How to Verify Egyptian Degrees and University Credentials

Egypt's higher education structure

Egypt's higher education system is one of the largest in Africa and the Arab world. The country has approximately 27 public universities, 30+ private universities, and several international branch campuses (including branches of American University in Cairo, German University in Cairo, and British University in Egypt).

Public universities are established by law and supervised by the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU). Private universities are licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and must receive presidential decree authorization. Al-Azhar University operates under its own governance structure as a religious institution with a secular division.

NAQAAE (النهوض بجودة التعليم والاعتماد) conducts institutional and program-level quality reviews but does not grant or revoke degrees. An institution lacking NAQAAE accreditation is not automatically invalid — public universities predate NAQAAE. However, NAQAAE accreditation significantly strengthens a credential's credibility for international recognition.

Step 1 — Verify the institution is legitimate

Start by confirming that the institution is legally authorized to grant degrees in Egypt.

1. Check the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) website at scu.eun.eg for the list of recognized public universities.
2. For private universities, check the MOHESR (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research) website at mohesr.gov.eg — search the licensed private university list.
3. For NAQAAE accreditation status, visit naqaae.eg and search by institution name.
4. For international branch campuses (AUC, GUC, BUE, etc.), verify with the parent institution in the home country as well.

If an institution appears in neither the SCU nor MOHESR databases, it is not authorized to confer Egyptian degrees.

Step 2 — Direct verification with the university

Egyptian universities do not have a centralized national degree verification portal. Verification must be done directly with the issuing institution's registrar.

1. Contact the university's enrollment or registrar department directly.
2. Provide the graduate's full name (as on the degree), student ID (if available), faculty, and graduation year.
3. Request an official verification letter on university letterhead.
4. Large universities like Cairo University and Alexandria University have formal verification units — smaller institutions may require more time.

For Cairo University (CU), the Registrar's Office (شؤون الطلاب) handles degree verification. Cairo University degrees are the most frequently forged in Egypt — always verify directly rather than relying on document review alone.

Step 3 — Authentication for international use

Egyptian degrees intended for use abroad require a multi-step authentication chain. Egypt is a signatory to the Apostille Convention, meaning Egyptian documents can be apostilled for use in other Hague Convention countries.

Standard authentication chain for international use:

1. University authentication: The issuing university stamps and signs the transcript/degree.
2. Ministry of Higher Education (MOHESR) attestation: The ministry verifies the university's seal.
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) apostille: For Hague Convention countries — MOFA applies the apostille at their offices in Cairo.
4. Target country embassy: For non-Hague countries (or some Gulf states requiring embassy legalization in addition to apostille), the destination country's embassy in Egypt applies an additional stamp.

Many Gulf employers (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait) require the full chain including embassy legalization, even though these countries are Hague members. Confirm the specific requirements with the destination country's employer or immigration authority.

Step 4 — Credential evaluation for US/UK/Canada use

For Egyptian degrees being used for employment or further education in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia, a credential evaluation from a NACES member service is typically required.

• US: World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), or any NACES member.
• UK: UK ENIC (formerly NARIC) — provides a Statement of Comparability.
• Canada: WES Canada is the most widely recognized evaluator.
• Australia: AEI-NOOSR or the relevant professional registration body.

WES and other NACES evaluators contact the issuing Egyptian university directly for verification. The evaluation process takes 4-8 weeks for Egyptian credentials.

Diploma mill red flags for Egyptian credentials

• Cairo University forgeries: Cairo University (جامعة القاهرة) is by far the most impersonated Egyptian institution. Forged CU degrees are common across the Gulf and in Europe. Never accept a CU credential without direct registrar verification.
• Al-Azhar confusion: Al-Azhar has both a religious division and a secular university division (granting science, medicine, engineering degrees). Credentials from the religious division (theological degrees) have different recognition than secular Al-Azhar degrees. Confirm which division issued the credential.
• Private university proliferation: Egypt authorized many private universities in the 2000s. Some were poor quality and have since been merged or restructured. Always check MOHESR's current list — the institution may have changed names or been absorbed.
• "Egyptian-American" or "Arab-European" degree mills: Several diploma mills have used Egyptian-sounding or Arab-sounding names with no actual presence in Egypt. Verify the physical address and SCU/MOHESR registration.
• Gulf attestation chain fraud: Some applicants present Egyptian credentials with forged MOFA apostille stamps. Verify the MOFA apostille number directly through Egyptian consular channels if the credential is being used for high-stakes employment.