HEC Public Advisory: Strict Enforcement of Residency Requirements — Post-Spring 2026

Issuer: Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. Purpose: Public advisory on strict enforcement of residency requirements for foreign degrees and students enrolled in on-campus/conventional programs.

Policy mandate: Effective immediately following the Spring 2026 semester, HEC will not recognize any foreign degree that is registered under the "On-Campus" or "Conventional" mode of study if the student completed the program fully online or via blended learning.

Critical compliance requirement: HEC recognizes degrees awarded by foreign chartered universities that are listed in the World Higher Education Database (WHED) maintained by UNESCO and recognized in their country of origin. Recognition of a foreign degree awarded via online/blended learning is conditional on the following official approval:

Official approval: The university/degree-awarding institute must have approval from its national regulatory body to offer the degree program via distance/online or blended learning modes of education.

Action for students: Students enrolled in "On-Campus/Conventional" programs must ensure and fulfill the physical residency/presence requirements in the awarding country. Any deviation without regulatory support will result in non-recognition of degrees by HEC.

Applications and verification: Each case will be processed on individual merit upon submission of detailed supporting documents via HEC e-services: https://eservices.hec.gov.pk/

Contact/location: Higher Education Commission, Sector H-9, Islamabad, Pakistan.