Top 10 Countries That Require Original Documents for Job Applications | Lamination Removal Service

Planning to work abroad? Learn which 10 countries demand original, unlaminated certificates for verification and attestation — and how professional lamination removal can save your documents.

Viral Gala

10/11/20253 min read

🌐 Your Global Career Checklist: The Top 10 Countries That Demand Your Documents Be Paper, Not Plastic 🚫

You’re targeting a global career—an engineering role in Dubai, a tech job in Canada, or a specialist visa for Germany. Congratulations!

But before you finalize your application, there's one critical step: The Document Check.

While attested photocopies feel secure, many of the world’s leading economies strictly demand your original, unlaminated documents. Lamination—your old attempt at protection—is their number one reason for rejection.

Here’s your essential checklist of the top 10 countries that require your unlaminated originals, and the simple truth about why plastic is not accepted:

Why Original Paper is the Global Passport

Every country listed below relies on two things: physical security features (like paper texture and seals) and the ability to apply fresh legal stamps. Lamination blocks both.

🌐 The Top 10 Countries That Need Your Originals

  • 1. 🇨🇦 Canada (The PR Powerhouse)

    • Rule: WES (World Education Services) and immigration authorities require originals for credential verification.

    • Problem: Lamination prevents WES from verifying ink stamps and seals, often leading to rejection.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Ensure your mark sheets and transcripts are unlaminated before submission for WES evaluation.

  • 2. 🇺🇸 United States (The H1B Visa Leader)

    • Rule: US background screening companies and employers demand to see original university seals and paper.

    • Problem: Any modification (like lamination) creates suspicion and interferes with their strict authenticity checks.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Keep your degrees clean and unaltered. Any suspicion of modification risks direct communication with your institution.

  • 3. 🇦🇺 Australia (The Skilled Migration Hub)

    • Rule: VETASSESS and ACS verification bodies explicitly reject laminated documents for skill assessment.

    • Problem: They must verify the physical embossing and texture of the paper, which plastic obscures.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Prepare all your degree and experience certificates in their unlaminated state before starting your Skill Assessment application.

  • 4. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (The UK ENIC Requirement)

    • Rule: The UK Home Office and employers rely on UK ENIC verification, demanding unaltered originals.

    • Problem: Laminated papers are often flagged as "tampered with," causing immediate rejection for visa or job documentation.

    • ✅ Your Fix: If they are laminated, seek professional delamination immediately—don't risk the UK Home Office flagging your application.

  • 5. 🇩🇪 Germany (The Blue Card Gateway)

    • Rule: For Blue Card, visa, and APS verification, German authorities require certificates ready for official notary stamping.

    • Problem: Laminated papers cannot be officially stamped or certified for the mandatory APS process.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Prepare all academic documents in their original state, especially for the APS verification prerequisite.

  • 6. 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates (The Attestation Capital)

    • Rule: The UAE Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strictly reject laminated certificates for visa stamping.

    • Problem: UAE attestation requires stamping the back of the original paper—impossible through plastic.

    • ✅ Your Fix: This is non-negotiable. Use professional lamination removal before submitting for UAE attestation.

  • 7. 🇸🇬 Singapore (The Southeast Asian Tech Hub)

    • Rule: HR departments in IT, Engineering, and Finance request original documents during interviews and onboarding.

    • Problem: HR needs to check seals and signatures directly to confirm your credentials. Lamination hides this proof.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Always carry unlaminated originals to the interview or attestation center for verification.

  • 8. 🇶🇦 Qatar

    • Rule: Qatar's MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) requires original educational certificates for job visa attestation.

    • Problem: Any laminated document is immediately refused, causing severe delays in employment timelines.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Remove lamination before applying for your Qatar employment visa to save crucial time and money.

  • 9. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

    • Rule: The Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) and the Saudi Embassy require original, unaltered degrees and experience letters.

    • Problem: They perform physical verification of seals and signatures before granting professional approval. Lamination is a barrier.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Your degree must be in its natural state for all professional council and embassy attestation.

  • https://www.legalizationservicecentre.ca/mofa-attestation/

  • 10. 🇳🇿 New Zealand

    • Rule: Immigration New Zealand demands original documents for all verification of education and trade qualifications.

    • Problem: Lamination prevents the necessary official stamping required for PR or work visas.

    • ✅ Your Fix: Verify all your documents are clear, original, and without any protective plastic before application.

Your Solution: Stop Worrying, Start Restoring 🛠️

If your certificates are laminated, do not attempt DIY removal. Using household heat or sharp objects can tear the paper or permanently fade the print—a costly, irreversible mistake.

At Spandan Lamination Services, we use our patented, temperature-controlled process that safely removes the plastic without damaging your seal, ink, or signature.

We’ve helped thousands of professionals and engineers globally recover their original papers and secure their visas. Don't let a small mistake cost you your biggest opportunity. Your future is worth the investment in professional safety.

Contact Viral Gala (360 vr photography) for Safe Document Restoration