How to Verify Educational Certificate Online in 2026
You can verify educational certificate online using the National Academic Depository (NAD) through DigiLocker, India’s official platform for storing and validating digitally signed degrees, diplomas and marksheets. Once an institution uploads a student’s academic record to NAD, anyone the student shares it with can confirm it is genuine within minutes, without writing to the college or waiting weeks for a physical attestation.
What You Need to Verify an Educational Certificate Online
Keep the following ready before you verify educational certificate online:
- Aadhaar-linked mobile number (for the certificate holder, to fetch the document via DigiLocker)
- Roll number, year of passing and course name as printed on the marksheet or degree
- The certificate ID or QR code, if you already have a shared digital copy to check
- Adobe Acrobat Reader, to inspect the digital signature on a shared PDF
How to Verify Educational Certificate Online via DigiLocker and NAD
The most reliable way to verify educational certificate online is to fetch it directly from the source through DigiLocker, which pulls records straight from the National Academic Depository:
Follow these steps to verify an educational certificate online through DigiLocker and NAD.
Open DigiLocker
Visit digilocker.gov.in or open the DigiLocker app and sign in with your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
Complete Aadhaar verification
Verify your identity with the OTP sent to your registered mobile number to unlock full access to issued documents.
Go to Issued Documents
On the dashboard, open the Issued Documents section where records published by NAD-linked institutions appear.
Select the institution or board
Search for your university, board or college, then enter the roll number, year of passing and course name.
Fetch the certificate
DigiLocker retrieves the digitally signed certificate directly from NAD, confirming it matches the institution’s official record.
View or share the verified copy
Open the certificate to confirm the details, then share it with an employer or institution using DigiLocker’s secure share link if needed.
How Employers Can Verify a Shared Certificate
If someone has already shared a digital certificate with you rather than asking you to fetch it yourself, you can still verify educational certificate online in a few steps. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader and check the signature panel, which should show Signature Valid along with the name of the issuing institution and certificate authority. Confirm that the student’s name, course title, institution and issue date match what you were told. If the document carries a certificate ID or QR code, cross-check it on the NAD portal or the institution’s own verification page to be certain the record matches the official registry.
Is NAD and DigiLocker Verification Legally Valid?
Yes. Certificates issued and verified through NAD and DigiLocker are treated as legally valid electronic documents under the Information Technology Act, 2000, on par with the physical original. NAD currently hosts crores of digitally signed academic awards from registered universities, boards and colleges across India, which is why employers and institutions increasingly accept a DigiLocker-verified record instead of asking for a notarised physical copy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trying to verify a certificate from an institution that has not yet uploaded records to NAD; the document simply will not appear
- Accepting a plain scanned copy or photo as proof instead of asking for the DigiLocker-issued or NAD-verified version
- Entering the roll number or year of passing incorrectly, which is the most common reason a genuine certificate fails to fetch
- Skipping the digital signature check on a shared PDF and trusting the document on appearance alone
Educational Certificate Verification FAQs
Is verifying an educational certificate online free?
Yes, fetching and verifying a certificate through DigiLocker and NAD does not cost anything for students, employers or institutions.
What if my institution’s records are not on NAD?
You will need to request a physical attestation or digital verification directly from the institution’s examination cell, since NAD can only show records that have been uploaded by the issuing body.
Can employers verify a certificate without the candidate’s help?
Generally no; employers need either a certificate shared through DigiLocker or the candidate’s consent and details to search NAD, since academic records are private by default.
How long does online certificate verification take?
When the institution has already uploaded the record to NAD, verification through DigiLocker is instant, often taking less than a minute.
Does this work for certificates from Kerala universities?
Yes, most major Kerala universities and boards, including Kerala University, Calicut University and the Higher Secondary board, have integrated with NAD, though coverage varies by year and institution.
Final Thoughts
Verifying an educational certificate online through DigiLocker and NAD is faster and more reliable than any manual attestation process, and it works alongside other digital verification tools you may already be using, such as when you check a birth certificate online or download a Plus Two certificate online. Keep your roll number, year of passing and course details handy, and you can confirm any genuine academic record in minutes.
