Attesting Malaysian Certificates for Saudi Arabia and Yemen: Steps and Offices
Chat with us on WhatsAppYou graduated from a Malaysian university, or finished school in Malaysia, and need your certificate attested to use it in Saudi Arabia or Yemen? This guide explains the offices in the right order, what you need at each step, and how MAIGA handles the attestation for you while you are in Malaysia or after you have gone home.
In this guide
- What is certificate attestation and why do you need it?
- The attestation steps in Malaysia, in order
- Attestation for Saudi Arabia: cultural mission and embassy
- Attestation for Yemen: Yemeni cultural mission and embassy
- Documents you need, school certificates and notarised papers
- How much does attestation cost and how long does it take?
- How MAIGA does the attestation for you
What is certificate attestation and why do you need it?
Attestation is a chain of official stamps proving that the certificate really comes from a recognised Malaysian university or school, with each office recognising the stamp of the one before it. Without this chain, offices in your country will not accept the certificate for equivalency, jobs or further study.
You usually need it for degree equivalency, a government or private job, postgraduate admission or some official procedures. Start before you leave Malaysia if you can, because most offices are in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
The attestation steps in Malaysia, in order
A university certificate (bachelor's, master's, PhD or diploma) and its transcript are attested first by Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, then by Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then by your country's cultural mission and embassy.
School certificates are attested by Malaysia's Ministry of Education instead of the Ministry of Higher Education, then the Foreign Ministry, then your embassy. The order matters: no office accepts a paper before it carries the stamp of the office before it.
Attestation for Saudi Arabia: cultural mission and embassy
After the Ministry of Higher Education and the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the certificate goes to the Saudi Cultural Mission in Malaysia and then the Saudi Embassy. This is the step that makes the certificate ready to use in the Kingdom.
Equivalency itself is decided afterwards by the Saudi Ministry of Education, which sets which universities and programmes are recognised. Check your university and major on the ministry's website, and see our guide to Malaysian universities recognised in Saudi Arabia.
Attestation for Yemen: Yemeni cultural mission and embassy
For Yemeni students, after the Ministry of Higher Education and the Malaysian Foreign Ministry the certificate goes to the Yemeni Cultural Mission and then the Yemeni Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, each with its own stamp.
If you also need the certificate for Saudi Arabia (for work or residence there, for example), the Saudi cultural mission and embassy can be added to the same request, so both are done in one go.
Documents you need, school certificates and notarised papers
Prepare the original certificate, the original transcript from the university and a copy of your passport. If your certificate is still at the university, MAIGA can collect it for you with your authorisation.
Some papers are not issued by an education office, such as translations, declarations or powers of attorney. These are first notarised by a Notary Public and then stamped by the Foreign Ministry. The cultural mission or embassy may ask for extra papers depending on your case, and we tell you before we start.
How much does attestation cost and how long does it take?
The price depends on the number of papers, the type of university (public or private), the embassy and whether you need the express service. So we do not type a fixed number here: use the attestation price calculator on the MAIGA website for an instant, itemised quote at each office's current rates.
The time depends on each office, its workload and the season, and an express service is available if you are travelling soon. Tell us your travel date and we plan the request around it.
How MAIGA does the attestation for you
You send us the papers or hand them in at the MAIGA office in Kuala Lumpur, or we collect them from the university. Our staff then take them to each office in order and follow up until the attested certificate is back. We update you at every step on WhatsApp.
If you have already gone home you do not need to travel: we collect the papers from the university with your authorisation or from someone you appoint, and after attestation we hand them to whoever you choose or agree with you how to send them. We work with every embassy except the Egyptian Embassy.
Work out your attestation price
Choose your papers, the type of university and the embassy, and the calculator shows an itemised quote at each office's current rates.
Open the attestation price calculatorRelated programs and universities
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the order for attesting a Malaysian degree for Saudi Arabia?
Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, then Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Saudi Cultural Mission, then the Saudi Embassy.
What is the order for attesting a Malaysian certificate for Yemen?
Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, then Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Yemeni Cultural Mission, then the Yemeni Embassy.
Where do I start attesting a Malaysian school certificate?
At Malaysia's Ministry of Education instead of the Ministry of Higher Education, then the Foreign Ministry, then your embassy.
Can my certificate be attested while I am outside Malaysia?
Yes. MAIGA collects the certificate from the university with your authorisation or from someone you appoint, completes the attestation, then hands it to whoever you choose or agrees with you how to send it.
How much does certificate attestation in Malaysia cost?
It depends on the number of papers, the type of university, the embassy and the express service. Get an instant quote in the attestation price calculator on the MAIGA website.
Does attestation mean my certificate is recognised in my country?
No. Attestation proves the certificate is genuine; equivalency is decided by your country's ministry of education after attestation.
