each original document, while the Inter Boards Coordination Commission charges Rs 1,200 for each original certificate and Rs 600 for each copy.

The HEC introduced a fully online and paperless degree attestation system on May 11, 2026, replacing its previous process. Applicants can now submit their requests at any time through its online portal without visiting HEC offices or submitting original documents in person.

The process includes online registration, entry of personal and educational details, uploading scanned copies of identity and academic documents, payment of the fee and review by the HEC. The commission checks applicants’ details against National Database and Registration Authority records, confirms that documents are complete and checks university and degree information.

If documents are missing or information is incorrect, the application is returned to the applicant for correction. Once the application is complete, it is sent to the relevant university for verification. The HEC then conducts a final review and issues an electronic attestation certificate, which can be checked online. Applicants receive updates through text messages and email.

The HEC has asked universities to return verification cases within 24 hours. Since the system was introduced recently, the authorities expect the complete process to take three to four working days.

To reduce costs, the HEC has also ended the requirement to attest photocopies and every page of a transcript. This is expected to save applicants money and remove travel expenses.

For equivalence letters showing the level of degrees awarded by Pakistani universities, applicants can apply online and pay Rs 2,000 through the system. Once the documents are checked, the system generates an equivalence letter with a QR code. Applicants can download and print the letter without visiting the HEC.

Subject based equivalence cases follow a separate process. The HEC sends the documents to its academic experts, who compare courses in the two degree programmes. If two thirds or more of the courses match, the case can be recommended to the HEC Equivalence and Accreditation Committee. Its decision is then shared with the applicant, employer or recruiting agency.

Applications for equivalence of religious qualifications require a signed and verified manual form, original certificates and copies verified by the relevant religious board or federation. The required secondary school level certificates or their equivalence must also be attested by the IBCC. Applications are received through the approved courier service, TCS.

The IBCC is responsible for attestation and equivalence of educational certificates up to Higher Secondary School Certificate level, covering education up to Grade 12. The HEC handles bachelor’s degrees and higher qualifications. The criteria for IBCC services are available on its website and are updated when required.

The IBCC said applicants can now apply online and have documents returned through courier service, reducing the need for repeated visits to education boards and its offices. Under the proposed simplified mechanism, applicants will apply directly to the IBCC, which will obtain verification from the relevant boards itself.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests documents intended for use abroad, such as for overseas education or employment. The response clarified that not every student needs Foreign Office attestation. The requirement depends on where the documents will be used.

The authorities said document verification is necessary to prevent fraud and confirm that certificates are genuine. The planned unified digital portal is intended to make the process easier by connecting the relevant institutions and reducing the time, money and effort required from students and applicants.