Certificates issued abroad may be recognised as documents confirming, in the Republic of Poland, primary education, lower secondary education, basic vocational education, basic trade education, secondary trade education, and secondary education, or of the eligibility for continuing education, including the right to apply for admission to higher education, taking into account the scope of rights in the country of issue of the certificate.

The Małopolskie Province Chief Education Officer considers applications for recognition of a certificate issued abroad if:

• the applicant has a place of residence in the Małopolskie Province;
• the applicant does not have a residence on Polish territory (the address of the seat of the institution where the applicant intends to submit the certificate, such as a university or the Regional Examination Board, shall be decisive).

In what cases an application for recognition of a certificate does not have to be submitted?

I. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO SETTLE THE MATTER:

All documents necessary for the procedure for recognition of a certificate issued abroad shall be original and shall be issued or confirmed by the school or educational institution that issued the certificate (e.g., school head teacher) or by the educational authorities of the country on whose territory or in whose educational system the certificate was issued (e.g., the Minister of Education).

1a. Application for recognition of a certificate issued abroad – for the the certificate owner (form No. 1) or

1b. Application for recognition of a certificate issued abroad – for a persons other than certificate owners (form No. 2)

2. School graduation certificate (apostilled or legalised):

a) original/duplicate/copy of the certificate notarized as a true copy and an apostille affixed to the document or attached (applies to Hague Convention Member States);

LIST OF STATES – PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION

b) legalised original or duplicate certificate (for certificates from countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention);
WHO CARRIES OUT THE LEGALISATION?

3. The following information shall be attached if not included in the certificate:

a) a list of the grades obtained in the examination necessary for the graduation of a school or educational institution or completion of a particular stage;

b) a list of subjects and classes completed at a particular stage and the grades obtained.

4. A certificate with the following information:

a) curriculum content (topics completed for each of the subjects listed in item 3b),
b) grading policy indicating the worst possible grade and the best possible grade,
c) information on duration of education (number of years).

5. Certificate of further rights resulting from graduation (e.g., information that the certificate owner can apply for higher education at a university in their country).

6. Translation into Polish of the certificate (legalised/apostilled) and other documents drawn up in a foreign language.
WHO CARRIES OUT THE TRANSLATION?

7. Authorisation (see appendices) – if the applicant is not the person to whom the certificate was issued;

8. Photocopy of an identity document to confirm the personal data of the certificate owner (name, surname, date and place of birth).

9. If the certificate owner is a minor, the application shall be signed by the statutory representative (usually a parent) or legal guardian. The statutory representative may also submit a power of attorney for another adult to take all actions on the recognition of the minor’s certificate

II. PLACE TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS:

Board of Education in Kraków ul. Szlak 73, 31-153 Kraków (Office – Register).

III. APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Applications with documentation can be submitted throughout the year.

IV. DEADLINE FOR SETTLING THE MATTER:

1 month (2 months for complex matters).

V. CONTACT PERSONS:

Tuesday: 9.00 – 13.00
Wednesday: 11.00 – 15.00

Ewa Piwowarczyk – Senior Specialist –  phone: 12 448-11-28
Anna Koział – Specjalist – phone: 12 448-11-28
Joanna Kmiecik-Bocheńska –  Senior Specialist – phone: 12 448-11-54
Monika Kwiatkowska – Senior Specialist – phone: 12 448-11-30
Katarzyna Dębska – Senior Specialist – phone: 12 448-11-54
Marta Rogozińska-Owsiak- Director of the Department of Professional Pragmatics

VI. LEGAL BASIS:

1. Article 93, Article 93a-h of the Act of 7 September 1991 on the educational system (Dz.U. [Journal of Laws] of 2024, item 750);
2. Administrative Procedure Code of 14 June 1960 (Dz.U. [Journal of Laws] of 2024, item 572);
3. Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 25 March 2015 on proceedings for recognition of a certificate or other document or confirmation of education or eligibility for continuing education obtained in a foreign educational system (Dz.U. [Journal of Laws] of 2023, item 1885). 

VII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

1. A certificate that entitles only to study in selected fields of higher education in a given country will entitle, in Poland, to apply for admission to the same or similar, in terms of the curriculum, fields of higher education pursuant to Article 93(4) of the Act on the Education System.
2. Proceedings for the recognition of a certificate are not conducted with respect to foreign certificates documenting the completion of a school year or graduation from a school if the holder intends to continue their education in Poland at a primary school, first cycle trade school, secondary technical school, or secondary school.
3. If the documentation submitted is incomplete, the applicant is requested to correct the formal deficiencies within a specified period. Should formal deficiencies be not corrected, the application shall not be further considered.
4. The application shall be submitted to the chief education officer having jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence or, if the applicant has no residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland, to the chief education officer having jurisdiction over the seat of the institution where the applicant intends to submit the certificate.

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