How to Certify American Documents and Verify U.S. High School Transcripts, Certificates, and Diplomas

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Candidates who apply to universities in Saudi Arabia are usually asked to have some of their documents certified or attested by the Saudi Embassy, Consulate, or Cultural Mission of their home country.

The following information has been made available by the Saudi Embassy in the United States to assist Americans in authenticating their documents:

University Degrees

For verification of university degrees, the following should be sent to:

Saudi Cultural Mission
8500 Hilltop Rd
Fairfax, VA  22031

  • Name of applicant & Social Security number
  • Name of Employer.
  • Name of the Courier Agency.
  • A letter stating the reasons of for requiring Authentication.
  • A copy of the employment contract.
  • A copy of the applicant’s passport.
  • A certified copy of the applicant’s college/university degree.
  • Updated official transcript (in a sealed envelope).
  • Name of the college/university and telephone number of the registrar or the records office.
  • Verification letter from the registrar’s office including applicant’s SS#. (School ID number), and the telephone number and the contact person in the registrar’s office.
  • Written consent to allow the Saudi Cultural Mission to verify the degrees.

Notes:

• Nurses and physicians are required to provide a copy of their practice license, and the telephone number, for confirmation of the validity of license.

• For any other certificate or diploma, the place of training and the telephone number of the contact person is required.

• For more information please call:

  • (571) 327-2332
  • (571) 327-2351
  • (571) 327-2520

NOTICE ON SENDING DOCUMENTS TO THE SAUDI ARABIA EMBASSY BY MAIL

Include a prepaid return label and envelope (from FedEx, UPS or U.S. Postal Service only) with the return address label filled out completely. A proper prepaid return envelope must include a “PRE-PAID” label. Return envelops showing only account numbers are not accepted as proof of prepayment. Credit cards, checks, money orders or cash will not be accepted for return mailing. Any package without a proper pre-paid return envelope and label will be put on hold until a proper return envelope is received. It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine the EXACT return shipping costs. All labels must have a tracking number, and applicants are advised to keep both incoming and outgoing tracking numbers for their records.

Source: “Document Certification”, a publication by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, July 2013.

14 thoughts on “How to Certify American Documents and Verify U.S. High School Transcripts, Certificates, and Diplomas

  1. Akhee Moosa I will like to know that the required documents are to be attested after the acceptance letter or before submitting the documents to the university I.e. at the time of aplication is it a requirement that our documents be attested by the saudi embassy?

  2. Salam,i have the complete files and qualifications needed in order to try and qualify at Umm Al-Qura University,i would like to take the Arabic Language for Non-Native Speakers……does that mean that i still need to get recommendations from known Islamic Schools or Persons? is there a way to be accepted without the recommendations? I am asking this because i don’t know how to get such permission or recommendation from such schools or people,Shukran in advance.

    (I am reposting this to make sure you read it,thanks….I am from Philippines and a Filipino Citizen,the Saudi Embassy here said they don’t give such information in the Embassy and that i should Inquire in the internet.)

    • According to my understanding you need recommendations, they are mandatory. Also I read on another blog a student got accepted without recommendations while another student had recommendations from known personalities in Saudi and he didn’t get accepted. So Allahu Aalam. May Allah grant us all success.

    • On the UQU application scoring system from about 10 years ago, recommendations were either 10 or 20 points out of 100. Applications were scored out of 100, and I believe the biggest consideration was given to high school averages, I believe that was 50 points out of 100. (inside sources, and this may have changed)

  3. am said from zanzibar tanzania i just i want to know which level of diploma it can be same to tanzania?
    in tanzania we have ordinary level and advance level and diploma is from collage

  4. Asalamalaikum warahmatulahi wabaarakatuhu am sadam idrisi from uganda why is it that uganda is not included in the list.

  5. Assalamu’alaikum,

    I have a few questions – Do we need to get all the documents such as birth certificate, high school diplomas, university degrees, notarized? I live in America since 2009 and I have my birth certificate & high school diploma notarized in India will that work or do I have to get them notarized again here in America?

    Also do I need to submit my documents (degree) to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to get their certification before I submit/upload the documents at the IUM application site? or can I just upload the certificates with their translations before I get them authenticated with the Embassy?

  6. sir, i am in jeddah i have degree from northrop university, california. i need to have this degree translated and verified. plz let me know whats the procedure

  7. Assalamalaikum. I an from pakistan I want to get admission in ummul qurrah university.
    kindly help me in regarding admission how to proceed ?

    • Y.Abdulle

      Assalamalaikum. I an from Holland I want to get admission in ummul qurrah university.
      I was born in the Netherland we need education sector.

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