Formal recognition of diplomas
Please notice that there are currently some new national regulations being worked on regarding the diploma recognition process and the information below will be updated in the coming months.
Formal recognition of education is a procedure in which the NAWA Director is going to assess your high school diploma to decide if it can be recognized as proof of secondary education that entitles you to pursue higher education in Poland. Please notice that in some cases it may be necessary to obtain a positive decision on recognition before you may be issued a visa!
When the procedure does not apply:
If you are applying to a postgraduate degree (MA, MSc) and your undergraduate degree (BA, BSc etc.) gives you access to that stage of higher education in its country of issue, it automatically gives you the same right in Poland, as long as the degree was fully accredited and awarded lawfully by an accredited institution functioning within your country's higher education system. You can apply without any additional procedures.
If you are applying to an undergraduate degree (BSc, BA) or a uniform master’s degree (Veterinary Medicine), the main document you need to submit is your high school diploma. High school diplomas issued in many countries are automatically recognized by law and they do not need to undergo any additional procedures. Those countries with automatic recognition include:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China (the gaozhong diploma), Colombia, Croatia, Costa Rica, the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the USA.
When the procedure does apply:
If you are applying to an undergraduate or uniform master’s degree (Veterinary Medicine) and your high school diploma was issued in a country not listed above, this guide is for you. Your education will need to be formally recognized. You have time until the end of your first semester to complete the procedure in order to be able to continue your studies at UPWr.
ATTENTION: If you have received a decision from the Superintendent of Schools in previous years, it remains in force and you should not go through the procedure again at NAWA.
Checklist of additional documents for the formal recognition of your diploma:
- secondary school certificate giving the access to higher education on which the recognition statement you wish to obtain
- transcript of records / supplement / list of subjects and grades attached to the certificate (if applicable)
- previous document of education - document which was the basis for the admission to secondary school
- certified translations of all the abovementioned documents (unless they are issued in: English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian)
- identity card (passport)
- document stating the change of surname
- declaration filled in and signed by a parent or a legal guardian authorizing to submit the application (in the case of a minor applicant)
- in the case of refugees – a refugee status document
In case of doubt, the full list of documents is available for reference here .
Formal recognition of diplomas step by step:
- read the instructions given in the SYRENA (User Manual ), before submitting the application
- prepare scans of required documents - in PDF or JPG format, with maximum size of each file of 3 MB. Please pay attention to step 2 and step 3 described in the instructions to enter the document data correctly and attach properly:
- secondary school certificate giving the access to higher education on which the recognition statement you wish to obtain
- transcript of records / supplement / list of subjects and grades attached to the certificate (if applicable)
- previous document of education - document which was the basis for the admission to secondary school
- certified translations of all the abovementioned documents (unless they are issued in: English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian)
- identity card (passport)
- document stating the change of surname
- declaration filled in and signed by a parent or a legal guardian authorizing to submit the application (in the case of a minor applicant)
- in the case of refugees – a refugee status document
- fill in the application form and add scans of the required documents in the SYRENA System,
- to submit the application correctly click the individual activation link generated in the SYRENA System and sent to the e-mail address provided in the application form,
- check the status of your application in the SYRENA System at any time,
- download the individual recognition statement after receiving a notification sent via the SYRENA System.
Translations
Documents in English are fine for application purposes if your language of study is English, but they will need to be translated from the original language into Polish before being presented to the NAWA Director for formal recognition (please check on NAWA website if there are any exceptions). The translation must be made from the final version of your documents, including all apostilles/legalizations. You will need to find an official sworn translator (“tłumacz przysięgły”) recognized by the Polish Ministry of Justice and request a full certified translation (“tłumaczenie poświadczone” or "tłumaczenie przysięgłe") of your documents. The list of sworn translators appointed in Poland can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice . You will need to find a translator who works with your desired language and offers acceptable conditions in terms of price and delivery date.
Polish consuls also have the right to act as official translators of the language of the country in which they are appointed. For details, please contact the appropriate Polish diplomatic mission in your country.