Applying for Academic Recognition

If you want to continue studying outside the country where your qualification was awarded you need to have it evaluated and recognised in the receiving (host) country. This can either be done before you apply, or when you apply to a higher education institution.

Depending on where you want to study it will be the educational institution, the Ministry responsible for education in that country, or the ENIC-NARIC national information centre that will be responsible for the evaluation of your foreign diploma prior to admission.

According to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the criteria used in the assessment and recognition of qualifications should be transparent, coherent, and reliable. The applicant is responsible for providing adequate information on the credential. For example, the applicant may have to provide degree certificates or diplomas, transcript of records, the Diploma supplement, and other documents. In some cases, translations of the documents are needed. For those who are refugees or in a refugee-like position and not in possession of documents other procedures might be in place.

The information on which documentation is needed as well as information on the estimated processing time, possible fees and what the expected outcome of the assessment is should be provided be the agency performing the assessment. The applicant should know beforehand if the result is a binding decision on equivalence or a report of comparability of degrees, for instance

Further information:

Information about specific procedures for ENIC-NARIC countries is available on each country page. Please click on "Countries of the Networks" and then on the name of the country and contact the national information centre of that country for expert assistance.

See also:

Will my Qualification be Recognised? Golden rules on academic qualification recognition for students in the European Higher Education Area.  A practical guide developed within the TPG-LRC Erasmus+ project (2018-2021) that provides basic information about the LRC and students rights to fair and transparent assessment of their qualifications.