Nostrification is a formal process through which foreign education is officially assessed by a Czech public authority (a public university) as equivalent to Czech education.
Once the applicant receives the official recognition certificate (commonly referred to as Nostrification), the certificate can be used at any university or institution in the Czech Republic where proof of completed education is required.
UCT Prague is authorized to carry out institutional recognition of previous foreign education for the purpose of admission to its own degree programmes.
The recognition of previous foreign education is integrated into the admissions process. The outcome of the internal recognition (a Notice of Recognition) is valid exclusively at UCT Prague and cannot be used at other institutions.
Nostrification of a BSc or MSc Foreign Diploma
The recognition of a Foreign Bachelor's or Master's Diploma can be processed by UCT Prague if the degree programme completed abroad has a similar curriculum as a degree programme accredited at UCT Prague.
If the curriculum differs, you are advised to inquire which other higher education institution provides a study programme corresponding to your prior education in order to apply for the Nostrification at that institution.
Note
According to the Czech Administrative Code, an applicant is not allowed to submit a request for recognition of the same foreign higher education qualification to more than one public university at the same time.
If the request is rejected by a university, the applicant can submit it to another public university only after the rejection has become legally effective (i.e. after 15 days from receipt of the decision).
In case of doubt, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic may appoint a relevant university to assess the qualification or may make the decision itself. The Ministry also serves as the appellate body for rejected applications.
How to proceed?
- Before submitting an application, it is necessary to make sure that UCT Prague is authorized to process such an application. To do that see the Programmes catalogue, or contact business.admission@vscht.cz (School of Business applicants)
- Print and sign the Application Form
- Get familiar with the authentication requirements related to the country that issued your diploma and transcript of records
Countries without an authentication
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, France, Hungary, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Moldavia, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.
Countries requiring an apostille
Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, China: Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland (documents from other territories in China require legalization), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Suriname, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
Find the competent authority for the issuance of an apostille here.
Countries requiring superlegalization
Other countries = Countries that are not specifically listed as countries in which documents shall be authenticated by an apostille, or countries that do not require an authentication.
- Arrange a certified true copy of your diploma and the transcript of records with the right type of authentication
Please note that procedures may vary by country. In some cases, the Apostille or Superlegalization can only be issued on original documents, while in others, it may be issued on a certified copy as well. As a result, the sequence of required steps may differ depending on the country.
- Arrange a translation of the certified true copies (with the Apostille or Superlegalization) into English or Czech
If your diploma or the transcript of records are issued in any other language.
- Pay the fee of CZK 3.000,- and obtain a payment confirmation from your bank.
Payment Information
In accordance with the Higher Education Act (Act No. 111/1998 Coll.), applications for Nostrification are subject to a fee of CZK 3.000,-.
The full payment of CZK 3000,- shall be transferred to the UCT Prague bank account. Any bank charges shall be covered by the applicant.
Recognition Fee CZK 3.000,- Recipient Information
University of Chemistry and Technology Prague,
Technická 5, Prague 6, 166 28, Czech RepublicBank Name
ČSOB, Radlická 333/150, 150 57, Prague 5
Account Number
130197294/0300
IBAN
CZ58 0300 0000 0001 3019 7294
SWIFT Code
CEKO CZ PP
Remittance Information
VS: 963826059
SS: Date of birth in the format of DDMMYY
Information: Full name as it appears in the passport/identity card
If, during the proceedings, it is determined that the Rector is not substantively competent to decide on the application for the Nostrification, for example, because UCT Prague does not offer a comparable study programme, the CZK 3.000,- fee will not be charged to the applicant. If the fee has already been paid to the university’s account, it will be refunded. - Send the certified true copies of your diploma and the transcript of records (with the Apostille or Superlegalization and official translation), together with payment confirmation to UCT Prague.
Applicants for Nostrification of PhD studies shall also send a doctoral or dissertation thesis in the original language, including its abstract (in Czech or English; an official translation is not required), and a list of citations and publications, especially in impact journals (or alternatively, a professional CV focusing on professional and scientific activities).
The documents shall be sent to the address:
VŠCHT Praha
Spisovna (archiv) – Budova B
Technická 5
166 28 Prague 6 – Dejvice
Czech Republic
Recommended attachments to the application:
- In the event of a change of name, a certified copy of the document confirming the name change (e.g. a marriage certificate)
- During the proceedings, the applicant may be requested to submit additional documents necessary for the assessment of their foreign education and qualification.
- Documents submitted in support of the application are not automatically returned to the applicant.
Application Processing Time
The deadlines for the proceedings are set by the general rules of administrative procedures, i.e. 30 days from delivery. In complex cases, the deadline can be extended by 30 more days. An applicant will receive information on the result of the assessment via email.
The fee is non-refundable if the recognition procedure is terminated due to deficiencies in the application (such as missing documents required for the assessment) and the applicant fails to remedy these deficiencies when requested to do so.
The fee is also non-refundable if the application is rejected due to substantial differences between the compared study programs.
Appeal Procedure
Applicants are entitled to submit an appeal within 15 days of receiving the decision. The appeal is submitted to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (or, in general terms, through the institution that has issued the decision). The university will either allow the appeal in full or passes it on to the Czech Ministry of Education no later than 30 days upon receipt of the appeal. The Ministry will then issue a final decision.
Assistance for Refugees with Nostrification in Connection with the Armed Conflict in Ukraine
Foreign nationals who have been granted temporary protection under Act No. 65/2022 Coll. and require Nostrification may apply for it without paying the CZK 3.000 administrative fee from 25 February 2022 until further notice.
To obtain a fee waiver, the applicant must submit an official copy of the document granting temporary protection, signed and dated by the applicant.
Refugees from Ukraine who have been granted temporary protection may submit a statutory declaration (affidavit) in place of any missing documents.
Nostrification of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications Obtained in Countries that Have Concluded Bilateral Equivalency Agreements with the Czech Republic
SLOVAKIA
The validity of higher education diplomas issued in the Slovak Republic is governed by the Treaty between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic on the Mutual Recognition of the Equivalence of Educational Documents Issued in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, published under No. 23/2015 Coll. of International Treaties and effective as of 28 March 2015 (hereinafter referred to as the "Treaty").
Under the Treaty, diplomas issued by higher education institutions in the Slovak Republic are automatically recognized as equivalent in the Czech Republic without any further administrative procedure. For the purposes of further study at UCT Prague, a certificate of equivalence is not required.
However, holders of Slovak higher education diplomas may apply to a Czech public higher education institution for formal recognition of their foreign higher education qualification (for example, if such recognition is required by an employer). Officially certified copies of the educational documents must be attached to the application; no Czech translation is required.
Pursuant to Article 11(3)(b) of the Treaty, the Treaty does not apply to Slovak higher education qualifications obtained through bachelor's, master's, engineering, doctoral, or Ph.D. programmes delivered outside the territory of the Slovak Republic.
For this reason, the Rector of UCT Prague requires graduates of Slovak higher education institutions that also provide instruction through branch campuses located in the Czech Republic to submit confirmation issued by the Slovak institution specifying the country in which the applicant's studies were completed.
If the application meets all formal requirements, the Rector of UCT Prague will approve the application and issue a certificate of recognition.
POLAND, HUNGARY, SLOVENIA
Holders of Hungarian, Polish, and Slovenian qualifications covered by the relevant equivalency agreements may use their qualifications directly within the Czech Republic without the need to obtain a certificate of recognition of foreign higher education issued by a Czech public higher education institution.
For the purposes of further study at Czech higher education institutions, a certificate confirming equivalence is not required. However, should the holder of such a qualification consider formal recognition appropriate or necessary, they may apply to a Czech public higher education institution offering a comparable study programme.
If the application meets all formal requirements, the Rector will approve the application and issue a certificate of recognition.
GERMANY
Holders of higher education qualifications awarded in Germany may apply for recognition to a public higher education institution that offers a comparable study programme, in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Mutual Recognition of the Equivalence of Educational Documents in Higher Education (Prague, 23 March 2007), published under No. 60/2008 Coll. of International Treaties.
Where recognition of a German higher education qualification (i.e. a diploma certifying completion of an accredited degree programme at a particular level of higher education) is sought for the purpose of further study, and the application meets all formal requirements, the Rector will approve the application and issue a certificate of recognition.
In cases where recognition is sought for purposes other than further study, the equivalence of the qualification will be assessed in accordance with the Convention. If substantial differences are identified between the study programmes being compared, the Rector may reject the application.
Legislation governing the Nostrification
- Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region signed on April 11, 1997, in Lisbon; published in the Czech language in Collection of International Agreements No. 60/2000 Coll.
- International Agreements on mutual recognition of documents on education
- International Agreements on the authentication of public documents
- Act. No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendment to Other Acts, as amended - § 48, § 89, § 90, § 105, § 106
- Act No. 500/2004 Coll. on Administrative Procedure