Degree Verification Service: Official Registers by Country

A degree verification service confirms that a named person was awarded a specific qualification by a specific institution, by comparing the candidate's claim against an official register or the awarding body's own reply. In the UK the central route is HEDD, the Higher Education Degree Datacheck run by Jisc. Most other countries have no single register of degree holders, so recruiters combine accreditation lists, registrar confirmations and professional registers.

This guide starts from England and the wider UK, then compares the registers a recruiter can use in other countries, what each one actually confirms, and the legal basis for asking.

What a degree verification service actually checks

A degree verification service compares four data points, supplied by the candidate, against an authoritative source: the candidate's name, the awarding institution, the title of the qualification, and the dates of study or award.

Two different questions are often confused. The first is "is this institution real and allowed to award degrees?" The second is "did this person graduate from it?" Accreditation lists answer the first. Only a degree-holder register or the institution's registrar answers the second.

A check can also return "no record found". That result is a prompt for follow-up (a maiden name, a merged university, a different award date), not a verdict on the candidate.

UK registers: HEDD, UK ENIC and the recognised-body lists

HEDD is the UK's official degree verification service for degrees awarded by participating UK universities and colleges, and it is operated by Jisc. Employers register, submit the candidate's details with their consent, and receive a confirmation of the award. Fees and coverage can change, so check the HEDD service page for the current schedule and the list of participating institutions before relying on it.

As of October 2026, HEDD remains the single point of contact for confirming UK higher education awards at scale, with results sourced from the institutions' own records (Jisc HEDD).

Three other UK resources complete the picture:

• Institution status. The Office for Students Register lists registered English higher education providers, and GOV.UK publishes the list of recognised bodies that can award UK degrees.
• Overseas degrees. UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC) provides the Statement of Comparability, which maps a foreign qualification to a UK level. It tells you the level, not that the certificate was issued to the candidate.
• Regulated professions. Practising registers such as the GMC, NMC, SRA and Engineering Council show current registration, which is often more relevant than a degree for those roles.

A Disclosure and Barring Service check does not verify academic qualifications. It covers criminal record information only.

Registers compared across countries

Outside the UK, the picture splits into three models: a national degree register, accreditation lists only, or institution-by-institution confirmation. The table summarises the main official sources as of October 2026.

Typical delay depends on the model: public accreditation lookups are immediate, while registrar and register confirmations generally run from minutes to several working days, so check each service's published turnaround (HEDD, National Student Clearinghouse).

Where a register exists

Spain, Brazil and Mexico lean towards state-run records. Spain's RUCT lists official universities, centres and degrees, and an official title can carry a Código Seguro de Verificación (CSV) that the recruiter can check on the ministry's electronic office. In Mexico, the SEP's cédula profesional lookup shows whether a licence number is registered to a named professional. Brazil's Diploma Digital is an XML file signed with an ICP-Brasil certificate, which can be validated technically.

Where only accreditation lists exist

Germany's Hochschulkompass and the US CHEA database tell you whether a university or accreditor is recognised. Neither tells you whether a person graduated. For German and US candidates the confirmation comes from the Hochschule's examination office or from a clearinghouse.

Consent and data protection: the legal basis for asking

In the UK, an employer needs a lawful basis under UK GDPR to request qualification data, and in practice the candidate's explicit agreement is the cleanest route. The Information Commissioner's Office employment guidance says checks must be necessary and proportionate to the role.

A short list of working rules:

1. Ask for consent in writing and name the check (qualification confirmation with the awarding body).
2. Verify only the qualifications the role actually requires.
3. Keep the result for as long as the recruitment decision needs it, then delete it.
4. Tell the candidate what happens if no record is found, and let them respond.

Elsewhere the framework differs but the logic repeats. In the US, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies when a third-party agency performs the check. In the EU, GDPR Article 6 applies, and national rules such as Germany's section 26 BDSG add proportionality tests. In Brazil, the LGPD (Lei 13.709/2018) applies.

Foreign degrees: comparability versus verification

A foreign degree needs two separate steps: confirm that it was issued, then work out what it is worth locally. Comparability services (UK ENIC, Germany's anabin, Spain's homologación, Brazil's revalidação on the Carolina Bori platform, Mexico's SEP revalidation) answer the second question only.

For the first question, contact the issuing institution or its national ministry. Allow extra time: cross-border confirmations are slower, and some institutions only reply to the candidate. Ask the candidate to request the confirmation to be sent directly to you.

What recruiters and candidates typically ask

These are the questions that come up most often in recruiter and HR practice, answered briefly.

Is there one national register of degree holders? In the UK, HEDD comes closest. Most countries, including France, Germany, Canada and the US, have no single register; verification goes through institutions or intermediaries.

Can I just call the university? You can, but most registrars will not release records without the graduate's consent, and the reply may be informal. A documented check through a recognised service leaves an audit trail.

Do I need the candidate's consent? Yes in practice. Even where the law offers another basis, consent keeps the process transparent and is expected by most registrars.

What about foreign degrees and how long does it take? Combine a comparability statement with confirmation from the issuer. Timing varies from days to weeks.

What does it cost? Services publish fee schedules and they change. Check the current fees on the provider's site rather than budgeting from an old figure.

A practical order of checks

1. Confirm the institution exists and is recognised (OfS Register, DAPIP, Hochschulkompass, TEQSA, e-MEC).
2. Obtain written consent from the candidate.
3. Use the degree-holder route: HEDD in the UK, DegreeVerify in the US, the registrar elsewhere.
4. For overseas degrees, add a comparability statement.
5. For regulated roles, check the professional register too.
6. Record the date, source and outcome, and retain only what is needed.

For related reading, see HR document verification: diploma checks and right to work and background check documents for employer verification. The wider context is in our industry verification guide.

Automating the comparison step

Manual checking works for a handful of hires but slows down at volume. CheckFile's HR solution reads the details on a diploma or transcript and compares the name, institution, degree title and dates against the official register or the issuer's reply, flagging mismatches for a human reviewer. It supports the decision; it does not prove by itself that a document is authentic. Staffing teams can see the recruitment and temporary staffing page, and data handling is described on the security page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a degree verification service?

It is a service that confirms a person holds a stated qualification by checking it with an official register or the awarding institution. In the UK, HEDD is the main example. The result confirms the award, not the person's performance or the quality of the programme.

Is HEDD the only way to verify a UK degree?

No. You can also contact the university's registrar directly with the graduate's consent. HEDD offers a single route for many institutions, but coverage varies, so check the participating list.

Does an accreditation database prove someone has a degree?

No. Databases such as CHEA, DAPIP, Hochschulkompass or the OfS Register confirm that an institution is recognised. You still need a degree-holder confirmation for the individual.

Do I need consent to verify a candidate's degree?

You need a lawful basis, and written consent is the simplest and most transparent. Keep the check limited to qualifications relevant to the role.

How should I handle a foreign degree?

Ask the issuing institution to confirm the award, then use a comparability service such as UK ENIC to establish the equivalent level. These are two separate steps.