MOFA and HEC Sign MoU to Link Databases for Degree Attestation: What Changes for Overseas Pakistanis
MOFA and HEC signed an MoU on 12 October 2026 to link databases for attestation. What the Foreign Office release says, what is unknown and what to do now.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) signed an agreement on 12 October 2026 to link their databases, so that educational documents can be attested with fewer delays and fewer visits. The Foreign Office says the aim is simpler attestation, more transparency and easier checking of documents, especially for overseas Pakistanis. The release gives no start date, no fee and no change to the steps yet.
That means nothing in the process you follow today has changed. Here is what the agreement says, what is still unknown, and what to do if you need a degree attested in the meantime.
What MOFA and HEC agreed on 12 October
The Press Information Department release says Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar took part in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between MOFA and HEC. The two bodies will integrate their databases to streamline the attestation of educational documents.
The Inter Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) and the National Information Technology Board (NITB) were also named among those present. The release does not say what their role is under the agreement.
It says digital certificates and online services will reduce processing delays and cut the need for in-person visits in most cases. Mr Dar linked the step to the Apostille system that Pakistan introduced in 2024 and said better consular services remain a priority.
What is still unknown
An MoU is an agreement to cooperate. It is not a rule that changes your application on its own. Several facts that matter to applicants are not in the release.
| Question | What the release says |
|---|---|
| When does it start? | No date given |
| Will fees change? | No fee mentioned |
| Which documents are covered? | "Educational documents", no list |
| Will the HEC step and the MOFA step merge? | Not stated |
| Will physical visits end? | "In most cases", no detail |
We will not guess at the answers. When HEC or MOFA publish a notice with dates, that notice is what changes your steps.
How degree attestation works today
For a Pakistani university degree, the order is fixed. HEC attests first, and the Ministry then attests or apostilles the document. Our guide to apostille or attestation explains the order and which one your destination needs. The apostille fees we read on the Ministry's fee page on 23 August 2026 are Rs 3,000 for an educational document, per document.
HEC's side is online. You make an account, upload your documents, wait for HEC to verify them with your university, and then book a slot. The steps are in how to get your degree attested by HEC online.
The database link is aimed at the gap between those two steps. As far as we can tell, the Ministry today relies on the HEC attestation as the proof. If the two systems share data, the Ministry can check the HEC record itself, which should cut the paperwork. That is our reading of the aim, not something the release states.
What to do if you need a degree attested now
- Decide which authentication your destination needs, apostille or embassy attestation.
- Use only HEC's own portal for the first step, and check the address with the real HEC attestation portal guide.
- If your papers are school level, start with the IBCC. See IBCC attestation of Matric and Inter certificates.
- Take the Ministry step after the HEC step, and keep the receipt and the digital certificate.
- Do not pay anyone who says the new database link lets them "fast track" your file.
Agents often use news of a new system to sell a "special" service. The legitimate steps remain free of any such shortcut.
Who benefits most
People who live abroad gain the most, because a visit to a Pakistani office is the hardest part for them. The release names them directly. Students applying to foreign universities and workers who need degrees verified for Gulf visas will also benefit if the two steps become faster.
Until that is in force, you still need to plan for the current wait. HEC's verification with the university is the slow part, and a data link between MOFA and HEC does not change how fast your university replies.
Common questions
Has degree attestation in Pakistan changed after the MoU?
Not yet. The MoU links MOFA and HEC databases, but the release gives no start date and no new steps. Follow the current HEC and Ministry process.
Will I still need to visit a MOFA office?
The release says in-person visits will be cut in most cases, but it does not say when or which cases. Until a notice says so, plan for the current process.
Do fees change because of the agreement?
No fee change was announced. Our last read of the Ministry's apostille fee page, on 23 August 2026, showed Rs 3,000 for an educational document.
Does this help overseas Pakistanis?
Yes, that is the stated aim. The release says digital certificates and online services will particularly benefit overseas Pakistanis, once they are in place.
Which body attests a degree first?
HEC for a university degree, and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the apostille or attestation. School certificates go through the IBCC first.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Press Information Department's release of 12 October 2026 on the MOFA and HEC agreement. We could not find a separate HEC or MOFA notice with a start date or fees. The apostille fee is from the Ministry's fee page as read by us on 23 August 2026. The sentence on how the database link may help the Ministry is our own reading.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
