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MQA accredited programme check: is your Malaysian degree on the MQR?

Tips · 2026-10-31 · 9 min read

If you are planning kerja luar negara with a degree or diploma, run a quick MQA accredited programme check first: look your programme up on the Malaysian Qualifications Register (MQR). The MQR is the national register, set up under Section 81 of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007 (Act 679), of programmes, qualifications and higher education providers accredited under that Act. It will not decide your visa, but it tells you early whether your paperwork starts from solid ground.

This guide explains what an MQR entry shows, how to read the MQF level on your certificate, and how the register fits with attestation and an overseas skills assessment.

What the MQR is, and what it is not

The register lists accredited programmes, the qualifications they lead to and the providers that run them. Think of it as the official record that a course was accredited, not as a certificate you carry.

It is also not a visa document. No Australian or New Zealand officer will ask you to print an MQR page instead of your certificate. What it does is help you confirm the exact programme name, the provider and the level before you order copies, translations or an assessment, so the names on every document match.

Home Affairs explains that a skills assessing authority checks that your skills meet the standards it sets for an occupation, and that only an assessment from the relevant authority is accepted. So the register supports your file, but the assessing authority makes the call. Our guide to the Skills in Demand (482) visa for Malaysians shows where an assessment can fit into a sponsored job.

Reading the MQF level on your certificate

The Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) has eight levels. The Second Edition (2024) describes itself as a single framework for all qualifications in Malaysia, covering both the academic and the TVET sectors.

If you hold a Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM), Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (DKM) or Diploma Lanjutan Kemahiran Malaysia (DLKM), your qualification sits in JPK's skills system. We explain how to describe those on a CV in our SKM, DKM and DLKM CV guide, and how to turn years on the job into a certificate in our SKM PPT article.

How to check your programme in the MQR

Do this at your desk with your scroll and transcript beside you. Use the official Malaysian Qualifications Register page.

1. Copy the full programme name, the award title and the provider name exactly as printed on your certificate and transcript.
2. Search the register for the programme and note the entry that matches your provider.
3. Compare the qualification title and level on the entry with your certificate. If they differ, note it.
4. Save a record of what you found, with the date you checked, in your document folder.
5. If you cannot find a match, contact your institution and ask which accreditation applies to your intake before you pay for anything else.

Take care with older programmes and renamed institutions. A programme may have changed its title or provider name over the years, so ask your institution to explain the change in writing if the names no longer match.

Attestation comes after the check, not before

The Consular Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) attests documents such as birth certificates and educational certificates so that their stamps and signatures are validated before use outside Malaysia. Their attestation of documents page on the Wisma Putra website is the place to read the current steps.

For a degree, the order matters. Educational certificates must first be endorsed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education or the Department of Education before Wisma Putra will attest them. Attestation is walk-in, you need your Identification Card or passport (a representative needs an authorisation letter), and documents can normally be collected the same day or at the latest the following working day.

That is why the register check comes first. Finding a mismatch in a programme title after you have attested and translated everything means doing the work twice. For the translation step, read our guide to translating Bahasa Malaysia documents for a visa.

A simple order for your degree documents

Where the skills assessment fits

For a degree-based job, the assessment is the step that carries the weight. Home Affairs says the assessing authority for each occupation is shown in the combined list of eligible skilled occupations, and each authority has its own procedures, timeframes and charges. Read the authority's own checklist before you collect documents, because it tells you which proof of study and work it wants.

Some primary Skills in Demand (482) applicants must have a mandatory skills assessment, by Trades Recognition Australia or VETASSESS depending on the occupation, and it must be started before the visa application is lodged or the application is not valid. Applicants for the points-tested 189, 190 and 491 visas must have a suitable assessment for their nominated occupation by the time they are invited to apply. The 186 Direct Entry stream also needs one.

Not every sponsored job needs an assessment, so only treat it as required when the occupation or the visa rules say so. If you work in finance, our accountant skills assessment guide walks through the checks for that profession, and the Home Affairs skills assessment page explains the system for every occupation.

When an assessment is valid with no period shown, it lasts 3 years from the date of issue. If you are not ready to apply, do not start too early.

Show your qualification clearly on a CV

Employers read your CV before they read any register. Put the award title, the provider and the year in one line, then add the duties from your work history that match the job. A tool such as Build AI CV can help you lay out an English CV, but the facts must come from your own certificates.

If the job asks for an English test, or the visa you are looking at does, plan it separately. Even if you use English every day at work, the test is a formal result and has its own rules. PractiseNow offers practice for English tests, and Home Affairs lists the tests it accepts on its English language page.

You can also browse open roles in education jobs or accounting and finance jobs to see what employers ask for before you finalise your documents.

Common mistakes

• Attesting first. Paying for attestation before the programme name and level are confirmed risks doing it again.
• Skipping the endorsement. An educational certificate needs the education ministry's endorsement before Wisma Putra will attest it.
• Treating the register as a visa document. It supports your file; it does not replace the assessing authority.
• Mixing up SKM and degree routes. Skills certificates come from JPK, so keep those papers and the register check apart.
• Paying a middleman to "fix" a mismatch. Ask your institution in writing, and report scam offers; the Australian High Commission says visas are not for sale.
• Starting an assessment too early. Timing matters because an assessment can lose its use when the validity window runs out.

Frequently asked questions

Is the MQR the same as an overseas skills assessment?

No. The MQR is Malaysia's national register of accredited programmes, qualifications and providers. A skills assessment is a separate check by the assessing authority for your occupation, and Home Affairs only accepts an assessment from the relevant authority.

What if my programme is not on the MQR?

Do not panic, but find out why before you spend money on attestation or an assessment. Check the exact programme and provider name, ask your institution which accreditation applies to your intake, and read the assessing authority's rules on what it accepts.

Does an SKM, DKM or DLKM appear on the MQR?

Those certificates come from the Department of Skills Development (JPK), so treat them as a separate route and keep the certificate itself ready. Do not assume a register entry covers them; check with JPK and the assessing authority for your trade.

Can I attest my degree certificate straight away at Wisma Putra?

Not always. Wisma Putra says educational certificates must first be endorsed by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education or the Department of Education. Plan that endorsement first, then attest the endorsed copy.

How long does a skills assessment stay valid?

If the outcome shows no validity period, Home Affairs says it is valid for 3 years from the date of issue. For a Skills in Demand (482) application, an assessment must have been taken or started within the 3 years before you apply.

Key takeaways

• The MQR is the national register of accredited programmes, qualifications and providers under Act 679.
• Check your programme first, so names and levels match before you attest or translate.
• Educational certificates need ministry endorsement before Wisma Putra attests them.
• The assessing authority for your occupation, not the register, decides your skills assessment.
• Keep a dated record of every check in your document folder.

#mqr #mqa #mqf #degree recognition #skills assessment #attestation #kerja luar negara