Recognition statement
Foreign certificates and diplomas that are not automatically recognized in Poland by operation of law require the submission of an additional document confirming the possibility of applying for admission to studies in Poland.
In connection with the entry into force of the Act of 4 April 2025 amending certain acts in order to eliminate irregularities in the visa system of the Republic of Poland, as of 1 July 2025 the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) is responsible for issuing information on foreign certificates and diplomas confirming the possibility of applying for admission to first-cycle or second-cycle studies as well as long-cycle master’s studies.
Documents issued in EU, OECD, EFTA countries, IB and EB diplomas, Ukraine and China – gaozhong.
In accordance with the Act of 4 April 2025 amending certain acts in order to eliminate irregularities in the visa system of the Republic of Poland, certificates and diplomas issued in EU, OECD and EFTA member states, the IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva, and the EB (European Baccalaureate) diploma issued by the European Schools in accordance with the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools, as well as certificates issued in countries with which Poland has concluded international agreements on the recognition of education (Ukraine – certificate of complete secondary education, and China – gaozhong) are recognized in Poland by operation of law and do not require the candidate to submit additional education documents.
Documents issued in countries outside the EU, OECD and EFTA
For other certificates and diplomas, an information statement from the Director of NAWA is required, confirming the entitlement to apply for admission to studies. To obtain it, an electronic application must be submitted on the NAWA website through the SYRENA system. General information printed from the publicly available KWALIFIKATOR system will not be accepted. Detailed information and instructions for submitting applications can be found on the NAWA website: https://nawa.gov.pl/uznawalnosc/wydawanie-informacji-o-zagranicznych-dyplomach. The processing time for the NAWA Information may take up to 60 days.
IMPORTANT! If you submitted an application to the Regional Education Authority (Kuratorium Oświaty) by 30 June 2025 and received a decision recognizing your certificate, you do not need to obtain the Director of NAWA’s information.
Countries of the EU, OECD and EFTA: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Canada, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Germany, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Italy.