Nostrification
If you wish to utilize any qualification/education you have attained in your country of origin, it is necessary to have that education recognized by the Czech educational system.
The process of nostrification of education involves your certificate or diploma being recognised as equivalent to a Czech certificate/diploma. Usually, nostrification is required when a person with a foreign education would like to commence study in the Czech Republic or start working here.
Nostrification of education is required from all foreigners except citizens of the Slovak Republic. For several other countries, it is also necessary to submit a concrete document proving your education, including apostil or superlegalisation. If you have changed your surname after the award of diploma, you have to render the change e.g. by marriage certificate or judgment of divorce.
The process of nostrification differs according to level of education reached in the foreign country:
1. The nostrification of education of ower academic levels requires:
- A certificate and a list of all completed subjects.
- All necessary documents should be completed with apostil or superlegalisation.
- Verified copy of the certificate by a notary (list of notaries), fee usually 30 Kč.
- Translated and verified copy of the certificate into the Czech language (translation must be made by a certified translator).
- Fulfillment of an application for nostrification – find here (in Prague) or here (universal form for all other regions).
- Application must be personally delivered, along with the certificate and the list of finished subjects, to the Municipal Office of the City Prague (if you do not live in Prague, please, contact the Council of the region you live in). Along with the application you will be required to render your residence address (either by proof of residency or a verified copy of the lease agreement).
- Nostrification fee is 1000 Kč.
- Municipal Office/Council of the region has 30 days to decide whether to accept the application, although in more complicated cases the decision time could increase to 60 days.
- If completion of a subject could not be proved to equal the education level compulsory in the Czech Republic (except the Czech language), the Municipal office has the right to order the applicant to pass the nostrification exam. The same process may be ordered if the foreigner cannot submit the completion of the asked subject.
1. nostrification of the academic education
- A diploma and a list of all finished subjects
- It is necessary state which institution will be asked for nostrification, for example:
- public university at which a similar accredited study program is taught
- Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – if you have obtained your university diploma in Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Hungary, Moldavia, Poland, Slovenia, Turkmenistan or Tajikistan (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – Department of University Education: Zdeňka Pastorová, phone number 257 193 238, e-mail: zdenka.pastorova@msmt.cz).
- Ministry of Defence – if you have obtained university diploma in the area of military/armed forces
- Ministry of the Interior – if you have obtained university diploma in the area of security forces (Ministry of the Interior – Department of Education and Administration of policy education: JUDr. Gabriela Baránková/JUDr. Helena Tomková, phone numbers 974 833 246/974 833 247, e-mail ov@mvcr.cz)
- Find a Czech university at which the study program similar to the study program you have studied is taught, and be prepared to give that program as the equivalent of your program.
- The original diploma should be completed with apostil or superlegalisation (here you will find the cases in which it is needed).
- Verified copy of the diploma and diploma supplement by notary (list of notaries), fee usually 30 Kč.
- Translated and verified copy of the diploma into the Czech language by a certified translator.
- Application form for nostrification – should be available at the internet website of the university or here.
- In person, submit the application form, the diploma, and the diploma supplement to the appropriate university. The responsible department has 30 days to decide, although in more complicated situation the deadline could be extended to 60 days (e.g. if some additional documents have to be delivered). You are obliged to pay a fee 3000 CZK.
- If the process of nostrification is not successful, it is possible to re-apply for nostrification at another university.
- If it is problematic to find another university, please do not hesitate to ask for information at Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports – Department of University Education, (form could be downloaded here).
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT NOSTRIFICATION, OR YOU NEED HELP DURING THE PROCESS OF NOSTRIFICATION, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK THE SOCIAL WORKERS AT SIMI OR WEB: http://nostrifikace.mkc.cz/