Recognition of foreign diplomas and certificates

Recognition of foreign diplomas and certificates in the education system:

Certificates and other documents confirming education in foreign educational systems (at the primary and secondary level) can be recognised in Poland:

by virtue of law, that is, without giving opinions or certifying by the Polish authorities or offices

by the education superintendent as a result of administrative proceedings.
RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES BY VIRTUE OF LAW concerns: documents obtained in the education systems of the European Union countries, the European Free Trade Association – European Economic Area and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), ie. certificates or school graduation diplomas, upper secondary school-leaving examination certificates or diplomas or other documents that:

were issued by the school or educational institution acknowledged by the country on the territory of which or in the education system of which the school or institution operates, and at the same time
authorise to apply for admission to higher education in the country in the education system of which they were issued.

This applies to documents on education issued in the education systems of the following countries:

AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, CHILE, CROATIA, CYPRUS, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, SPAIN, IRELAND, ICELAND, ISRAEL, JAPAN, CANADA, KOREA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, LATVIA, MALTA, MEXICO, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, NORWAY, NEW ZEALAND, PORTUGAL, ROMANIA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SWITZERLAND, SWEDEN, TURKEY, USA, HUNGARY, GREAT BRITAIN, ITALY.

In addition, the following documents are recognised by virtue of law:

IB diplomas (International Baccalaureate), issued by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva;
EB diplomas (European Baccalaureate) issued by the European Schools, in accordance with the Convention on the Statute of the European Schools, signed in Luxembourg on 21 June 1994 (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 3, item. 10).

RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES BY THE EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT as a result of administrative proceedings applies to certificates and documents which are not recognised by virtue of law.

For more detailed information, it is recommended to contact the Board of Education responsible for the place of residence or registered office of school or university.

Refugees or persons under subsidiary protection on the territory of Poland, as well as the victims of humanitarian crises that have problems with completing the documentation concerning the education abroad, can apply for the confirmation of education by the Masovian Education Superintendent.

Addresses of education superintendents are available on https://bip.men.gov.pl/pl/ministerstwo in the tab: Institutions subordinate to or supervised by the Ministry of Education.

Further information on the rules for the recognition of foreign certificates and proceedings conducted by education superintendents are available on the website of the Ministry of National Education:

in Polish – http://men.gov.pl in the tab: abroad, the link: recognition of education received abroad
in English – http://en.men.gov.pl/2015/10/30/recognition-of-foreign-school-certificates-and-diplomas-in-poland/

More information can be found at https://men.gov.pl/pl/wspolpraca-miedzynarodowa/uznawanie-swiadectw-zagranicznych

Recognition of foreign university graduation diplomas and degree certificates

information concerning the recognition of education is available at:

http://www.nauka.gov.pl/uznawanie-wyksztalcenia/

and http://www.nauka.gov.pl/en/recognition-of-academic-qualifications/