KRG UK Representation Certificate Authentication Procedure for the Kurdistan Region only:
Please Note: All academic documents obtained in the United Kingdom should be signed by a Solicitor and legalised first by the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) then the KRG UK Representation. For all of Iraq documents should also be approved via the FCO and the Iraqi Cultural Attaché in London. For more information on the FCO’s legalisation process, please visit this link.
The KRG legalisation process of academic documents can take up approximately 2 weeks as confirmations must be provided by the host universities.
Please see the following steps for authenticating the academic documnets:
- Submit the original copy of the certificates to the KRG office, as well as 2 copies of each transcripts and certificates, in person or by post. If you are posting your documents to us, use recorded delivery and make sure to enclose a pre-paid A4 recorded delivery envelop;
- Provide a formal letter from University confirming the period of study, the letter must not be older than 4 weeks;
- Provide a photocopy of Iraqi passport; and
- Sign the letter of consent, authorising the KRG UK Representation to communicate with the university directly.
KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research: Instructions for Equalization of Academic Certificates in the Kurdistan Region
First: the committee that is tasked with equalization of academic certificates will be formed via a ministerial decree and will carry out its mission secretly.
Second: the committee of equalization of academic certificates will be sub-divided over several specialized teams according to the various fields of specialization. In identifying members of the committees, a selection of graduates from different countries will be considered.
Third: The process of receiving applications for equalization of academic certificates will be as the following:
1. Certificates should be obtained from universities that are registered in the trusted list of UNESCO as well as the list of trusted universities by the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
2. All initials of the submitted certificates, including diplomas, wall certificates, and certificates with academic scores, should be approved by the foreign ministry of the host country, the Iraqi federal consulate or the KRG representation in the host country.
3. All applicants should submit an electronic copy of his or her Masters or PhD letters.
4. The General Directorate of Scholarships and Cultural Relationships/ Directorate of Equalization of Academic Certificates will verify the certificates with those universities that granted the certificates via email and electronic contact.
5. Applicants should submit their original passports and a colourful copy of their passports, including entrance and exit visas of the host country, as well as the education visa or residency card for the purpose of auditing the period of stay in the host country within the instructions.
6. Applicants should have had commitment in presence and receiving required academic units according to their certificates.
7. In addition to documents regarding their certificates, applicants should submit the Iraqi Civil Status ID, and the Iraqi Nationality Certificate; for other applicants who are not a citizen of the Kurdistan Region, they should submit the Permanent Residency Document.
8. Decrees for equalization of academic certificates will be issued in the same name that is written on the certificates documents, thus the applicant themselves are responsible for changing the names.
9. For those Masters and PhD letters that are not written in the English language, applicants should submit a summary of their letters in English.
10. Those certificates that have been equalized by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Iraqi Federal Government should be equalized again in the Kurdistan Region.
11. During the application and opening the dossier of equalization of academic certificates, all required documents should be submitted; otherwise the application will not be received.
Fourth: Scientific Capability Test for the purpose of equalization of academic certificates:
1. Those universities whose global ranking are among (1-2000) scores according to trusted global rankings, except for checking the credibility of the certificates, no test of scientific seminars are required.
2. Scientific Capability Tests for the medical specializations will be conducted three times annually, every four months.
3. For all the specializations, applicants are only allowed to make the Scientific Capability Test twice, if not succeeded, then it is the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s authority to decide the applicants to be tested for the third time; i.e. applicants generally are allowed to make tests for three times, and the period between each test should not be less than three months.
4. Scientific Capability Tests are only made in the universities of (Salahadin, Sulaimani, Erbil Medical, and Duhok); in case of the non-availability of specialization in the fourth aforementioned universities, applicants can be sent to another university that have such a specialization.
5. The Committee of Equalization of Academic Certificates will decide the holder of which certificate needs to make the Scientific Capability Test or not, the committee will also determine where test takers make their tests.
6. For equalizing each certificate, every applicant should pay $US 100, if taking a Scientific Capability Test is required, the applicant should pay an extra $50 per each test. After discounting the fee of scientific evaluators, how the rest of the money to be spent, will be identified through special instructions later.
7. If the applicant has obtained an M.A. Degree only through courses, (i.e. the applicant did not have the letter of Masters), the applicant must present a seminar on one of those subjects of his or her education.
8. In the process of equalizing all certificates, an online plagiarism check should be made for the holders of Masters and PhD. letters.
9. Only those certificates will be accepted that the result of the online plagiarism check is not more than 25%, and in the theoretic departments not exceed 50%, meanwhile the online plagiarism check for the overall Masters and PhD letters must not exceed 40%.
10. Only those certificates will be considered academic in which the applicant has had two successive certificates in the same specialization.
11. In equalizing the professional certificates and in the ministerial decree, a clear reference should be made that the certificate is occupational.
12. Meanwhile, in the special decree of equalizing the academic certificate and in equalizing the scores, this procedure will be according to the education system in the Kurdistan Region.
13. In the ministerial decree of equalizing the certificate, all the following information should be indicated:
A. Name of the country where the certificate is obtained.
B. Name of the university in which the certificate is granted.
C. Date, month, and year in which the certificate is given.
D. Number and date of the record by the Committee of Equalization of Academic Certificates.
E. Full name of the certificate holder.