Verification of applicants’ diplomas

How do you recognise a diploma by its authentic features

Diplomas are verifiable for authenticity to a certain extent when looking at the technical characteristics of a diploma. Note that this is not a guarantee of 100% authenticity. Some diplomas are counterfeit 1:1. The required technical characteristics include signaatures, watermarks, legalisation stamps, copy protection, ultraviolet elements and holograms. In addition, you can also pay attention to the fonts and sizes, manually made changes, use of correction fluid, dates diploma in combination with resume, and spelling or grammar errors.

Want to be sure about the authenticity of a candidate’s degree? Read on below.

Verification at the source will ensure a solid guarantee

Some organisations verify education history by asking an applicant for their diploma. Applicants may share the original document or download an extract from Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO). This is a form of screening, but prone to error because it is still up to the employer to manually check the document for authenticity. Therefore one cannot ensure with full certainty that this is correct.

Besides, authentic features are hard to distinguish and over time people are getting better at forging documents. It can be helpful to outsource this fragmented process to a professional screening organisation that works with partners to verify data.

To be certain that a diploma is real is a complicated process with much involved. Authentic marks are often difficult to spot, but outsourcing to a professional screening organisation can make a difference.

How does Validata’s diploma check work?

Validata has partnered up with DUO, meaning we can directly consult DUO’s database to verify whether a Dutch diploma has been obtained or not. As the applicant’s data is verified at the source, you can be sure of the outcome.

With a diploma check, you can be sure that applicants have the right knowledge to properly fulfill the job specifications. Validata has partnered up with DUO to verify diplomas at the highest level of education. DUO is an executive agency of the central government and they check and manage diplomas obtained at Dutch educational institutions storing them in a central diploma register.

If the diploma is not registered in DUO’s diploma register, Validata contacts the educational institution concerned. By doing so, Validata checks educational data directly at the source.

Learn more about the diploma check

Checking international diplomas

Validata also checks international diplomas in cooperation with data partners Nuffic and Qualification Check.

• Nuffic is a Dutch non-profit organisation that focuses on internationalisation of education. In addition to the verification of diplomas, Nuffic also checks whether the educational institution is accredited in the country of origin. Please note, Nuffic does not conduct source verification.
• Qualification Check provides access to international registers that verify foreign diplomas. Our cooperation enables us to verify a person’s education at various accredited educational institutions around the world. In contrast to Nuffic, they do verify educational data directly at the source.

Validating foreign diplomas is a more complicated process because we are dependent on feedback from our data partners and educational institutions. Please be aware that checking international diplomas in most cases requires more time than our average turnaround time.

Check more than just a diploma

Validata recommends checking candidates other information in addition to diplomas. Validata offers several checks to provide employers with a safer and more integral working environment. Among other things, Validata can conduct a check on referees, identity, integrity, criminal background, credibility.

Read more about our background checks