A Northeastern University London graduate preparing a Saudi file should identify the precise award and the institution named on it before requesting verification. Older New College of the Humanities records and study across the Northeastern network can make the institutional description less straightforward. Assemble the certificate, academic transcript and any separate subject-recognition letter, then ask the Saudi recipient which record it needs checked for the proposed employment or qualification assessment.
For Saudi use: an apostilled degree certificate or transcript connected with study at Northeastern London may form part of the requested documents. It does not automatically complete Mosadaqa, QVP, formal degree equivalency or a Saudi work-visa application. Establish the actual award and procedure before deciding which documents need legalisation.
Awarding-body check: Identify the actual awarding institution and programme; London study within the Northeastern network should not be assumed to produce the same award in every case.
Identify the London award and any historical name
The official Northeastern University London HEDD entry lists the institution as a recognised degree-awarding provider. HEDD also maintains a New College of the Humanities entry directing qualification verification to Northeastern University London. An older institutional name should therefore be included when describing the record to be located.
Start with the wording on the actual certificate. Record the qualification title, award date and awarding institution separately from the campus or programme at which you studied. If more than one university appears in your academic history, ask which institution issued the particular degree being submitted. Do not assume that the London location alone answers that question.
Prepare the specified consent for a verification enquiry
HEDD identifies Northeastern London as an exclusive partner for its degree-verification service and specifies the HEDD consent form. It permits handwritten or digital signatures. The service is intended for third-party enquiries, with separate contact instructions for graduates seeking an official verification themselves.
Ask the Saudi recipient who will make the enquiry and what academic information it needs confirmed. Supply the name used during study and the qualification details consistently with the certificate. If a Saudi assessment asks the university to respond through a different channel, send those instructions to the institution and establish the appropriate route rather than assuming that a completed check will meet every request.
Keep additional subject recognition separate
Some London programme pages, including Politics and International Relations, describe recognition of qualifying elective study in a letter accompanying the certificate and transcript. That additional recognition should be identified by its own document title.
If your Saudi application concerns a specialist role, check whether the recipient wants the degree title, module results or evidence of the additional subject. Use the transcript and any university letter to explain the combination accurately. Do not rewrite the degree title to incorporate an elective subject unless the official award documents themselves support that wording.
For related UK document preparation, see our general Northeastern London document 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 documents connected with study at Northeastern London, 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
Can an older New College of the Humanities record be checked through Northeastern London?
HEDD’s official New College of the Humanities entry directs qualification verification to Northeastern University London. Include the historical name and exact award details in the enquiry, and check the awarding institution shown on your certificate.
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 Northeastern London documents
Send an initial enquiry with the teaching institution, awarding body, qualification level, graduation year, intended use in Saudi Arabia and any written requirements 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 institution and procedure references
- Northeastern University London official HEDD verification entry
- New College of the Humanities official HEDD entry
- Northeastern London programme and additional subject recognition
- 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, qualifications and occupational alignment