# Degree/Diploma Attestation for New Zealanders



## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hi, pretty sure this has been asked over and over but not recently by us Kiwis. So I have a friend who is here in Dubai and has been asked to get his NZ University degree/diploma attested. Guess they didn't need it in his previous job but this new one is asking to get it done.

So any kiwis out there or others who know the procedures, cost and/or a reliable and cheap company that does this for you. I see a lot of them for Indians and Brits but not many mention NZ too.

Don't mind doing it himself but doesn't know the procedures as there are too many conflicting and old articles about how to do it.:juggle:


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Moe78 said:


> Hi, pretty sure this has been asked over and over but not recently by us Kiwis. So I have a friend who is here in Dubai and has been asked to get his NZ University degree/diploma attested. Guess they didn't need it in his previous job but this new one is asking to get it done.
> 
> So any kiwis out there or others who know the procedures, cost and/or a reliable and cheap company that does this for you. I see a lot of them for Indians and Brits but not many mention NZ too.
> 
> Don't mind doing it himself but doesn't know the procedures as there are too many conflicting and old articles about how to do it.:juggle:


I had to do the same thing upon changing jobs Moe. The procedure I followed (your friends results may vary) was to order a copy of the diploma from NZQA and have them endorse it in Wellington. It was fitted with a signed, sealed authentication letter from the authentication unit of the department of internal affairs. It was then stamped (oh don't forget the stamps, we have to have the stamps) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They then couriered it to me via DHL which cost more than the diploma did. I took both to the NZ Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the reverse of the Diploma was signed and stamped again by them.
My assumption is that if your friend wants to use the original, it will have to be couriered back to NZ to start the process. 
I guess you could find a back street company to do this but you risk ending up with John Key's signature on it ;-)


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

hahaha sounds convoluted! He has the diploma here and we called the NZ consulate in Dubai and they said they'd make a copy of it charge us 70dhs, we send it to NZ to get the DIA and Foreign Ministry to authenticate it then it gets sent back to us and then we go back to the consulate here to authenticate it once more and pay 210dhs. Obviously the courier and stuff done in NZ has to be paid for too.

Btw I guess I'd have to burn it if John Key signed it LOL

Also one company quoted me 2750dhs to do this for me!

Oh and there's an NZ embassy in Abu Dhabi? I thought we just had a Consulate here?


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Moe78 said:


> hahaha sounds convoluted! He has the diploma here and we called the NZ consulate in Dubai and they said they'd make a copy of it charge us 70dhs, we send it to NZ to get the DIA and Foreign Ministry to authenticate it then it gets sent back to us and then we go back to the consulate here to authenticate it once more and pay 210dhs. Obviously the courier and stuff done in NZ has to be paid for too.
> 
> Btw I guess I'd have to burn it if John Key signed it LOL
> 
> ...


We do indeed have an embassy, a very disinterested chap going by the name of Rafiq authenticated the document for me. 
As for JK's signature? I make no comment on the situation there but recall that a Brit friend of mine who had a fly-by-night company authenticate his Las Vegas marriage certificate, received said document back with the British Embassy's stamp and a signature purporting to be that of one 'John Kerry' secretary of state... It passed muster here without comment


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hahaha i guess whoever signed it must also sign John Kerry's documents too and be boozing on the job!


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

From my employers' instructions:

Take or send (return receipt) the notarized/attested document to the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs. Some original documents will need to be sent, depending on what you are having attested. Documents authenticated by a Notary should have a copy and original authenticated with their seal. Send the copy with the Notary’s seal, original not required. Please note: If you require your passport to be authenticated, you must have a copy of it authenticated by the Notary and send that copy. NZ DIA will not want your original passport.
Other documents, such as official NZ Government issue documents/certificates such as (marriage certs, birth certs, NZQA certs etc.) require the original to be sent. They are returned to you bound and sealed.
If you have degrees or diplomas issued outside of NZ they need to be attested/notarized in that country of issue. Refer to the The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua - dia.govt.nz website for further information.
This process can take up to 3 – 10 days. Ensure you read the sites information and submit all documentation correctly. Failing to do so will delay the authentication process.
Further information on this is also available on the website within the documentation authentication/category B page.


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

See this is what's odd. Up there your employer said Category B but NZ government site says Category A (Document authentication - dia.govt.nz)


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Moe78 said:


> See this is what's odd. Up there your employer said Category B but NZ government site says Category A (Document authentication - dia.govt.nz)


Yes, sadly there is no 'take it to the bank' way of getting anything done first time and correctly here... As I said, your friends results may vary


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Im in the same delimma and no clear direction of how to do this...please let me know once you have a clear idea of that being done. Thanks


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Also heard that you need original copies of your transcripts..hope this is not true!!!


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Transcripts might be required depending on your job category I guess? We were just told the diploma itself was all. Maybe a government job or something like that would require further scrutiny?

For me I called the Consulate in Dubai and they told us to get it notarized by them, send it to NZ for the Infernal Affairs and Foreign ministry to authenticate and then back to them to authenticate again.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Moe78 said:


> Transcripts might be required depending on your job category I guess? We were just told the diploma itself was all. Maybe a government job or something like that would require further scrutiny?
> 
> For me I called the Consulate in Dubai and they told us to get it notarized by them, send it to NZ for the Infernal Affairs and Foreign ministry to authenticate and then back to them to authenticate again.


I was told that it has to be done by UAE embassey in Canberra before getting sent here to the UAE for the MOA stamp...


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

See, that's the thing. Wazza didn't mention that so I'm guessing it might no longer be the case?


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Moe78 said:


> See, that's the thing. Wazza didn't mention that so I'm guessing it might no longer be the case?


I got told that in the first instance too. The embassy of the UAE had to notarise it first. Was not true in my case, may well be true for the next bloke on the same day. 
Welcome to random and bizarre land. Your results may vary.


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Haha yup that's how it goes here. Let's see what happens here when the it all comes back from NZ!


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Got my documents/copies back from NZ! Letter authenticating them from NZ DIA and Foreign affairs. So now gotta go to the NZ consulate and get them to stamp them again!


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Moe78 said:


> Got my documents/copies back from NZ! Letter authenticating them from NZ DIA and Foreign affairs. So now gotta go to the NZ consulate and get them to stamp them again!


Great - so you didnt stamp at the uae embassey in Canberra? I hope it works out for you...i heard mixed answers on this.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Also if you can share the timelines please..that would be great


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

The NZ consulate here said they do it, you don't have to send it to the UAE embassy in Canberra. In fact if you go to the Canberra UAE embassy site it says they do authentication to documents for a few countries but don't mention NZ.

What do you mean by timeline exactly?


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Timelines for start to finish - point of sending the docs to NZ and back.

I have asked here about the UAE embassy stamp and they inisit here in the MOF that it has to be stamped by the home country and not in the embasey here...hopefully works out for you. let me know please.


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hmmm went to NZ consulate on Thursday 14th and then sent via DHL same day to NZ. It reached them Monday 18th and they sent it back to me via DHL again and it arrived today.


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

UAE embassy is opened in Wellington, NZ as well ...

Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Wellington, New Zealand


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

When i talked to the NZ consulate ppl here they told me it doesn't have to go to the embassy there and they apparently do several documents a day like this. If only things would be consistent for once!


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## telecompro (Apr 4, 2013)

Yes i got told the same but the agency supporting me in this indicated otherwise. Anyway would love to know how it turns out for you. Please keep us posted.

All the best!


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks! Will let you know what happens but you know how it goes here, sometimes what works for me might not work for you depending on who you talk to and who handles your papers!


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

ok! So went to NZ consulate here in Dubai and got my certs stamped. Then I went to the Ministry of foreign affairs also in Dubai and they refused it! Yup the guy demanded I do it at the UAE embassy in NZ. I talked to the NZ consulate and they told me to go try again but that was impossible since there were only two ppl handling attestations and they were sitting next to each other! 

Luckily I was advised to talk to the manager and see what he says and I did. He sorted it out for me! however while he was doing that he was telling everyone else to do theirs at the UAE embassy closest to their country. To some they were telling them it's a new rule but who knows. it might go well for you or it might not. Oh and I was also advised to try the Ministry in Sharjah if the manager had said no!


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

And there you have it  if you can't get satisfaction from the overpaid chump sitting in front of you, climb the wasta tree until you reach someone who can use initiative.


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## Moe78 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hahaha I think you got the Wasta thing all wrong. it's a Wasta only if you know the guy who helped you directly or through other ppl. Don't know if the guy behind the counter got it wrong but the manager seemed to think so. The others they told to get stamps from the UAE embassy near their country were non-western btw


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