Kuratorium Oświaty w Szczecinie

Information concerning the nostrification of school certificates and matura certificates obtained abroad

I. Legal basis

1. The Education System Act of 7 September 1991 (Journal of Laws of 2004, No. 256, item 2572 with further amendments),
2. Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 6 April 2006 on the Nostrification of School Certificates and Matura Certificates Obtained Abroad (Journal of Laws No. 63, item 443).
3. The Act of 14 June1960 – Code of administrative procedure (Journal of Laws of 2000, No. 98, item 1071 with further amendments).
4. The Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded in the Hague on 5 October (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 112, item 938).

II. Nostrification body

The recognition of school certificates obtained abroad is made by education superintendent (kurator oświaty) competent in respect of the domicile of the person applying for nostrification and in case of lack of such a domicile – the education superintendent competent in respect of the seat of the institution in which the applicant for recognition is going to submit the certificate obtained abroad called nostrification body.

III. Required documents

The person applying for nostrification of school certificate and matura certificate shall submit the following documents in the Education Office (kuratorium):

1. Application form to perform nostrification procedure (a specimen application form - Annex No1)

2. Declaration that the submitted certificate has not been so far a subject of nostrification procedure in Poland (a specimen declaration - Annex No2), Nostrification of the same certificate/diploma obtained abroad can be perform only once.

3. Original certificate or its duplicate
Original school certificate or its duplicate, issued abroad should be legalized by a consul of the Republic of Poland who is at the office in the country in which the subjected document has been issued.
If the institution which issued the certificate abroad acts in education system of a country which differs from the country on which territory the education was conducted, the original or duplicate of the certificate can be legalized by:

• consul of the Republic of Poland being at the office in this country in which the school operates or
• consul of the Republic of Poland being at the office in country in which education system the school operates or
• accredited on the territory of the Republic of Poland, a diplomatic mission or consular office of the country in which education the school operates, or accredited on the territory of the Republic of Poland diplomatic mission or consular office of the country in which education was conducted.

In case of certificates issued by an institution operating in education system of a country being a member of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded in the Hague on 5 October, the person applying for nostrification of certificate obtained abroad shall submit the original of the certificate or its duplicate, or a copy certified by a notary for conformity to the original with placed on the document or separately attached apostille issued by the relevant authority of the state from which the certificate origin.In case of submitting a copy of the certificate confirmed by a notary for conformity to the original it should be also provide for insight into the original certificate or its duplicate.

4. In case of applying for recognition of school completion certificate or matura certificate obtained abroad as equal to Polish maturity certificate – if in the certificate there is no comment stating entitles the holder to apply for admission to university studies of any kind of university studies in the country within which education system the institution issuing the certificate operates - a declaration confirming that the subjected certificate entitles the holder to apply for admission to university studies of any kind of university studies in the country within which education system the institution issuing the certificate operates.
The declaration confirming that the subjected certificate entitles the holder to apply for admission to university studies of any kind of university studies in the country within which education system the institution issuing the certificate operates should be issued by:

• educational authorities of the country, within which education system the certificate has been issued, or
• accredited on the territory of the Republic of Poland diplomatic representation or consulate office of the country within which education system the certificate has been issued, or
• a consul of the Republic of Poland being at the office in the country within which educational system the certificateate has been issued

5. In case of applying for recognition of school completion certificate obtained abroad as equal to Polish certificate of completion of a public vocational school, public secondary school, public profiled secondary school, public technical school or public post-secondary school it should be attached the document certifying the course of education.
The document certifying the course of education should include:

• a list of educational classes and marks achieved;
• number of hours designated for their realization;
• provided by the curriculum period of learning in schools abroad that is necessary to obtain the subjected certificate, counting from the first year of education, not before the age of 6 (provided this information is not included in the substance of the subjected certificate).

6. In case of applying for recognition of school completion certificate obtained abroad as equal to Polish certificate of completion of a public primary school or public secondary school it should be present a certificate of education duration in schools abroad that is necessary to get the subjected certificate, counting from the first year of education, not before the age of 6 (provided this information is not included in the substance of the subjected certificate).

7. Polish translation of the certificate / diploma and other documents made out in a foreign language, made by:

• sworn translator entered on the list of sworn translators kept by the Minister of Justice, or
• consul of the Republic of Poland being at the office in country in which education system the document has been issued

8. In the case where the petitioner is acting by the statutory representative (parent, carer) or proxy, he files a document confirming the action on behalf of the applicant, in particular the authorization (specimen authorization – Annex No 3).

IV. Place of submission of documents
Documents on the conduct of nostrification of school certificates and matura certificates must be submitted in the Office of Education Office in Szczecin, ul. Jana Matejki 6 B (ground floor) or sent by mail to the address : Kuratorium Oświaty w Szczecinie, ul. Jana Matejki 6 B, 71-615 Szczecin.

V. Additional Information
Further information on conducting nostrification of school certificates and matura certificates gives Daniela Arciszewska – senior inspector of Department of Pedagogical Supervision of Education Office in Szczecin, tel.: +48 91 442 75 47, e-mail: Adres poczty elektronicznej jest chroniony przed robotami spamującymi. W przeglądarce musi być włączona obsługa JavaScript, żeby go zobaczyć.

VI. Certificates without the duty of conducting the nostrification

As equivalent to Polish maturity certificate, without the duty of conducting the nostrification is considered:

• IB diplomas (International Baccalaureate), issued by International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva;
• EB diplomas (European Baccalaureate), issued by European schools According to the Convention concluded in Luxembourg of 21 June 1994 on the status of European Schools.

Annexes:

Application

Declaration

Athorization