Secondary certificate equivalency in Saudi Arabia
Accessing a Saudi university or proving your secondary education in the Kingdom requires the Ministry of Education's equivalency (معادلة الشهادات). The official fee is free; the hard part is the file — the legalisation chain in your country of origin, certified Arabic translation and filing with the Education Directorate. We manage it end to end for €710.
What legally applies to your degree
The Saudi Ministry of Education requires the issuing school to be accredited by your country's education authority and the record to show a clear academic progression, with no alterations and a name identical to the passport. The Document Agent checks those conditions before moving a single paper: it is the check that decides whether the case advances, and it comes before any other cost.
The secondary route is filed with the regional Education Directorate, which forwards the file to the Ministry through its internal system; the MOE's online portal is documented for university degrees. No official timeline is published for the secondary route — we report progress at every milestone, and the Regulator Agent monitors the file to resolution. Final outcome subject to the Ministry's assessment.
- Official MOE fee
- €0
- Stages in the file
- 5
- Weeks of legalisation at origin
- 2-6
Which documents your file requires
The Document Agent checks every piece against the requirements of the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia (regional Education Directorates) before filing — a file that goes in right the first time is the best defense against extra months of corrections.
- Original secondary certificate, unaltered and with the name identical to the passport
- Transcripts of previous school years (full academic progression)
- Consular legalisation or apostille of the record in the country of origin
- Certified Arabic translation when documents are not in Arabic or English
- Valid passport
- Iqama or family record if already resident in Saudi Arabia
Official fees
The Ministry of Education's equivalency service is free — its official service sheet says so. What costs money is the file: legalisations in your country of origin and the certified Arabic translation, which vary by country. We detail those costs before starting.
Our full management — eligibility review, coordinated legalisation and translation, filing and tracking to resolution — is a single price of €710.
And the visa? We've got you covered too
Recognizing your degree is half the journey. When it's time for the visa — work, study or residence — the Visa Agent guides you and we manage it with trusted partners specialized in each destination, with your academic file already resolved. Immigration requirements depend on the receiving country.
Official sources
Everything on this page is based on current official regulations. Check the primary sources yourself:
You provide the documents. We do the rest.
We review your file and eligibility
We verify your school is accredited by your country's education authority, the certificate is recognised by its universities, and the record shows an unaltered academic progression. It is the condition that decides the case, checked before any other cost.
Legalisation in your country of origin
The chain described by the MOE: your country's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Embassy or Cultural Attaché. Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention in 2022, but the MOE still describes the consular route — we prepare both until acceptance is confirmed.
Certified Arabic translation
Required when your documents are not in Arabic or English. We coordinate an accredited translator — the safe route while the Ministry does not publish whether sworn translations from origin are accepted.
Filing with the Education Directorate
Originals are filed at the regional Education Directorate in Saudi Arabia, which forwards the file to the Ministry via the Aamali system. The official service fee is free.
Decision and delivery of the equivalency
The Ministry issues the equivalency document and returns it through the Education Directorate. No published timeline for the secondary route; we track the file and report every milestone.
The same diploma, three destinations
Each country recognises a foreign secondary diploma through its own body, with its own fee and its own timeline. Compare before you choose:
Saudi Arabia
You are hereMinistry of Education of Saudi Arabia (regional Education Directorates)
United Kingdom
UK ENIC (Ecctis) — the national recognition agency
Start your recognition
- Upfront eligibility check against the MOE requirements
- Step-by-step guidance on the legalisation chain in your country (its cost is paid by you, there)
- Certified Arabic translation coordinated when required
- Preparation and filing with the regional Education Directorate
- Tracking to the equivalency decision and replies to information requests
The authority's official fee is included in this price — you pay nothing else for it. Legalisation and translation in your country of origin, where they apply, are billed separately. Timelines depend on the receiving country.
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Manage your process from the app — with 10% off
Download the Booka app to track your file, upload documents and chat with your advisor from your phone. Use code BLOG10 for 10% off your process.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need the equivalency of my secondary certificate in Saudi Arabia?
It is the access requirement to Saudi universities with foreign secondary studies, and the way to prove your education level to institutions in the Kingdom. Without it, your foreign certificate has no academic effect, subject to the Ministry's assessment in each case.
What does the Ministry require to accept my certificate?
Three published conditions: the school accredited by the issuing country's education authority, the certificate recognised by that country's universities, and a record showing regular in-person study progression, unaltered and with the name identical to the passport.
How long does the secondary equivalency take?
The Ministry publishes no timeline for the secondary route (its university portal declares 5 working days once filed). What is bounded is the preparation: legalisation at origin usually takes 2 to 6 weeks and translation 1-2. We report progress at every milestone.
Can I start the process from outside Saudi Arabia?
Legalisation and translation are done entirely from your country of origin. The secondary-route filing is with the Education Directorate in Saudi Arabia; if you don't yet live there, we tell you clearly what remains for your arrival before you pay anything.
Hague Apostille or consular legalisation?
Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention in December 2022, but the Ministry's pages still describe the classic consular route. Until apostille acceptance in education files is confirmed, we prepare whichever route your Education Directorate accepts — part of the service, not an extra.
How much is the official fee?
Nothing: the Ministry of Education's equivalency service is free according to its official sheet. The real costs of the file are the legalisations and the Arabic translation at origin, plus our management.
What if I studied at an international school inside Saudi Arabia?
International schools inside the Kingdom are licensed by the Ministry itself and their graduates follow internal equivalence circuits. If that is your case, tell us at the start: the file can be considerably shorter.
Other degrees we recognize in Saudi Arabia
Your degree, recognized in Saudi Arabia
Secondary school diploma · full management for €710. You hand us the documents; we handle the file, the fees and the tracking until resolution.
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