Queen Margaret University offers several different records that may be relevant to a Saudi employment file: a transcript, award-confirmation letter, certified certificate copy, replacement certificate or detailed course document. They answer different questions and should be selected against the actual request. Recent graduates should also check whether Senate has ratified their award, while older graduates should establish record availability. This helps keep university evidence aligned with the Saudi verification process being considered.
For Saudi use: an apostilled Queen Margaret degree certificate or transcript may form part of the requested documents. It does not automatically complete Mosadaqa, QVP, degree equivalency or a Saudi work-visa application. Confirm the actual procedure and which documents need legalisation.
Choose the QMU document that answers the request
QMU\’s document-request page lists separate services for an award-confirmation letter, duplicate transcript, certified certificate copy, replacement certificate and course document. The confirmation letter records the award and conferral date; the transcript contains module and assessment information. Requests use the university\’s Document Request Form.
Before submitting it, translate a general request for degree verification into the information actually required. Does the Saudi recipient need proof of the award, the results of individual modules or the content of the course? Identify each item on the same enquiry and attach the recipient\’s wording where useful. Asking for all relevant records at the outset helps the university understand the complete request and avoids repeated orders for documents with overlapping purposes.
Check the original certificate and older-record availability
For a university-certified certificate copy, QMU asks the enquirer to provide the original certificate for copying. A replacement certificate is a separate service for a lost or damaged original and requires identification. The page also asks former students who studied before 2000 to contact the document team before making payment.
If your original certificate is already with a UK adviser, coordinate any university request before sending it elsewhere. Ask the document team to confirm the current submission arrangements and the record available for your award year. If an older transcript lacks modern credit information, explain that to the Saudi reviewer using the university\’s response. Keep historic institution names, course titles and award dates as recorded, with evidence of any personal name change supplied separately.
Allow for award ratification and specialist evidence
QMU\’s certificate-release guidance explains that Senate must ratify an award before a certificate can be issued. A transcript may already state the completed award. Its document page also lists specialist overseas professional packages containing information beyond the standard transcript.
For an approaching Saudi start date, tell the adviser which documents have actually been issued and ask what can be used at that stage. If clinical hours, placement details or course content are requested, send the precise requirement to QMU. A package designed for another country\’s regulator should not be assumed to meet a Saudi body\’s needs without checking its contents and the receiving body\’s instructions.
For the broader university document process, see our general Queen Margaret degree verification and apostille guide.
Do the degree certificate and transcript both need a UK apostille?
A degree certificate confirms the award; an academic transcript records the studies and results. Mosadaqa’s published guide lists both for bachelor’s verification. However, a request to upload a transcript does not by itself establish that it needs an apostille. The guide also contains legacy instructions, so the current application checklist needs checking.
For a Queen Margaret qualification, separate these four questions before ordering document legalisation:
| Procedure and document | Point to confirm for this application |
|---|---|
| Mosadaqa: degree certificate | Is an apostilled certificate required at submission, or is academic verification the immediate requirement? |
| Mosadaqa: transcript | Is the official transcript sufficient, or is a separately certified and apostilled transcript requested? |
| QVP: degree certificate | What document format does the selected occupation and application route require? |
| QVP: transcript | Is it required for the qualification assessment, and does any legalisation requirement apply to it? |
The answer for a verification portal may differ from the later work-visa, work-permit, Iqama or professional-registration checklist. Obtain the written requirement and identify which organisation issued it.
Mosadaqa, QVP and Saudi degree equivalency: different checks
- Mosadaqa verification: the Saudi Ministry of Education and Cultural Mission coordinate checks with the awarding institution, including the award, course and study mode.
- QVP professional verification: qualification checks associated with Saudi employment, under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) Professional Accreditation (PACC) framework. The qualification and proposed occupation matter. QVP is distinct from practical skills testing under SVP.
- Formal Ministry of Education degree equivalency: a separate academic-recognition service. If someone asks for “equivalency”, establish which service and applicant category they mean.
- Professional registration: bodies such as the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) or Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) may have a separate assessment. A verification result is not itself a professional licence.
Use the official Mosadaqa description, Professional Accreditation portal and Ministry equivalency service to identify the process requested. These services are not interchangeable with UK document legalisation.
Are Mosadaqa and QVP both needed, and which comes first?
There is no single sequence established here for every UK graduate. Ask the employer or responsible Saudi adviser whether your case needs Mosadaqa, QVP, both, or another check, and whether one result is a prerequisite for another. Your occupation code, qualification, nationality, country of residence, visa application location and regulator can affect the route. A UK degree does not make every applicant’s case the same.
Also confirm whether university verification can begin while certification or apostille is being arranged. Do not treat an agency’s preferred workflow, or another applicant’s experience, as a universal rule.
Solicitor verification, certification and FCDO apostille
Ginkgo Advisory is a London-based legal service provider offering UK degree verification, solicitor certification and FCDO apostille services. Verification checks the academic record through the university or its authorised system. Certification records the solicitor’s statement about the document and any checks performed. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature or seal; it does not award Saudi recognition or guarantee a visa.
Where apostilled documents are requested, we review the university evidence and the recipient’s instructions before preparing the certification. The recipient may distinguish an original, a solicitor-certified copy and a notarised copy. A HEDD result or university sharing link can support verification, but does not itself replace an apostille or the Saudi authority’s own checks. See our UK apostille service.
Paper apostille or FCDO e-Apostille?
Eligible electronic documents can use the UK e-Apostille route with the required UK solicitor or notary electronic signature. A university PDF alone is not an e-Apostille. HCCH guidance confirms that a valid e-Apostille cannot be refused solely because it is electronic. Separately, confirm the Saudi recipient’s submission method and preserve the original signed PDF; printing it or uploading a screenshot does not preserve its electronic signature.
Saudi Embassy, Cultural Bureau and MOFA attestation
The Apostille Convention has applied to Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022. For documents within its scope, an apostille replaces diplomatic or consular legalisation. Saudi Embassy stamping should therefore not be presented as an automatic additional step after every UK apostille. References to Saudi Cultural Bureau, Cultural Attaché or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) procedures may concern a different check: clarify the purpose of any additional request. Academic verification, translation and professional assessment remain separate matters.
Express apostille timing and what to prepare
Ginkgo offers express paper apostille in 2 working days and express e-Apostille by the next working day, subject to document eligibility, completed verification and certification, and confirmed service availability. These are targets for the apostille stage. University response time, replacement documents, translation, DHL or other delivery, and Saudi verification or visa processing are additional. FCDO checks can extend the timetable.
For a document review, have the certificate, complete transcript or university explanation of its absence, programme and award dates, study location and mode, and the Saudi recipient’s written checklist available. We will explain any identity and consent requirements for verification. For a master’s or doctorate, earlier qualifications or research details may also be requested.
Online study, an overseas campus, transferred credits or a partner college need particular attention. The Saudi Cultural Mission’s UK guidance lists restrictions affecting distance/correspondence study and overseas-branch awards under its non-Saudi verification criteria. Confirm how the relevant authority applies its current rules to your award before paying for legalisation; an apostille cannot resolve an eligibility issue.
Frequently asked questions
Does QMU require the original certificate for its own certified-copy service?
Yes. QMU describes its certified copy as a photocopy of the original certificate, stamped, signed and dated by Registry, and asks the enquirer to provide the original. Confirm the current submission arrangements before sending it. A replacement for a lost or damaged certificate is a different service.
Can the certificate and transcript share one apostille?
Possibly, if the certification arrangement and recipient’s requirements allow it. Documents uploaded or assessed separately may need separate treatment. GOV.UK tells applicants to check grouped versus separate apostilles with the receiving party; do not assume a bundle will be accepted.
Must I send my original degree certificate to the UK?
A secure university document share or clear scan may allow an initial review. Whether the work can be completed remotely depends on successful verification and the required certification format. Confirm the route before posting an original or ordering a replacement.
Will an English-language degree need an Arabic translation?
Ask the Saudi recipient whether a translation is required, who may prepare it, and whether it must cover the certificate, transcript, certification and apostille. The fact that the university taught in English does not answer that document-submission question.
Can an existing apostille or verification report be reused?
Provide the existing apostilled documents and report details for review. A change of employer, occupation, regulator or document may affect what is requested. Do not assume that an earlier result must be repeated, or that it is automatically reusable in every new application.
Ask Ginkgo to review your Queen Margaret documents
Send an initial enquiry with the awarding institution, degree level, graduation year, intended use in Saudi Arabia and any written requirements already received. We can assess the UK verification, solicitor certification and apostille work and provide a quote. The responsible Saudi authority or adviser should confirm the Saudi application route and outcome.
info@ginkgoadvisory.com · Enquire on WhatsApp
Related guidance: UK degrees, Mosadaqa and QVP · Contact Ginkgo Advisory.
Official university and procedure references
- QMU document requests and professional packages
- QMU award ratification and certificate release
- GOV.UK: document certification, paper apostilles and e-Apostilles
- Mosadaqa: certificate verification
- Mosadaqa: published user guide and document checklist
- Professional Accreditation: current QVP programme entry point
- Saudi Ministry of Education: formal degree equivalency
- Saudi Cultural Mission in the UK: academic verification criteria
- HCCH: Apostille Convention and electronic apostilles
- HRSD: professional verification and occupational alignment