HEC Degree Attestation 2026: Online Steps, Fee and Common Rejection Reasons

HEC degree attestation is now fully online and paperless. You apply at www.eservices.hec.gov.pk, pay Rs 3,000 per document through 1-Link (1-Bill), and download an e-Attestation Certificate from your HEC account. You do not visit an HEC office or send original hard copies, according to HEC's Degree Attestation page.

Most returned cases come from a few avoidable problems: details that do not match your CNIC, missing documents, or the wrong degree entry. This guide follows HEC's own steps and its scrutiny checklist.

Last checked against HEC's Degree Attestation page: 14 November 2026.

How the process works

HEC describes four stages:

1. You submit the application online.
2. HEC checks your application.
3. Your university or HEI verifies the documents.
4. HEC issues an e-Attestation Certificate.

You can apply 24/7. HEC's page does not give a processing time, so be wary of anyone who promises a fixed number of days.

Before you start: what HEC attests

HEC attests these documents:

• Degree
• Transcript (result card, result intimation card or detailed marks certificate)
• Provisional certificate, only if your university's examination office issued it
• HEC Equivalence Letter

Pick only what your university, employer or embassy actually asks for. Each document costs Rs 3,000, and HEC says a fee paid for a document selected by mistake is not refunded, adjusted or transferred.

Rules to check first

• HEC no longer attests photocopies.
• Documents with overwriting, erasures or alterations will not be attested.
• Transcripts, complete or incomplete, can be attested before your degree is issued. For an incomplete transcript, the university must state your academic status.
• HEC does not attest foreign degrees. It attests only its own equivalence letters for them.
• Medical and nursing graduates must upload their PMDC or PNMC (or other council) registration.
• MS/MPhil programmes launched after 7 November 2013 need an HEC-issued NOC.
• PhD holders must be listed in the PhD Country Directory.

All of these come from HEC's general rules.

What to keep ready

• Clear scans of your CNIC, front and back
• A clear scan of each document you want attested
• Any supporting papers, such as a council registration or NOC, for the "Other Documents" section
• A passport-size photo on a plain blue or white background

HEC's notice on the page asks for PDF files. HEC's page does not state a file-size limit. If your scans are very large, a tool such as our Image Compressor can help before you convert them, but keep every word and stamp readable.

Step-by-step: applying on the HEC portal

These are HEC's applicant steps, in order.

1. Sign up or sign in at eservices.hec.gov.pk. On your dashboard, choose "Degree Attestation" from the left menu.
2. Enter personal details. Your CNIC and all educational documents must match exactly, or the process will not start.
3. Enter degree details: level, duration, degree title, campus or affiliated college, session, and registration, roll, seat or serial number. Tick only the programme you need attested.
4. Choose attestation details, meaning the documents you want attested.
5. Upload documents. Add CNIC scans and each document. Put supporting papers under "Other Documents".
6. Review everything and tick the undertaking.
7. Pay through 1-Link (1-Bill).

Finding the right degree title

The same degree may appear under several titles, for example MBA, M.B.A. and Master of Business Administration. HEC advises checking every matching entry for your college, campus or department before you pick one.

Fee and payment

How payment works, per HEC:

1. Click "Proceed for Payment". This creates a Consumer Number.
2. Pay against that Consumer Number through 1-Link (1-Bill).
3. Go back and click "Verify Payment".
4. Once verified, the application is submitted automatically.

Until payment is verified, your application stays saved or pending payment. It is not submitted.

Common rejection reasons: what HEC checks first

HEC's first scrutiny covers these points. If any fails, the case can come back to you.

• Personal details are verified with NADRA.
• All required documents must be present.
• CNIC and academic documents must be consistent with each other.
• The degree must have been issued in line with HEC guidelines.
• University, campus and degree details must be correct.
• PhD holders must appear in the PhD Country Directory.
• Your name must be on approved lists, where these apply.

Source: HEC Degree Attestation page. HEC also warns that incomplete or incorrect information can delay your case, and that fake documents lead to legal action.

Quick self-check before paying

• Does your name, father's name and date of birth match your CNIC on every document?
• Did you pick the right campus or affiliated college, and the right title variant?
• Is every document a clear scan of the original, with no alterations?
• Medical or nursing: is your council registration uploaded?
• MS/MPhil launched after 7 November 2013: is the HEC NOC uploaded?

If your case is returned

HEC returns problem cases with remarks under "Task Assigned to Me" or "Revision Requested". To fix it, HEC says:

1. Read the remarks.
2. Open the case through "View/Edit".
3. Correct the issue and resubmit.
4. Check that the status shows "submitted" again.

After submission: tracking and download

Complete cases go to your university for verification. HEC then does a final review and issues the e-Attestation Certificate. You get an SMS and email, and you download the certificate from your HEC account. Track progress under "Track Application", per HEC.

Next step for many applicants: MOFA

If your destination also needs a Ministry of Foreign Affairs apostille, MOFA's checklist (revised 11 June 2024) says university degrees must be attested by HEC first. It also says:

• Medical degrees need attestation from both HEC and the Ministry of National Health Services.
• Matric and inter certificates from BISE boards must be countersigned by IBCC.
• Equivalence certificates from IBCC or HEC for foreign qualifications can also be attested.

Source: MOFA apostille checklist. If you studied O and A Levels, see our guide to the IBCC equivalence certificate.

We have not confirmed MOFA's current apostille fee, courier options or city offices. One careers blog, globalcareerhub.org, reports that MOFA stopped accepting apostille requests without prior online registration from 27 July 2026. We could not confirm this on MOFA's site, so check apostille.mofa.gov.pk before you go.

Planning a visa or study abroad?

Start attestation early, since HEC publishes no timeframe. If you are heading to Germany, read our Germany Blocked Account 2026 guide. For the UK, see UK Student Visa Funds 2026.

Help from HEC

• Online help: onlinehelp.hec.gov.pk
• UAN: 111-119-432, or 0334-1119432
• HEC's attestation user manual (PDF)

HEC's page does not set out rules for authorised representatives or urgent attestation. Ask HEC directly if you need either.

Key Takeaways

• Apply online at eservices.hec.gov.pk. No office visit or hard copies.
• The fee is Rs 3,000 per document, with no refund for wrong selections.
• Your CNIC and every document must match exactly.
• Pick the correct campus and degree title variant.
• Click "Verify Payment" after paying, or the case stays pending.
• Fix returned cases via "View/Edit" and confirm the status shows "submitted".
• HEC attestation comes before any MOFA apostille.