International Verification
How to Verify Pakistani University Degrees: HEC Guide
Guide to verifying education credentials from Pakistan. Covers HEC attestation, university ranking, and verification for degrees from Pakistan.
6 min read
Pakistan's higher education system
Pakistan's higher education is regulated by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Pakistan has over 200 recognized universities, including Quaid-i-Azam University, LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences), NUST (National University of Sciences and Technology), and Aga Khan University. HEC provides a crucial degree attestation service that verifies degree authenticity.
Verification steps
- Check HEC recognition — Verify the institution is HEC-recognized. VerifyED includes HEC-recognized Pakistani institutions.
- HEC degree attestation — HEC provides official degree attestation services. This is the gold standard for Pakistani credential verification.
- Contact the institution — Pakistani universities maintain registrar offices for verification.
- Document attestation chain — Documents need attestation from HEC, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Key considerations
- HEC attestation — HEC attestation is widely required and recognized. Unattested degrees may be questioned.
- English-language credentials — Most higher education credentials are issued in English.
- Large diaspora — Significant Pakistani diaspora creates ongoing verification demand, especially in the UK, US, and Gulf states.