Diploma nostrification

• The higher education diploma obtained abroad may be recognized as equivalent to the the Polish diploma and the degree on the basis of international agreement (list of the agreements can be found on https://www.gov.pl/web/nauka/umowy-dwustronne-dotyczace-uznawalnosci-wyksztalcenia – Polish only) which determines an equivalency. If there is no agreement (or its validity has expired) regarding the country in which you have obtained your diploma – then the equivalency may be determined via nostrification procedure.

• A person whose diploma has been determined as equivalent to the Polish diploma and the degree is eligible to use Polish relevant degree.

• The nostrification procedure is initiated upon the request of the applicant. It may be submitted to the university which holds a proper scientific category (A+, A or B).

• Before submitting an application it is recommended to verify if the chosen university is proper in terms of similarity of profile or conducts similar field of study to that one which an applicant graduated in abroad.

• AGH University charges a fee in the amount of 4 685 PLN for conducting the nostrification procedure.

• In case of concluding the university is not proper to conduct the nostrification procedure, the university then issues refusing decision. An abovementioned fee is given back then also. 
  You have a right to sumbit a complaint against such a decision.

• After the submission of the complete application, with all required attachments, the application will be reviewed from the formal point of view and verified whether AGH University is proper to conduct a procedure.

The procedure is applied only to the complete applications that meet all formal requirements, which means that the applicant has submitted all required documents and has paid a fee for a nostrification.

The procedure takes a maximum of 90 days. 

There are periods not including in that term, e.g.:

• for legalization or providing an apostille – might be required if there are concerns regarding authenticity of the educational documents
• for catching up the differences in the curriculum by e.g. passing the indicated exams or completing the practical placement – if the applicant has been obliged to do so.

Nostrification procedure is conducted according to the Order no. 53 of the Rector of AGH University on the nostrification of the foreign diplomas and the confirmation of completion of studies at a specific level at AGH University issued of 10^th September 2021 (can be found along with the bilingual application form available to download in Legal Acts section below).

The application with abovementioned attachments should be submitted to the office of Centre of Education Affairs (contact details in a footer).

The clerk at the university is obliged to make certified copies (as true copies). Once the copies have been made, we give back the originals to the applicant.

In case of justified doubts as to the authenticity of the documents concerning obtained education, university may request the applicant to submit a specific document along with an apostille or legalization.

• A fee for a nostrification procedure in the amount of PLN 4,685 (which is 50% of minimum monthly salary of the professor at the public university) have to be transferred to the AGH University bank account.
• The account number: 96 1240 4722 1111 0000 4858 2922.
• The transfer title should contain sub-account number: 9715 and preferred transfer title should be as follows: fee for a nostrification of the diploma....[name and surname of the applicant]. 
• The proof of payment is an integral part of the application (one of the attachments).

After positive verification of the application in terms of its completness and university's suitability Vice-Rector for Education conveys it to the proper AGH University's faculty.

A dean of such faculty appoints a team in order to conduct a substantive evaluation of the application. It is based i.a. on the comparison of the curriculum or learning outcomes of the field of study which you graduated in to the similar field of study at AGH University.

After having received the documentation and abovementioned opinions connected with substantive evaluation Vice-Rector for Education decides on:

• recognising the diploma and the degree obtained abroad as equivalent to the Polish diploma and the degree

The university then is obliged to issue an official certificate of the equivalency with the Polish diploma and the degree. Such certificate is valid only with the original diploma or its true copy. The form of such certificate is defined by the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education on the nostrification of the diploma obtained abroad and the confirmation on completion of studies at the specific level .

• refusal to recognise the diploma and the degree obtained abroad as equivalent to the Polish diploma and the degree

The university then issues a proper administrative decision. 

A refusal to recognise diploma obtained abroad as equivalent to the Polish diploma and the degree may occur in particular in case of:

• the institution which had issued a diploma or the institution which had conducted an education process:
  • was not an accredited institution at the date of issue of the diploma or did conducted a curriculum which was not accredited at the date of issue of the diploma under the domestic (in the sense of country in which the institution is situated) law, or
  • does not operate in higher education system of any country
• curriculum of the study or its part has been carried out against the domestic law and rules of the country where an education process was conducted
• an applicant has failed to fulfil the obligations resulting from the opinion issued during the substantive evaluation to catch up the curriculum differences