Recognition of school certificates, higher education diplomas and academic degrees obtained abroad for academic purposes:
- Recognition of a secondary school certificate obtained abroad for purposes of admission to first cycle studies or long cycle (magister) studies in Poland
- Recognition of higher education obtained abroad for purposes of admission to second cycle studies, post-graduate - non-degree studies third-cycle (doctoral) studies or initiating the doctoral proceedings in Poland
- Recognition of a foreign academic degree for purposes of initiating the proceedings for habilitation in Poland
Check whether your certificate can be recognized on the basis of international agreements.
If your certificate does not come within any international agreement, its equivalence with a relevant Polish school certificate can be stated only by means of nostrification, pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 6th April, 2006, on the Nostrification of School Certificates and Maturity Certificates Obtained Abroad (Journal of Laws No. 63, Item 443).
Nostrification of school certificates and maturity certificates is conducted by local educational authorities having jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence or (if the applicant has no such place of residence) the local authorities having jurisdiction over the head office of the institution where the applicant applies for admission. Click here to view the list and addresses of the local educational authorities.
Recognition of higher education obtained abroad for purposes of admission to second cycle studies, post-graduate - non-degree studies, third-cycle (doctoral) studies or initiating doctoral proceedings in Poland
If your degree gives access to further studies or the right to start doctoral proceedings in the country where it was awarded, it gives access to further studies at a given level (second cycle studies, postgraduate studies, third cycle / doctoral studies) or the right to start doctoral proceedings in Poland, pursuant to Article 191a Paragraph 3 and 4 of the Law on Higher Education of 27th July 2005.
A foreign degree may also be recognised for the purpose of further studies on the basis of an international agreement.
If your degree does not give access to further studies in a country where it was obtained, and you still wish to continue education in Poland, you have to have your degree nostrified, pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 1st September 2011, on the Nostrification of Higher Education Diplomas Obtained Abroad.
NOTE: Diplomas confirming the completion of higher education abroad does not give access to further studies in Poland if:
1. institutions which issued them or institutions in which the education was provided:
a) were not accredited higher education institutions on the date of issuing the diploma or implemented a study programme which did not have accreditation on the date of issuing the diploma or
b) do not operate within a higher education system of any country or
2. a higher education programme or its part was implemented against the provisions of the country in which the education was provided.
Recognition of a foreign academic degree for purposes of initiating the proceedings for habilitation in Poland
If your degree does not come within any international agreement, but was awarded by a recognised institution, authorised to award it and operation in the Education system of one of the EU, EFTA, OECD countries is recognized as equivalent to an appropriate Polish scientific degree or a degree in the area of art on the basis of Article 24 of the Law on Scientific Degrees and Titles and Degrees and Titles in the Area of Art of 14th March 2003.
A foreign scientific degree can be recognised as equivalent with an appropriate Polish scientific degree on the basis of an international agreement or by way of nostrification, pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 8th August 2011 on the Nostrification of Scientific Degrees and Degrees in the Area of Art Obtained Abroad.
Pursuant to Paragraph 8 of the above-mentioned regulation, a person applying for the initiation of habilitation proceedings in Poland may be exempted from nostrification provided that they hold a scientific degree conferred in a country being party to the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region. The decision on exemption belongs to the council of an organisational unit in which the degree holder applies for initiating the habilitation proceedings. Exemption from nostrification does not imply issuing a certificate of equivalence.