The Education Act regulates two ways of recognition of proof of education from a foreign school in the Czech Republic:
The issue of a certificate of recognition of the equivalence of a foreign certificate in the Czech Republic concerns cases where a certificate from a foreign school has an equivalent status to a certificate issued by a primary, secondary or higher vocational school in the Czech Republic on the basis of an international agreement on mutual recognition of educational documents.
The subject matter of international agreements on the recognition of the equivalence of educational documents is, in principle, the automatic equivalence of the relevant educational documents resulting directly from the international treaty in question. However, in the case of a specific educational document, it is always necessary to examine whether the relevant international agreement on the recognition of the equivalence of educational documents applies to it, i.e. the document or the qualifications obtained must be explicitly mentioned in the agreement and the document must be issued by an institution that is part of the education system of a State party to the international agreement or recognised by that State. Conversely, nostrification of a foreign certificate is carried out if the Czech Republic does not have an international agreement on mutual recognition of educational documents with the relevant country where the foreign school operates, or if the specific educational document is not covered by the international agreement. More information about this case can be found in the service Recognition of foreign education – a decision on the recognition of the validity of a foreign certificate in the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic currently has agreements on the recognition of the equivalence of foreign certificates with Hungary, Germany (the agreement applies only to school-leaving examinations for the purpose of access to higher education), Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia (the agreement applies only to school-leaving examinations). Holders of documents covered by the above agreements may use them directly in the territory of the Czech Republic without the need to submit a certificate of recognition of foreign education issued by a regional authority in the Czech Republic or the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (or. Ministry of the Interior or Ministry of Defence).
If the holder of the foreign document nevertheless deems it appropriate or necessary, he/she may apply to the competent recognition authority – the regional authority, or Ministry of Defence, Ministry of the Interior – on the issue of a certificate of recognition of the equivalence of a foreign certificate in the Czech Republic. . If the application meets all the requirements, the competent recognition authority shall in that case comply with the application and issue a certificate of recognition. The recognition authority may require proof of the content and scope of the subjects taught, if this is not apparent from the document submitted, and other particulars. The issue of the certificate is linked to the payment of an administrative fee.
You are a graduate of a foreign primary, secondary or higher vocational school of a state with which the Czech Republic has concluded an international agreement on mutual recognition of educational documents and on your proof of education this agreement is considered, but it is appropriate or necessary to have a document proving that your certificate is recognized in the Czech Republic.
You can issue a certificate of equivalence of foreign education at any time after obtaining proof of primary or secondary education from a foreign school.
If you want to have proof of the equivalence of your certificate issued by a school in Hungary, Germany, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia (only the Czech Republic has an agreement with these countries), you will submit an application for a certificate of recognition of the equivalence of the certificate.
As a rule, you can find a model application on the website of the locally competent regional authority:
The application shall include the original of the certificate or an officially certified copy thereof.
If the content and scope of the subjects taught is not clear from the foreign certificate, you will also submit the framework educational content of the education in the field in which you obtained your education.
The certificate of equivalence of foreign education is dealt with at the regional authority with territorial jurisdiction according to the place of your permanent residence or, if you are a foreigner, according to your place of residence.
If the territorial jurisdiction of the regional authority cannot be determined on the basis of your place of residence for the issue of the certificate – in the case of a foreign national, on the basis of your place of residence – this is the place of application.
You can deliver the application to the address of the regional authority by post or personally to the mailroom.
The application is subject to a fee of CZK 3 000, which must be paid to the competent regional authority.
If you want to have proof of the equivalence of your certificate issued by a school in Hungary, Germany, Poland, Slovakia or Slovenia (only the Czech Republic has an agreement with these countries), you will submit an application for a certificate of recognition of the equivalence of the certificate.
As a rule, you can find a model application on the website of the locally competent regional authority:
The application shall include the original of the certificate or an officially certified copy thereof.
If the content and scope of the subjects taught is not clear from the foreign certificate, you will also submit the framework educational content of the education in the field in which you obtained your education.
The certificate of equivalence of foreign education is dealt with at the regional authority with territorial jurisdiction according to the place of your permanent residence or, if you are a foreigner, according to your place of residence.
If the territorial jurisdiction of the regional authority cannot be determined on the basis of your place of residence for the issue of the certificate – in the case of a foreign national, on the basis of your place of residence – this is the place of application.
You can submit your application via:
The application is subject to a fee of CZK 3 000, which must be paid to the competent regional authority.
Proof of recognition of the equivalence of your certificate can be provided in the relevant life situations (as a jobseeker or for admission to higher education, etc.).
A specific Czech field of study is always assigned to the foreign field of education in the issued certificate.
The certificate issued pursuant to Section 108(2) of Act No 561/2004 on pre-school, primary, secondary, higher vocational and other education (the Education Act), as amended, has a declaratory character.
In such a case, the nostrification procedure is not conducted and thus there is no decision against which an appeal may be filed.
None
For example, on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. A certified translation of those documents into Czech must be made by an interpreter registered in the Czech Republic on the list of experts and interpreters. The list of court interpreters is available on the website of the Ministry of Justice (experts and interpreters). In the case of a document drawn up in the Slovak language, a translation into the Czech language is not required.
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