Nostrification: Secondary education recognition

Nostrification of Secondary Education in the Czech Republic

When applying to a Czech university, all applicants, including foreigners, must provide documents proving the completion of their previous education, such as school graduation certificate or diplomas. If you completed your education outside of Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Slovenia, your certificate or diploma must be recognized to continue your studies in the Czech Republic.

In order for the Czech Republic to recognize that your document is equivalent to the Czech one, you must undergo the nostrification procedure. The nostrification/recognition process begins almost immediately upon your arrival at the Study Centre.

Students of UJOP (Czech abbreviation for Institue for Language and Preparatory Studies) Charles University foundation programs receive assistance from academic supervisors in collecting and submitting documents. This service is provided free of charge; you do not have to pay an additional fee for assistance with the nostrification of the diploma – the cost of this service is included in the course fee.

You only need to cover the costs of notarization, translations, and state/faculty fees for the nostrification/recognition process itself.

The academic supervisors:

• Provide precise instructions on how to undergo nostrification.

• Guide you through the entire process.

• Submit an application on your behalf.

• Verify the completeness of all necessary documents.

• Assist you in finding a translator/interpreter.

• Communicate with officials/faculty.

• Help with the appeals process, if necessary.

Attention: If you are applying for a Bachelor's program, you must nostrify a document proving the completion of your secondary education, even if you already hold a university diploma. If you are applying for a follow up Master's program, a Bachelor's diploma is nostrified. If you need your university diploma to be recognized, click on this link.

Documents You Need to Bring with You to the Czech Republic for Nostrification of Secondary Education

You will need the following documents for the recognition of foreign education, and you must bring them with you to the Czech Republic:

1. Original certificate of completion of secondary school, or vocational school (graduation certificate/diploma). This document must have the appropriate degree of legalisation (refer to the 'Legalisation of documents' section below).

2. The original attachment to the graduation certificate, i.e. grades from individual subjects (if the grades are not listed directly on the certificate). This document must have the appropriate degree of legalisation (refer to the 'Legalisation of documents' section below).

3. A document with results (grades in individual subjects at the end of each school year) for the last 4 years of secondary school studies. The document must bear the stamp of the educational institution and the signature of the responsible person.

4. A list of all subjects studied in the last 4 years in secondary school, indicating the number of teaching hours for each subject per year. If credits are listed in the document, it is necessary to state the number of hours per 1 credit. The document must bear the stamp of the educational institution and the signature of the responsible person.

5. Students of private or denominational schools must also bring a school license.

6. Certificate of state accreditation of the school with attachments issued by the Ministry of Education in your country. The document will be issued to you by the school or department of education to which your school belongs, or by the Ministry of Education.

7. A document stating that the certificate of completed secondary education issued to you allows the holder to be admitted and continue to study at higher education institutions in the framework of bachelor's or special programmes (five-year education without a bachelor's degree) in your country (download the sample)

8. Power of attorney from the parents of the minor, authorizing the employees of the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies of Charles University to represent the interests of the entrusted child in the nostrification process and in all related matters (we will send you the power of attorney form by e-mail before your arrival at the course). The signature of the minor's legal guardian must be certified by a notary.

Without the above-listed documents, it is not possible to nostrify a document about your secondary education.

Note: If you are missing any of the above-listed documents, please contact our InfoPoint.

Legalisation of Documents

The originals of documents issued by government authorities must be legalized as listed below. The appropriate degree of legalization varies from country to country; a list of all countries can be found Required legalisation of submitted diplomas.

In some countries, only a lower degree of legalization (apostille) is required, i.e., the stamp of the relevant authority (e.g., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice of the country that issued the document). An apostille is used to legalize the original document (not a copy!).

In other countries, a higher level of legalization (superlegalization) is required, i.e., additional verification from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the country where the document was issued.

For some countries, the so-called equivalence of documents applies; therefore, legalization is not necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact the Embassy of the Czech Republic in your country.

Translation of Documents into Czech

All documents for the recognition of foreign education must be translated into Czech. The translation must be carried out by a Czech court translator. You can easily find a Czech court translator with the help of your academic supervisor upon arrival in the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, documents can be translated from all official languages of the UN, the EU, and neighboring EU countries (e.g., Ukrainian, Norwegian, Serbian, etc.). If your documents are not issued in the mentioned languages, please contact our InfoPoint. Be prepared for the possibility that we may recommend you to obtain a notarized translation of your documents into English in your home country before arriving in the Czech Republic.

Two Types of Recognition of Foreign Education in the Czech Republic

There are two types of recognition of foreign full secondary education in the Czech Republic:

• A. Nostrification – a procedure for the recognition of your education by the Czech Republic.

  • The nostrification is generally valid for all higher education institutions in the Czech Republic.

  • It takes place at the relevant regional authority.

  • As part of the nostrification procedure, so-called nostrification examinations may be prescribed in subjects where the number of hours does not correspond to the standards of Czech secondary education (note: school attendance in the Czech Republic is typically 13 years).

  • The administrative fee for accepting the application is CZK 3,000. Detailed information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

• B. Institutional (internal) Nostrification

  • It takes place at a public higher education institution that has been granted special accreditation.

  • An application for internal nostrification can only be submitted to the faculty where you have applied for the study.

  • It is valid only at this particular faculty.

  • The process of Institutional (internal) Nostrification does not involve nostrification examinations.

  • The fee is paid to the faculty as part of the admission procedure.

  • The university/faculty may require the applicant to undergo a nostrification procedure (see A. Nostrification).