Recognition of foreign higher education in the Czech Republic

Authorities deciding recognition

The recognition of foreign higher education is on principle decided upon by public universities, which run a similar degree programme in terms of its content. Private universities do not have this power.

In the case of bearers of higher education qualifications issued by universities in the military field, the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Defence; in the area of security services, the responsibility lies with the Ministry of the Interior (according to the Higher Education Act, Section 95(9)).

The recognition of education and qualifications gained by studying at foreign universities is regulated by the following legislation:

1. Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region signed on 11 April 1997 in Lisbon; the text in the Czech language was published in the Collection of International Treaties No. 60/2000 Coll., of Int. T. (hereinafter as the “Convention”).
2. International agreements regulating mutual recognition of education documents.
3. International agreements regulating authentication of public documents.
4. Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to some other Acts (The Higher Education Act), Sections 89, 90, 90a, 106.
5. Act No. 500/2004 Coll., Code of Administrative Procedure.

Under the Code of Administrative Procedure, the applicant cannot submit a request for the recognition of the same foreign higher education qualifications at more than one public university at the same time. If the request is rejected by a public university, the applicant may submit an application at another university, which runs a similar degree programme in terms of its content, but no earlier than after the rejection has come into force (i.e., 15 days after the receipt of the decision).

Prior to submitting the application for recognition of their foreign education, applicants are recommended to ascertain whether the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (hereinafter as the “USB”) runs a degree programme similar to their foreign studies.

List of accredited degree programmes at the USB

Applications for validation are subject to charge. Pursuant to the Higher Education Act, Section 90a(2), the applicant is required to pay a fee of CZK 3,000 for acts associated with the procedure concerning the application for recognition of foreign university education and qualification in the Czech Republic.

The fee payment is to be made via a bank transfer or cash deposit to the account of the USB. The applicant shall be asked to pay the fee after the application is submitted. Along with this notice, an official of the department for studies authorised to handle the applications will notify the applicant concerning the information necessary to make the payment (account number, variable symbol, etc.) If the Rector of the USB is found not to have subject-matter competence during the procedure, e.g., due to the fact that the USB does not run similar degree programme, the applicant is not charged with the fee.

The rejection of an application due to the existence of significant differences between the compared degree programs or other reasons leading to non-recognition of foreign higher education does not entitle the applicant to a refund. Likewise, terminating the procedure concerning the application due to shortcomings in the application that the applicant did not remove when prompted (most commonly the lack of documents necessary for the assessment of the application) does not constitute a reason for a refund.

Initiation and course of the procedure

The procedure concerning the recognition of a foreign university degree is initiated upon a written request.

The application form can be found here; it is to be completed, printed and signed.

Mandatory documents to go with the application:

• a certified [1] copy of the diploma or any adequate proof of the completion of studies issued by a foreign university;
• a certified copy of the list of examinations passed or the Diploma Supplement;
• official translations of both documents into the Czech language (the translation is not required if the original document is in English);
• the power of attorney, if the applicant is represented by a proxy (we recommend including the phone number/e-mail address of the proxy in the application or in the power of attorney).

Other documents that may be enclosed with the application:

• additional information on the institution where the higher education was obtained;
• information about the content of the higher education;
• a decision on refugee status provided that the person who has been granted this status is applying for the recognition.

The following documents may be additionally requested during the procedure:

• additional information showing that the degree programme was  run by an institution authorised to provide higher education;
• additional information about the content of university studies.

The procedure for verifying the authenticity of signatures and stamps on the original documents in three groups:

1. States that entered into the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance; documents are valid on the territory of the Contracting States without further verification; only officially certified copies of the diploma and its official translation into Czech are required.
2. States that entered into the Convention on the Simplification of Verification of Foreign Public Documents (Hague Convention); a uniform authentication of documents is required in the form of the so-called Apostille, issued by a competent authority of the State in which the diploma was issued (so-called Apostille Authority).
3. Other states - the authenticity of the proof of completing studies must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country in which the foreign university that issued the document is located as well as by the relevant embassy of the Czech Republic. Authorities deciding in the first stage on the recognition of foreign university education and the required verification of higher education diplomas listed in accordance with the states where the education was obtained and the university diploma issued can be found here.

The application along with mandatory annexes should be submitted to the USB Rectorate:

The University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
Rectorate
Department of Study Activities
Branišovská 31a
370 05 České Budějovice

The application will first be evaluated in terms of the USB Rector’s subject-matter competence to issue a decision. Subsequently, candidates are asked to pay the fee and potentially to submit missing elements of their applications, or they must be informed that the application must be referred to another authority for lack of subject-matter competence (Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Interior, etc.).

In the event of any shortcomings in the application that the applicant did not remove even when prompted, the procedure is terminated.

A duly completed application with required annexes the USB Rector has subject-matter competence to decide on is further assessed for the recognition of foreign education, usually on the basis of the opinion of the faculty, which guarantees a similar degree programme. The criterion for the assessment of foreign education is the range of knowledge and skills certified by the higher level qualification or the level of the foreign university which awarded the qualification.

The Rector is entitled to decide only on the recognition of foreign higher education acquired in an institution that is recognized within the university system in the country of origin.

If the assessment implies that the compared degree programmes are substantially different, the USB Rector shall reject the request. The applicant has the right to file an appeal against this decision to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry”) within 15 days of receipt of the decision. The applicant is making an appeal through the Rector of USB. The Rector may decide on the appeal himself/herself if he/she allows the objections in full. In other cases, he/she refers the appeal to the Ministry within 30 days.

If the foreign higher education is recognized, the Rector of the USB issues a certificate of equivalence with the education obtained by completing accredited degree programmes at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Along with the recognition of foreign higher education, the academic title or other designations of the qualifications granted by the foreign university are also recognized. The holder of the foreign diploma is therefore entitled to use only the academic title or other designations of the qualifications mentioned in his/her diploma.

The decision and the certificate shall be sent to the applicant personally or to his/her proxy.

The applications are handled promptly, within 30 days of the application receipt; in more complex cases this period may be extended to a further 30 days in accordance with the Code of Administrative Procedure.

Link to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports - Recognition of foreign higher education in the Czech Republic.