Nostrification of School and University Degrees in the Czech Republic

Nostrification is the process that makes your foreign degree officially recognized in the Czech Republic. If you have a degree from another country and want to study or work in the Czech Republic, you must go through this process.

This is especially important if you want to apply for a Czech study visa, gain free access to the Czech job market, or get a Czech degree.

What Does Accreditation Mean? Accreditation is a way to check if a school or program meets certain standards. It ensures the institution can properly carry out tasks like testing and certifying students. Even if your degree is from a school that isn’t accredited in the Czech Republic, you can still study there.

However, you’ll need to go through nostrification to be admitted into Czech programs that are accredited.

Documents You Need

Here’s a list of the documents you’ll need to submit for Czech nostrification:

• Application Form: This is available on the City Hall’s website.

• Copy of Passport/ID: Just a regular copy will do.

• Notarized Copy of Your Diploma: A certified copy of your diploma with the notary’s seal. Depending on your country, it may also need to be apostilled.

• Notarized Copy of Transcript/Diploma Supplement: This document shows your full academic record, including courses, grades, and awards.

• Notarized Copy of Hours Confirmation Letter: If your transcript doesn’t show the number of hours you studied, you’ll need a letter from your school confirming this.

• Notarized Memo: This is needed if your diploma requires an apostille but the notary can’t provide one. The notary will write a report explaining the situation.

• Proof of Accommodation in the Czech Republic: If you live in the Czech Republic, you need to provide proof of where you live, such as a rental contract or letter from the owner of your apartment. If you're still abroad, you don’t need this yet.

Keep in mind that all foreign documents must be translated into Czech by a certified translator.

The Process

You’ll need to submit your documents to the City Hall in person. They will compare your education system with the Czech one. If there are gaps, such as missing subjects or years, you might be asked to take exams. 

Your grades don’t matter as much as ensuring you’ve studied the required subjects for enough hours.

Timeline

If everything is in order, it will take about 30 days to process the nostrification application. In more complex cases, it could take up to 60 days.

After processing, you’ll receive the decision in about 5 days, or up to 2 weeks if the case is complicated. If you need to take exams, the school where you should do exams has 21 days to schedule them.

After passing the exams, you’ll receive the final decision within 14 working days. If you don’t pass, you can appeal within 15 days or start the process over by reapplying for nostrification in the Czech Republic.

Exams

Depending on your occupation or study program, the school can decide the exam subjects. Common exams are usually in subjects like Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, IT, Geography, and History. Since these exams are in Czech, you’ll need a certified interpreter. We can help you find one.

Depending on the country of origin of your diploma, you might need an apostille on your diploma before applying for nostrification. If you’re from one of these countries, you don’t need an apostille for your diploma:

Countries of the European Union, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

In these countries, an Apostille for a document (superlegalization in the case of Canada) may be replaced with an officially authenticated copy of documents, provided that the following requirements are met:

A. The foreign secondary or higher education institution sends to the relevant office of the faculty or rectorate a Transcript of Records or supplement to the diploma of the applicant in a sealed envelope. Alternatively, the applicant can present the Transcript or supplement in an envelope properly sealed by the educational institution, or

The official website of the foreign secondary or higher education institution allows verification that the applicant is its graduate (for example, by enabling the applicant’s Transcript to be downloaded from the official website of the foreign institution after entering a password).

B. The study applicant sends to the relevant office of the faculty or rectorate a notarized copy of their high school leaving certificate or diploma from the secondary or higher educational institution. At the same time, The secondary or higher educational institution issues a statement verifying that the study applicant is a successful graduate.

For other states, documents on the completion of studies must be superlegalized. In superlegalization, the authenticity of signatures and the impressions of stamps on original documents are authenticated:

• By the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the state in which the secondary or higher education institution, that issued the document, has its registered office or by the competent foreign body.

• And also by the competent Diplomatic Mission of the Czech Republic.

The requirements for the presentation of duly authenticated documents will have been met even if the applicant presents officially authenticated copies of documents, which are authenticated by the above methods.

If you want to study at a university in the Czech Republic, your previous degree must be recognized by a Czech authority.

Documents You Need for University Degree nostrification:

• Application Form: Available on the university’s website.

• Copy of Passport/ID: A regular copy will do.

• Notarized Copy of Your Diploma: A certified copy of your degree. If you’re applying for recognition of a Master’s or PhD, you’ll also need to submit your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

• Notarized Copy of Transcript/Diploma Supplement: This shows your complete academic history.

• Notarized Copy of Hours Confirmation Letter: If your transcript doesn’t show study hours, you’ll need to provide a letter from your university confirming this.

• Additional Documents: Some universities may ask for extra documents, such as proof that your program was accredited by the Ministry of Education.

All documents must be translated into Czech, Slovak, or English by a certified translator.

Where to Submit Your Application

You must submit your documents to a Czech public university that offers a program similar to your degree. You can check the university’s website for details about the program and courses. If you're unsure, you can contact the university or the Ministry of Education at nostrifikace@msmt.cz.

The Process

The university will compare your program and courses with similar programs in the Czech Republic to decide if they’re equivalent.

Timeline

If everything is in order, the process should take about 30 days. In more complex cases, it can take up to 60 days. If you need to appeal, this takes an additional 30 days.

Exams

No exams are required for university degree recognition.

Results

If your degree is recognized, you’ll receive a certificate of recognition by mail. If your application is rejected, you can appeal within 15 days. The university will send your documents to the Ministry of Education for review. Most appeals are successful, but if yours isn’t, you’ll need to study the program again in the Czech Republic.