The recognition of foreign higher education qualifications is carried out for the purposes of employment (professional recognition) or continuation of education (academic recognition) in Croatia. Croatian ENIC/NARIC Office, within the Agency for Science and Higher Education, conducts the professional recognition procedure. The academic recognition procedure is conducted by the Office for Academic Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications within Croatian universities.
Professional recognition of a higher education qualification for the purposes of employment needs to be carried out if required by the institution or company of employment in Croatia. Croatian ENIC/NARIC Office conducts the procedure, within the Agency for Science and Higher Education, as a part of the European Network of National Information Centres on recognition and mobility.
Guidelines for initiating the procedure of professional recognition of foreign higher education qualifications:
- Fill out the application form
- Collect documents required for professional recognition of foreign higher education qualifications
- Pay administrative fee
- Submit documents
List of documents needed for professional recognition of foreign qualifications:
- Original or certified copy of the foreign qualification
- Certified translation of the foreign qualification into Croatian
- Original or certified copy of the official grade transcript
- Certified translation of the grade transcript into Croatian
- CV in Croatian or English pointing out the course of education and work experience (when applying for the recognition of PhD list, your published scientific papers and where they have been published)
- Original or certified copies of previously acquired higher qualification(s), if any obtained
- Certificate of citizenship (original or certified copy of domovnica or passport for foreigners), certificate for refugee status or status of exile
- Proof of payment of administrative fees
- For applicants who have changed their first and/or last name, copy of the marriage certificate or official decision of the competent authority
- One uncertified copy of all enclosed documents including the application form
Researchers and graduates need to submit all required documents to the Croatian ENIC/NARIC Office and the procedure itself consists of several steps:
- After receiving and processing the application, the Croatian ENIC/NARIC Office advises the applicant on required supplements if the application is incomplete.
- The Croatian ENIC/NARIC Office examines the accreditation of the institution where a foreign higher education qualification is acquired, accreditation of the study programme in question, authenticity of the foreign higher education qualification for which the recognition is being requested, entitlements and possibilities that the qualification ensures in the country of issue.
- The Agency for Science and Higher Education issues a decision on the recognition of the foreign higher education qualification.
- The decision on professional recognition of the foreign higher education qualification is mailed to the applicant’s address specified in the application for recognition.
The Agency for Science and Higher Education is required to make a decision on the recognition of higher education within 60 days from the date of submission of the application for professional recognition.
Professional recognition of foreign higher education qualifications on completed undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate university and professional study programmes costs 60 EUR.
Students (both Croatian and international), returning after a period of study abroad and wishing to continue their education in Croatia, need to initiate Academic recognition of higher education qualification. This rule also applies to prospective students who wish to apply for postgraduate study programmes and have a foreign higher education qualification or degree. They will need to undergo the process of academic recognition for the purpose of continuation of education in Croatia. All higher education institutions that accept international students usually have an Academic Recognition Office, which should be contacted by prospective students well before applying, in order to obtain relevant information on which education qualifications need to be recognised, so that they are able to apply for the study programme in question.
Students who apply for exchange programmes usually do not need to have their previous education qualifications recognised. Agreements between higher education partner institutions and the application procedures for an exchange programme normally prescribe the precise admission requirements for exchange students.
The fee for the issuance of the recognition of higher education qualifications is 60 EUR. The processing fee for the recognition of periods of study is approximately 25 EUR.
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