Recognition of foreign school certificates and diplomas in Poland

Recognition of foreign school certificates and diplomas in Poland

Foreign school certificates, diplomas or other educational documents may be recognized in Poland automatically (see: I. AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION) or in result of an administrative recognition procedure done by a province education superintendent (see: II. RECOGNITION PROCEDURE).

I. AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION – WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PROCEEDINGS

Certificates, diplomas or other educational documents that confirm the completion of secondary education in the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) or OECD member states as well as the right to apply for higher education programs in the country of issue shall be recognized in Poland by operation of law (i.e. automatically). The owners of such documents have a right to apply for studies at a Polish university or HE institution. Such regulation has been valid from 31 March 2015.

The recognition by operation of law (automatic recognition) means that the owners of certificates, diplomas or other documents that are recognized in Poland by operation of law may be filed directly with a university, HE institution or employer without being asked by a Polish authority for an additional recognition confirmation or proceedings.

Attention! Foreign certificates and diplomas  should be authenticated, that is, stamped with the apostille seal or legalized by the authorities of the state in the education system of which were issued.

Certificates may be legalized or receive an apostille by:

– the consul of the Republic of Poland having jurisdiction with respect to the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, or

– the educational authorities of the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, or

– a diplomatic representation or consular office of the state in the territory of which, or in the education system of which, the given certificate was issued, accredited in the Republic of Poland or in any EU, OECD or EEA member state, where the said certificates or documents confer an entitlement to apply for admission to a higher education program in the states in question.

DOCUMENTS RECOGNISED BY OPERATION OF LAW IN POLAND

1. Each certificate, diploma or other document issued within the education system of one of EU, EEA or OECD member states that entitles one to apply for admission to a higher education program in the state of issuance. This rule concerns the following states:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA.

2. IB (International Baccalaureate) diplomas issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva.
3. EB (European Baccalaureate) diplomas issued by the European Schools in accordance with the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools drawn up in Luxembourg on June 21, 1994. (Dz. U. [the Journal of Laws] for 2005, No. 3, item 10).
4. Certificates, diplomas and other documents issued abroad by schools or educational institutions in accordance with the principles laid down in bilateral agreements on mutual diploma recognition
5. If a certificate or other document entitles to apply for admission only to specific higher education programs in the state of issuance, it shall be recognized as a document giving a right to apply for admission to such higher education programs in Poland which are identical or similar in terms of curriculum.

II. RECOGNITION PROCEEDINGS BY NATIONAL AGENCY FOR ACADEMIC EXCHANGE (NAWA):

IIA More information about the recognition of High School Certificates can be found here.

The NAWA’s Director individual recognition statements on secondary education certificates confirming the right to apply for admission to first-cycle studies or long-cycle studies are issued:

– within 60 days from the date of submission of the complete set of required documents in the SYRENA System,
– in a form of a digitally signed PDF document,
– in Polish,
– free of charge.

ATTENTION: If your secondary school certificate has already been recognised by the Regional Educational Authority (Kurator Oświaty) you can apply for admission to a Polish university – the NAWA’s Director individual recognition statement is not required.

IIB RECOGNITION OF DIPLOMAS WHEN APPLYING FOR ADMISSION TO SECOND CYCLE STUDIES

If your degree gives access to the next level of higher education or entitles you to apply for a doctoral degree in the country of issue, also in Poland it gives the right to access education at the corresponding level (second-cycle studies, doctoral school) or to start proceedings which lead to obtaining a Polish academic degree.

NOTE:

Diplomas confirming the completion of higher education abroad do not give access to further studies in Poland if:

1. institutions which issued them or institutions in which the education was provided:
   1. 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
   2. do not operate within a higher education system of any country or
2. a higher education programme or its part was implemented against provisions of the country in which the education was provided.

Legal basis:  

• Article 326.2 in the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1571)
• international agreements

If you need a recognition statement, e.g. to present it to a Polish university, you can use the KWALIFIKATOR system, or apply for an individual statement to NAWA.