Foreign Diploma Recognition in Poland: NAWA, Kurator and Nostryfikacja
Short answer: Many foreign documents are valid in Poland automatically (EU, OECD and EFTA-EEA school certificates, IB and EB diplomas, diplomas under bilateral agreements). Since July 2025 NAWA issues admission and free diploma statements via SYRENA; full nostryfikacja at a university decides within 90 days.
A foreign degree or school certificate is not automatically "valid" in Poland - but in many cases you need no procedure at all, and in the rest the route is shorter and cheaper than people expect. This guide maps the four routes Polish law gives you in 2026, from automatic recognition to full nostryfikacja, with the systems, documents and deadlines from official sources.
Route 1: recognition by force of law (no application at all)
Many foreign documents are valid in Poland automatically, either under international agreements on equivalence of diplomas or directly by statute. For school education, Article 93 of the Education System Act confirms secondary education in Poland for:
- certificates and other documents issued by a school or educational institution operating in the education system of an EU, OECD or EFTA-EEA member state,
- IB diplomas issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva,
- EB diplomas issued by the European Schools under the Luxembourg Convention.
Poland also has bilateral equivalence agreements with a number of countries, under which specific diplomas are treated as equal without any procedure. Before paying for anything, check whether your document is already covered - the KWALIFIKATOR online system run by NAWA lets you check your qualification for free.
Route 2: NAWA statement for university admission (since 1 July 2025)
If your goal is admission to first-cycle or long-cycle (master's) studies at a Polish university, the route changed recently: since 1 July 2025 the Director of NAWA (Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange) issues statements on foreign school-leaving certificates and other documents that confirm eligibility to apply for university admission. This function moved to NAWA from the regional education superintendents (kurator oświaty), though kurator decisions issued earlier remain valid.
Applications go through NAWA's online systems (SYRENA, with the KWALIFIKATOR tool for self-checks). The Ministry of Education page on foreign education recognition (updated 2026) confirms the split: NAWA for academic admission purposes, kurator for everything else.
Route 3: individual NAWA statement about your diploma (for work or further study)
If you need written confirmation of how your foreign degree or academic title can be recognized - for an employer, a licensing body or a university - you can request an individual statement from the NAWA Director. Key facts from NAWA's official instructions:
- Applications are filed online only, through the SYRENA system (paper applications ended on 3 October 2023).
- The statement is free of charge, issued in Polish, and delivered electronically as a PDF with a qualified digital signature.
- You attach scans (PDF or JPG, up to 3 MB each): the diploma, its transcript/supplement, the document that got you admitted to the programme, your ID, proof of any name change, and sworn Polish translations of all documents. Translations are not required for documents issued in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian.
- Refugees can substitute a document confirming their status when originals are hard to obtain.
A NAWA statement does not itself declare a Polish equivalent of your diploma - it states the level of education, your rights to continue studying, and the legal rules that apply to recognition. It is persuasive and fast, but where the law demands an actual nostryfikacja, only route 4 works.
Route 4: full nostryfikacja at a university
Nostryfikacja is the formal procedure that declares your foreign diploma equivalent to a specific Polish diploma and professional title (for example licencjat, inżynier, magistra or lekarz). Under Article 327 of the Law on Higher Education and Science, it applies when your diploma cannot be recognized as equivalent under an international agreement. The procedure is regulated in detail by the ministerial regulation of 28 September 2018 (Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1881).
Who runs it. A university (or research institute) that teaches the same or a similar field and holds an appropriate scientific category. You apply directly to the institution of your choice; scientific categories can be checked in the RAD-on system.
Documents. The application to the university includes the diploma, documents showing the course of study, learning outcomes and duration (transcript/supplement), and the document on which you were admitted. Copies certified by the university itself are acceptable. Ordinary Polish translations can be requested; in justified cases the university can demand sworn translations.
What happens. The university compares your programme, outcomes, professional rights, internships and duration against its own similar programme. If it finds gaps, it can require you to pass specified exams or complete professional internships, with the conditions set in writing. The university decides - recognize or refuse - within 90 days of a formally complete application; time allowed for translations, exams and internships does not count towards the 90 days.
Cost. The fee is capped by law at 50% of a professor's salary, and the university sets its own waiver rules; no fee is charged if the university finds it lacks competence to run the procedure. Payment terms must give you at least 14 days.
Result and appeal. Success produces an official certificate naming the equivalent Polish diploma and title. If the university refuses to start the procedure you receive a formal order you can challenge; substantive refusals can be appealed under the Code of Administrative Procedure.
Regulated professions: a separate track entirely
None of the above licenses you to practice a regulated profession in Poland - medicine, nursing, law, teaching, architecture and others have their own recognition-of-professional-qualifications procedures run by professional chambers and ministries (for example, medical diplomas follow a separate path through the medical chambers, often with exams or adaptation periods). EU rules on professional qualifications and specific Polish sectoral laws apply. Treat diploma recognition and professional recognition as two parallel checklists and verify the requirements of your profession's Polish chamber before you rely on either.
* Photo (cover): "Jagiellonian University, Collegium Maius courtyard" by Zetpe0202, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Frequently asked questions
Is my EU diploma automatically valid in Poland?
Often yes. School certificates from EU, OECD and EFTA-EEA countries confirm secondary education by force of law, and bilateral agreements cover many university diplomas. Check the free KWALIFIKATOR system first - if your qualification is recognized by an international agreement, no procedure or fee is needed.
How much does nostryfikacja cost and how long does it take?
The fee is capped by statute at 50% of a professor's salary, with university-specific waivers possible. The university must decide within 90 days of a complete application, excluding time for translations, exams and internships it may require.
Do I need sworn translations for the NAWA statement?
For the free individual NAWA statement, sworn Polish translations are required for all submitted documents except those issued in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian. Nostryfikacja universities can demand sworn translations in justified cases.
Who handles school certificates for university admission now?
Since 1 July 2025, the NAWA Director issues statements confirming that a foreign school-leaving certificate entitles you to apply for first-cycle or long-cycle studies in Poland. Earlier kurator oświaty decisions remain valid, and the kurator still handles recognition for non-academic purposes.
