Egypt (EG)
Egypt is one of the world's oldest civilisations — the land of the Pharaohs, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and the mighty Nile River.
Qualification Recognition
Getting your foreign credentials recognised in Egypt.
Egypt requires foreign professionals to have their qualifications recognised or their degrees declared equivalent through official processes before practising regulated professions. The primary authority for academic degree equivalency is the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU — scu.eg), which operates a General Equivalency Committee. NAQAAE (National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education — naqaae.eg) handles quality assurance and accreditation of Egyptian institutions, not foreign degree equivalency. Professional syndicate membership (for doctors, engineers, lawyers) is mandatory for practice. Egypt is NOT a member of the Hague Apostille Convention as of 2026; all foreign documents require the full legalisation chain: notarisation → national MFA authentication → Egyptian Embassy legalisation.
Regulated Professions
Process: For medical professions: (1) SCU degree equivalency assessment (submit to the SCU Equivalency Committee — equ.scu.eg); (2) Egyptian Medical Syndicate membership registration; (3) work permit from Ministry of Manpower. For engineers: (1) SCU degree equivalency; (2) Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers registration (with documentation); (3) work permit. For lawyers: the Egyptian Bar Association (Niqabat al-Muhamin) does not accept foreign lawyers to practise Egyptian law directly — foreign lawyers working in Egypt typically work at international law firms advising on their home country law or as legal consultants, not as Egyptian advocates.
Authority: Supreme Council of Universities (SCU — scu.eg) for academic degree equivalency (معادلة الشهادات). Professional syndicates for practice licences: Egyptian Medical Syndicate / ems.org.eg (doctors), Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers (engineers), Egyptian Bar Association / Niqabat al-Muhamin (lawyers), Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate. NAQAAE (naqaae.eg) for quality assurance and accreditation of Egyptian institutions only.
Timeline: SCU degree equivalency assessment: 3–6 months. Syndicate registration after SCU approval: 1–3 months. Total typical timeline for medical recognition: 12–18 months from first application (including document legalisation, SCU processing, and syndicate membership).
Cost: SCU degree equivalency fees: EGP 2,000–5,000 (payable through the equ.scu.eg electronic portal). Syndicate membership: EGP 500–3,000 annually (varies by syndicate). Total recognition process: EGP 8,000–25,000 in government and syndicate fees, plus legalisation costs (USD 200–600 in home country for the full legalisation chain). Translations by sworn translator: EGP 300–800 per page.
Academic Degrees
Authority: Supreme Council of Universities (SCU — scu.eg) — General Equivalency Committee (equ.scu.eg). The SCU is the sole official entity in Egypt designated for recognition and equivalency of academic qualifications from universities and institutions not governed by the Egyptian Universities Law No. 49 of 1972.
Process: Submit an application through the SCU's electronic equivalency system at equ.scu.eg. Required documents: original degree certificate (legalised through the full chain — notarisation, home MFA, Egyptian Embassy), official university transcript, and supporting identity documents. The SCU General Equivalency Committee assesses the application and issues an equivalency certificate (شهادة معادلة). This certificate is required for professional syndicate registration, government employment, and graduate study admission at Egyptian universities. Subcommittees cover: Medical and Allied Sciences; Sciences, Agriculture, and Veterinary Medicine; Engineering and Computing; and Humanities, Social Sciences, Arts, and Law.
Equivalency service: SCU degree equivalency service via equ.scu.eg. Results are issued as a formal letter stating the Egyptian equivalent level. For AUC (American University in Cairo), GUC (German University in Cairo), and BUE (British University in Egypt) graduates: these institutions are already accredited under Egyptian law and their degrees do not require SCU equivalency. Arab country public university degrees at first-degree level are generally considered equivalent to corresponding Egyptian first degrees without equivalency proceedings.
Document Rules
Apostille: CRITICAL: Egypt is NOT a member of the Hague Apostille Convention as of 2026. Standard apostille stamps are NOT accepted by Egyptian authorities. All foreign documents must go through the full legalisation chain instead.
Legalisation: Full legalisation chain for all documents destined for Egypt: STEP 1 — Notarisation by a licensed notary in the country of origin. STEP 2 — Authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or equivalent national authority) of the issuing country. STEP 3 — Authentication by the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate in the issuing country. (STEP 4 — For some documents: Arabic translation by a sworn translator registered with the Egyptian Ministry of Justice, and then notarisation by Egyptian Ministry of Justice in Cairo.) This process typically takes 4–8 weeks and costs USD 200–600 in fees across the chain.
Sworn translation: Arabic translation for use in Egyptian government processes must be performed by a licensed sworn translator (مترجم مُعتَمَد) registered with the Ministry of Justice. Commercial translations are not accepted by courts or government offices. Sworn translation costs EGP 300–800 per page. For large documents (medical records, university transcripts), budget EGP 2,000–8,000 for translation. Translation must also be notarised by the Egyptian Ministry of Justice in some cases.
Counselling & Help
- - Supreme Council of Universities (scu.eg / equ.scu.eg) — degree equivalency applications and enquiries
- - Egyptian Medical Syndicate (ems.org.eg) — medical qualification registration and syndicate membership
- - Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers — engineering qualification registration and syndicate membership
- - British Embassy Cairo Commercial Services — guidance for UK-qualified professionals
- - US Embassy Cairo Commercial Service — guidance for US-qualified professionals
- - NAQAAE (naqaae.eg) — quality assurance information (note: for degree equivalency, contact SCU not NAQAAE)
Typical Timelines
SCU degree equivalency only: 3–6 months. Medical profession (full recognition to practice — SCU + syndicate): 12–18 months. Engineering syndicate registration after SCU equivalency: 3–6 months. Academic appointment at Egyptian university (including all approvals): 6–12 months. Document legalisation chain (before any application): 4–8 weeks. Senior management roles at multinationals (where Egyptian recognition may not be required): immediate upon work permit issuance.
Many expats working in multinational companies, NGOs, or diplomatic missions do not require professional syndicate registration for their roles — work permits are issued based on academic qualifications and employment contracts without syndicate membership being required. Syndicate membership is essential only for those directly practising the regulated profession in Egypt (e.g., treating Egyptian patients, stamping engineering drawings, appearing before Egyptian courts). Digital nomads and remote workers for foreign employers generally have no recognition requirements.
Qualification Recognition
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