Updated October 2026. MYLegalTrans is an authorised representative at the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), offering third-party representation for MOHE attestation of academic documents issued in Malaysia. This guide explains who attests what, what to bring, how long it takes and what happens next.
We provide MOHE-compliant translations. Our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters, the translators JPT's guideline accepts. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.
Why MOHE attestation comes first
Before Wisma Putra (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) will attest a Malaysian degree, diploma or transcript for use abroad, the document must be endorsed by the education ministry. Certificates from Malaysian institutions must be endorsed "with a name print, position and stamp" by the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Higher Education before they reach its Consular Division (Wisma Putra: Attestation of Documents). For university and college documents, that endorsement comes from the Ministry of Higher Education (Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, KPT), usually called MOHE.
Who attests your documents
Two different counters inside MOHE's Department of Higher Education (JPT) handle this:
Public universities (UA): the Academic Excellence Division (Bahagian Kecemerlangan Akademik, BKA) attests certificates and transcripts from foundation to doctoral level, under its guideline effective 1 December 2025 (JPT guideline, in Malay). The programme must be approved by JPT or the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
Private universities and colleges (IPTS): certificates and transcripts from institutions registered under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) are verified at a separate IPTS counter run by JPT's Enforcement and Inspectorate Division. JPT charges a service fee for IPTS documents (JPT: Students).
Some documents are not attested by MOHE at all. JPT's guideline excludes, among others, professional and executive certificates, advanced and executive diplomas, executive master's degrees, English preparatory courses, incomplete results and certificates of participation; the institution that issued them has to certify these. JPT also does not attest theses or dissertations. If you need a thesis recognised abroad, it is notarised by a Notary Public instead and then attested by Wisma Putra.
Students who have not graduated: MOHE cannot attest an interim transcript. For transfer purposes, only the original Letter of Withdrawal issued by your university can be attested. To prove that you are still studying, the Confirmation Letter of Registration can be attested.
Documents to bring
Public university documents
A copy of your degree certificate (or diploma)
A copy of your academic transcript
A copy of your IC (Malaysian citizens) or passport (foreign graduates: the passport you held while studying)
No originals: from our experience in 2026, MOHE attests public university documents from copies
No other documents: no JPT form, offer letter or confirmation letter is needed
Private institution documents and international students
A letter of confirmation from the university or college, issued by the Registrar's Department or the International Student Office. It must state your full name, passport number, nationality, course of study, mode of study and duration of study, must not show your CGPA or grades, and is valid for six months from the date of issue. A letter that leaves out any of these, such as the mode of study (full-time, part-time, etc.), is not compliant: you must request a new one from your university.
For international students: copies of your current passport and of the old passport you held while studying, plus proof of a valid student visa (student pass) covering the whole period from enrolment to graduation.
The original certificate and transcript, plus a copy of your IC (Malaysian citizens).
Copies for attestation, up to three per document.
Only documents from private institutions registered and approved under Act 555 can be verified.
Lincoln University College (LUC): from our experience, LUC certificates and transcripts cannot be authenticated through any agent. Graduates must engage LUC directly.
If any academic document is in a language other than Malay or English, JPT's guideline accepts translations from ITBM, DBP, a court interpreter or the issuing university. MYLegalTrans translations meet this rule: our team is certified by ITBM and DBP and includes High Court interpreters.
When MOHE cannot attest your certificate yet
MOHE attests only programmes accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) for the period in which your certificate was awarded. Before we quote a MOHE attestation, we check your programme in the Malaysian Qualifications Register (MQR): the institution, the exact programme name and its Date of Accreditation.
In our experience, a common case is a diploma from a college that has since changed its name. When the programme appears in the register only under the new name, or with a Date of Accreditation that starts after your certificate was awarded, the course on your certificate is outdated: the certificate is not eligible for MOHE attestation, or for Wisma Putra and the embassy after it, as of now. The institution must first explain to MOHE:
its change of name, from its former name, since the year it changed; and
that the programme was accredited by MQA, with its accreditation number.
That exchange is private and confidential between the institution and MOHE: neither you nor we have access to it. The institution or MOHE keeps you in the loop, and once your course is verified, we take your documents through MOHE, Wisma Putra and the embassy. A programme that was never accredited by MQA cannot be endorsed by MOHE.
How long it takes
Public university documents: at least 3 working days if you graduated less than five years ago, and at least 7 working days if it has been five years or more.
JPT attests a maximum of three copies of each academic document.
Wisma Putra attestation afterwards is a separate walk-in step, usually collected the same day or the next working day.
Where to go
Public universities: BKA, JPT, Level 4, No. 2, Menara 2, Jalan P5/6, Presint 5, 62200 Putrajaya. Take a queue number for the attestation service at the KPT lobby counter. Monday to Thursday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (break 1.00 to 2.00 pm), Friday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (break 12.15 to 2.45 pm), closed on weekends and public holidays.
Private institutions: the IPTS customer relations counter (Seksyen Aduan dan Perhubungan Pelanggan IPTS), Ground Floor, Counter 6, at the same JPT address in Presint 5, Putrajaya. Tel: 03-8870 6000.
Counters and hours change from time to time, so confirm with JPT before you travel to Putrajaya.
After MOHE: Wisma Putra and the embassy
Once MOHE has endorsed your documents, they go to the Consular Division at Wisma Putra in Putrajaya for attestation, and then to the embassy or high commission of the country where you will use them, if that country requires it. Wisma Putra checks the MOHE officer's name, position and stamp, so a document without that endorsement will be turned away. Our document legalisation guide explains the full chain, and our Wisma Putra attestation service covers that step.
Let us handle it
We can take your documents through MOHE, Wisma Putra and the embassy for you. Send us a photo of your certificate and transcript on WhatsApp (+60 17-227 9378) for a quote.
Aviation certificates: pilot and aircraft engineering training certificates that are not registered with MQA do not go through the Ministry of Higher Education. The original is attested by CAAM first, then Wisma Putra and the embassy: see CAAM attestation of aviation certificates.
Medical practising certificates: APCs and MMC, Nursing Board, Dental Council and Pharmacy Board registration certificates are government documents and go straight to Wisma Putra and the embassy (copies through a Notary Public first); medical degrees and transcripts take the MoHE route above. The Certificate of Good Standing is sent by the council directly and is not legalised: see medical practising certificate legalisation.
Common questions
Does MOHE attest degrees from private universities?
Yes. MOHE verifies degrees and transcripts from both public and private universities: public university documents at JPT’s Academic Excellence Division, private institution documents at the IPTS counter. School certificates such as SPM, A-Level and Chinese independent school certificates go through the Ministry of Education instead.
Do I need to bring my original degree?
For public university documents, no: from our experience in 2026, MOHE attests them from copies. For private institutions, bring the original certificate and transcript with the university’s letter of confirmation.
My letter of confirmation does not state my mode of study. Can I use it as is?
No. A letter of confirmation without the mode of study (full-time, part-time, etc.) is not compliant for MOHE attestation. You must request a new one from your university, whether or not you engage us, and it must not be older than six months.
How long does MOHE attestation take?
At least 3 working days for public university documents if you graduated less than five years ago, and at least 7 working days if it has been five years or more. Wisma Putra and the embassy follow as separate steps.
Can someone else take my documents to MOHE and Wisma Putra?
Yes. We take documents through MOHE, then lodge them at Wisma Putra under your authorisation letter, and handle the embassy step. The exception is Lincoln University College: LUC certificates and transcripts cannot be authenticated through any agent, so graduates engage LUC directly.
Can MOHE attest my interim transcript?
No. MOHE cannot attest interim transcripts. If you are transferring to another university, only the original Letter of Withdrawal issued by your university can be attested. To prove that you are still studying, the Confirmation Letter of Registration can be attested instead.
My college has changed its name. Can MOHE still attest my diploma?
Only after MOHE has verified the course. If your programme appears in the MQA register only under the college's new name, or with a Date of Accreditation that starts after your award, the college must first explain its change of name and the programme's MQA accreditation number to MOHE. That exchange stays between the college and MOHE, which keep you in the loop; once your course is verified, we handle MOHE, Wisma Putra and the embassy for you.
My degree is from a UK (or other foreign) university. Can MOHE attest it?
It depends on where the certificate was issued. If the certificate was issued in Malaysia, for example through an affiliate or partner university here, it is attested in Malaysia like other Malaysian-issued degrees. If it was a transfer programme, or the course was completed in the UK or another country, it is not attested in Malaysia: the certificate is authenticated in the country that issued it. Tell us where your certificate was issued and we will advise on the next step.
Related guides
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