Attesting copies of degree?

Dear Ayman,

I read your reply but I have the same concern as I have spent only two years at the university without getting my bachelor. I got a good offer in Qatar and they are requesting my certification in order to get my family to Qatar. As I have two years at the university, I can provide transcripts of these two years with my high school degree but I want to make sure that I can get my family here without any problem if these papers are submitted. I need to be sure that this will not affect getting my family to Qatar later on. Can you help me?

Mazen

Excellent. Thanks OzBritGirl and jbravo69. Very informative

Qatar, here we come!

British Blonde

British Blonde

The notary takes a photocopy and it is the photocopy that is stamped with a seal on the overleaf page and a declaration that this is a true copy of the orginal (in complex legalese which I won't bother to repeat but if you would like me to say exactly what it says I'll type it up). They don't get in touch with the university as the original of your certificate has a seal so what the notary is doing is saying that the copy is a true copy of the original. The recruitment agent organised all this and paid for it but I can't imagine it would cost that much. The agent scanned both sides of the photocopy and emailed it to the employer. I was given an attested copy too to take with me but will also take the original. I've also been told to take about 20 passport-sized photographs with me for all the permits you need (drivers licence etc).

Let me know if you need any more info and I will try and help.

Cheers,

Oz

Normally Notarary Public will stamp a photocopy of your originals. Which tell the HR dept or Visa Dept that your photocopies are not forged and it has been notoraized...

OzBritGirl

Thanks for your excellent and informative reply

I have had a lot of responses with further questions to me about this even though I don't know the answers.

So I wonder, for the sake of completion perhaps, you might be able to tell us here what the Notary Public does e.g, just stamps you Degree certificate? make and stamps a copy, gets in touch with the University to confirm, etc? And did they then maybe scan your certificate and email it on? I have also been asked (ball park figure) how much this cost?

Thanks for your help

British Blonde

British Blonde..

I am coming to work in Qatar soon from Australia but the recruitment agent organised all the attestments from a public notary. These documents were then emailed to the company I will work for in Qatar and they organise the visa.

I feel you should get this attestation from a Public Notary before you leave. The attested documents are usually required by the employer before you are provided with a visa. My information is that the visa you receive before you leave is an entry permit and when you get to the airport you go to the visa section and they stamp your passport with the visa. The Resident's Permit apparently takes some time to acquire after you have arrived in Qatar. Also, you may be required to have a full medical in Qatar if you haven't had one already.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

OzBritGal

jbravo

I will do so - and please you or others do likewise. There are still some details that are unclear. It would be great to see a post with detail from someone has gone through this process.

British Blonde

BritishBlonde...

Let us know the procedure once you get to know it ... it can help others who have similar issues like yours..

thanks..

Excellent everyone - thanks very much - although there appears to be a large difference of opinion on whether this will be done in your home country, at the airport, at your work or at your embassy. Never mind. I am looking forward to my tan!

British Blonde

Plus it costed me 40$ to attest one paper from american embassy. So dont go and attest every paper just the one that are important like you degree or something...

Well I have been through this process...Let me share maybe it can help.

I think no one will check the certificate, degree at the airport. Thats for sure. Plus you have aussie, uk or american passport you have no other worries :-)

Ok I did my degree in states, and did some certification in germany. So when I went to for job, signed the offer, what they needed was that I had to go to American Embassy, to get my degree notoraized. And then I had to take that copy to "Ministry of Forigen Affairs" in qatar here. then I have that double attested copy to the HR department. When I asked the HR lady she said its needed for the work permit.

So maybe in your case, you can get your degree notorized from there frist, come here get it notorized from your embassy and then ministry of forigen affairs.

But first of you all make sure, thats is the procedure. Best to wait til Eid holidays are over and ask the HR department itself what are their requirements...

BritishBlond,

Try contacting the Qatar embassy in UK: Link Text

and try to have you certificates and documents notarized there before you come here...this should save you a lot of time...

Good luck

Dear British blonde,

There is no problems at all in your case, first of all they will never ask you for any kind of your documents in the airport excepr your passport and the visa.

As for working permis you will also wont face any problem cause usually they never ask for your birth certificate or even for your degree certificate, it only could be needed for the personnel department in the company you will work for but not in any official government office.

It is not complicated here as you imagine.

Best wishes,

Ayman

i know the uae law... i am assuming that its similar here. Basically, its to ensure that your qualifications are genuine.

what i did was i got copies done (saves messing up the originals), had them stamped and signed by a Notary Public in England. Then i had to get them attested by the UAE embassy in the uk. Once in uae, they were accepted by the Labour Ministry (sometimes they will ask you to translate them into arabic)

Your best solution is to call the Qatar Embassy in London. Im sure they will know the exact process.

GIASI

Hi

Don't stress about it, it might take longer than 2 weeks (it normally does) but very very rarely does anything go wrong. You can stay here working while they sort it all out anyway so it won't upset your work plans

Ayman and AusM,

Thanks for your response.

I shall be working for a trading company that exports goods into Qatar and elsewhere as their Chief Financial Officer.

I wonder what they do with it - and any other documents - they check at the airport? I would expect no problem but it would be awful after settling there for a couple of weeks to be refused a work permit because of some piece of red tape (e.g. my birth certificate name differs from my passport name because of my mother's remarriage - this has caused problems before).

I really hoped not to move there unless everything was all 100% sorted but as I have no experience working abroad then I need to learn.

Thanks again for your comments and I would be very interested if anyone can shed any further light.

British Blonde

British Blonde,

What i understand to date, is that they take the copy at the airport and take a couple of weeks to validate it all. After it has been all validated, thats when you actually get your resident visa.

What line of work are you in?

AusM

Dear British blonde,

As I understood from your post that their employer will need your degree certificate to fill the official documents in the personnel department.

What exactly is your job? and where are you going to work? this could help us to answer your questions.

Welcome to Qatar,

Ayman

AusM

Thanks for that - useful although I am sure you think what you have been told sounds a bit vague. I wonder if some guy at Doha airport really will sit there and go through people's diplomas? You would think it may well be something we need to do in UK/Aus or possibly at some governemnt office there.

I will be sure to post when I find out more but look forward to hearing more from you or anyone else as well.

British Blonde

Hi British Blonde,

I am in the same boat, i am leaving Australia for Qatar in under two weeks. When i spoke to the firm I will be working with, they said that all you need is copies of your degree etc to give at the airport. I will confirm that andfind out more information on sunday, when they are back from Eid.

Let me know if you hear anything more.

Cheers