- HEDD covers 471 recognised UK degree-awarding institutions and holds details of 243 bogus ones.
- The NMC register lists about 867,000 professionals and is free to search.
- Zholia Alemi was jailed for seven years in 2023; Tanya Nasir for five years in 2024.
- GOV.UK warns that an unrecognised degree may not be accepted by employers or universities.
Start here, by situation
- A job candidate has shown you a degree: read how employers verify a degree through HEDD, then check that the university is real.
- You were offered a degree for a fee, or already paid: start with diploma mill warning signs and then the legal position.
- You are checking a nurse or midwife: go to how to check NMC registration.
- You are a nurse abroad and a recruiter has quoted you a package: compare it with the NMC's published costs and read the recruitment scam guide.
- You lost a certificate: the real fix is a certified statement of results, not a purchased copy.
Degrees and universities
Check if a university is real explains the four separate national lists, because England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each keep their own, and why a college that teaches a degree is not always the body that awards it.
The HEDD guide walks an employer through the four-step process, the fee that starts at £14 and the consent rule. It also says plainly that graduates cannot use the service on themselves.
Diploma mill warning signs covers what the BBC found about fake qualifications sold to UK buyers, the escalating-fee trap, and a side-by-side comparison of what a mill promises with what a real award needs.
Foreign degree recognition explains what UK ENIC does and, just as important, what a comparability statement cannot do. Using a fake degree sets out the three statutes involved and two prosecutions. Replacing a GCSE certificate gives the five exam boards and the certified-statement route.
Nurses
The register guide shows the search, the three status colours and the limit of a register check: it proves a registration exists, not that the person in front of you owns it. The overseas route lists each step an applicant must complete, with a comparison against what a paid agent might promise.
The cost page breaks down the £1,226 total. The CBT and OSCE guide gives the time limits. Recruitment scams describes how fee demands escalate, and fake nurse consequences describes what happened to registrants who used false documents.
Doctors
Fake doctor cases follows the Alemi prosecution from forged certificate to confiscation order, and shows why a long career is no proof of a genuine degree.
The statutes are collected on UK law on fake documents.
Further guides
- How to check a doctor on the GMC register
- GMC registration for overseas doctors
- The PLAB test explained
- GMC English language requirements
- How employers verify doctors
- Replacing a lost degree certificate
- Does NCLEX count in the UK?
Frequently asked questions
How can I check a degree is genuine?
Employers use HEDD, which confirms place of study, award, grade and dates with the candidate's consent and covers 471 recognised UK institutions. Individuals cannot use HEDD on their own degree; they should ask their university for confirmation instead.
Can I check if a nurse is registered?
Yes. The NMC register is public. You can search by PIN, or by first and last name together, though not by first name alone. A PIN is better because many people share names.
Is there one official list of UK universities?
No. GOV.UK points England to the Office for Students Register and recognised awards list, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each keep their own recognised bodies lists.
What should I do if I bought a degree online?
Do not use it for a job or course application. Using a false certificate can amount to fraud. Keep the messages and receipts, stop paying any new fees the seller asks for, and take independent legal advice before deciding what to do next.