Attestation is the least interesting part of studying abroad and one of the easiest ways to delay a registration. A missing stamp on a transcript can hold up enrolment for weeks, and a degree attested in the wrong order on the way home can stall an equivalency file. There are two journeys to plan: your school papers going out, and your degree coming back.

Why there is no apostille shortcut

Jordan is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so Jordanian documents cannot simply be apostilled. They pass through a chain of attestations instead, with each office confirming the stamp of the one before it. Miss a link and the next office will send you back.

Before you leave: your Tawjihi and other Jordanian papers

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out the order for any document issued in Jordan and used abroad:

The body that issued it. For the Tawjihi certificate and transcript, that is the Ministry of Education. For a degree from a Jordanian university, it is the Ministry of Higher Education, once the university registrar has stamped it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
The embassy in Amman of the country where you will use it, or the Jordanian mission in that country.

The Foreign Ministry charges 2 JOD to attest an educational certificate for a Jordanian citizen and 5 JOD for a non-Jordanian, and lists the service as same-day. The Ministry of Higher Education charges 1 JOD per copy for Jordanians and 3 JOD for non-Jordanians to attest documents from Jordanian universities. Fees checked on 19 October 2026.

Whether you need the third step depends on the destination, and sometimes on the university. Ask the admissions office exactly what it wants. Some ask for certified copies when you apply and originals later; others want every stamp in place before registration.

Turkey: the equivalency certificate

Turkey is where this matters most. Every international undergraduate at a Turkish university has to submit a high school equivalency certificate, known as the denklik, issued under the Turkish Ministry of National Education. For countries outside the Apostille Convention, which includes Jordan, the diploma and transcripts must be stamped by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the embassy, and the transcripts must cover every year of secondary school. Documents in Arabic or English do not need a notarised translation for this step (Sabancı University guidance, checked on 19 October 2026).

The certificate can be obtained before you travel, where the Turkish embassy has an education attaché who offers the service, or after you arrive through Turkey’s e-Denklik system. The in-Turkey route needs a residence permit number, so it takes longer. Sabancı tells its students that the university allows some time to finish the process, but not much. If you are heading to Turkey, start this the week your results are out.

Canada: documents through WES

Some universities do not want attested paper at all. Western University in Canada, for example, asks schools to send final transcripts directly to World Education Services (WES) Canada, and wants everything in English, with notarised literal translations where needed. Read the university’s own instructions before paying for attestations you will never use.

Coming home: attesting a degree from abroad

When you graduate, the order runs the other way. Under the Ministry of Higher Education rules, documents are attested first by:

The university that issued the degree or transcript.
The ministry or authority responsible for higher education in the country of study.
That country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then, depending on where you studied:

If Jordan has a cultural attaché in that country: the attaché, then the Ministry of Higher Education in Amman.
If there is no cultural attaché but there is a Jordanian embassy: the embassy, then the Foreign Ministry in Amman, then the Ministry of Higher Education.
If there is no Jordanian embassy: that country’s embassy or consulate in Jordan or in a neighbouring Arab country, then the Foreign Ministry, then the Ministry of Higher Education.

Two shortcuts: the Ministry accepts UK certificates attested by the British Council in Amman, and US certificates attested by Amideast in Amman.

The documents the Ministry lists are the degree certificate, the transcript, a document showing the duration of study, and a statement of the theoretical and practical hours in the programme. Get the first three stamps while you are still in the country. They are far easier in person than from Amman.

The equivalency application itself is made online through the Ministry of Higher Education portal, and the fee for a bachelor’s degree is 50 JOD for Jordanians. Our guide to degree recognition explains what the Ministry checks.

Habits that save weeks

Attest several originals, not one. In Turkey the equivalency, the residence permit and the university can each want their own copy.
Scan every page after each stamp, so you always know what is already done.
Keep your name spelt the same way on the passport, the certificates and every application.
Ask the university what it wants in writing, and keep the reply.

If you are applying through us, our team will tell you which stamps each university on your shortlist needs before you start. For what your average opens in the first place, see what your Tawjihi average qualifies you for.