Guide
A degree is only as useful as it is checkable. Here are the four layers — from free instant lookup to Hague apostille — and the honest boundary between verification and recognition.
The four layers
Each layer answers a harder question than the last.
Every ACLAS award carries a unique credential ID. Anyone — employer, recruiter, admissions officer — can enter it in the free verification lookup and confirm instantly that ACLAS issued it, to whom, and for what. This handles the large majority of employment checks.
When an employer wants confirmation from someone other than the issuer, Qualification Check — a UK verification company covering 195+ countries — verifies directly with the institution and issues its own report. The stronger option for regulated industries and formal HR processes.
The International Evaluation and Certification Center issues an official evaluation report with its own Document ID and online validation — a standardized third-party assessment of the credential, available to graduates at a partner rate. VIQES provides a further independent qualification-evaluation partnership.
For use before foreign governments — visas, licensing, overseas employment — the degree and transcript are notarized and apostilled under the Hague Convention, valid in 120+ countries. The $300 service includes notarization, the apostille itself and secure global shipping.
The boundary that matters Verification confirms issuance — that the award is genuine. Recognition — whether a specific employer, university or government accepts it — is a separate question governed by accreditation and local rules. Any provider that presents verification services as proof of universal recognition is misleading you. ACLAS keeps the two distinct: verification on this page, the full accreditation record and its limits on the accreditation page.
Questions
What graduates and employers ask.
That the institution issued the award to the named person — nothing more, nothing less. It answers 'is this certificate genuine?' It does not answer 'will my employer/university/government accept it?' — that second question depends on recognition, which varies by jurisdiction and purpose.
Most start with the institution's own verification lookup (free, instant). For higher-stakes checks they use independent services like Qualification Check, which contacts the institution directly. For international legal use — visas, licensing, foreign employment — the apostille process authenticates the document itself.
An apostille is a government-issued authentication attached to a document under the Hague Convention, making it legally valid in 120+ member countries. You need one when a foreign authority requires proof your degree is genuine — immigration, professional licensing, overseas employment. ACLAS offers the full service for $300 including global shipping.
The free lookup confirms a credential ID against ACLAS records instantly — suitable for most employers. Qualification Check is an independent UK company that verifies directly with the institution and issues its own verification report — the stronger option when an employer or authority requires third-party confirmation.
No — and be wary of anyone who conflates the two. Verification proves authenticity. Recognition — whether an employer, university or government accepts the credential — depends on accreditation, jurisdiction and purpose. ACLAS publishes its full accreditation record and its regulatory limits openly; read both before relying on a credential for licensing or immigration.
Start with the issuer: every ACLAS credential carries a credential ID you can check in seconds through the free verification lookup. For independent confirmation, Qualification Check verifies directly against issuer records, and a Hague apostille provides legalization for formal international use. Never rely on the document alone — verify against the source.
The paper or PDF can — which is exactly why verification doesn't examine the document, it queries the issuer's records. A forged certificate fails the moment someone checks the credential ID against the real database. This is why every ACLAS award is issued with a verifiable ID rather than relying on seals and signatures.
The free credential-ID lookup is instant. Independent verification through Qualification Check follows that service's own timeline, and apostille legalization is a government process with its own processing time — plan ahead if a deadline depends on it. For most employment checks, the instant lookup is sufficient.
No. Verification answers one question — was this credential genuinely issued — and confirms only the award details. It does not expose your grades, personal information or student records. The lookup is designed to prove authenticity without opening your file.
Every ACLAS award — degrees from USD 89, certificates from USD 39 — carries a verifiable credential ID, backed by four layers of verification up to Hague apostille.
