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

Issuer: Higher Education Commission (HEC), Sector H-9, Islamabad, Pakistan. This public advisory announces strict enforcement of residency and mode-of-study requirements for foreign degrees effective immediately following the Spring 2026 semester.

Purpose: To notify graduates of foreign chartered universities and current students that HEC will not recognize any foreign degree registered under the 'On-Campus' or 'Conventional' mode if the student completed the program fully online or via blended learning.

Key requirements and compliance actions:

1. Policy Mandate: From Spring 2026 onward, degrees listed as 'On-Campus' or 'Conventional' will be recognized only if the student actually fulfilled the on-campus/residency requirements in the awarding country. Programs completed entirely through online or blended delivery will not be accepted as on-campus.

2. Critical Compliance: HEC recognizes degrees from foreign chartered universities only if the university appears in the World Higher Education Database (WHED) maintained by UNESCO and is officially recognized in its home country. Recognition via online/blended modes must follow HEC’s critical SOPs.

3. Official Approval: The foreign university/awarding institute must have explicit approval from its national regulatory body to offer the degree via distance/online/blended modes. Without such regulatory approval, HEC will withhold recognition.

4. Student Responsibility: Students enrolled under 'On-Campus/Conventional' programs must ensure they met the physical residency/presence requirements in the awarding country. Any deviation or lack of regulatory support will result in non-recognition by HEC.

How to apply for recognition: Each application is processed on an individual merit basis. Applicants must submit detailed supporting documents online via HEC’s e-services portal: https://eservices.hec.gov.pk/

Contact/Location: Higher Education Commission, Sector H-9, Islamabad, Pakistan. For more information and procedures refer to HEC’s official website and e-services portal.