LEGALIZATION OF YOUR DOCUMENTS
Your diploma may be legalised by:
- a consul of the Republic of Poland residing in the territory of the country where (or in the education system of which) the document was issued;
- education authorities of the country where (or in the education system of which) the document was issued;
- diplomatic representation or consular office of the country where (or in the education system of which) the document was issued, accredited in any EU/EFTA/OECD member state.
What does legalization look like?
Normally, it is a stamp from the Embassy or Consulate. If your legalization was carried out by the Ministry of Education, then the stamp will indicate the name of the institution. Please note that we do not accept legalizations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If a country in which a given document was issued is a party to The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, legalisation is replaced by an apostille.
The list of countries which signed to The Hague Convention can be found on HCCH WEBSITE On this website you can also check where you can obtain an apostille.
What does an apostille look like?
It is usually a sticker attached to your document with the word “apostille” on it.
RECOGNITION OF YOUR HIGH-SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
This procedure is conducted before your arrival in Poland by Polish education offices, including the Education Office in Warsaw. Please note that you will need to provide the decision of the Polish Superintendent, recognising your secondary school-leaving certificate, when applying for a student’s visa. The rules changed in July 2024.
Secondary school-leaving documents issued in EU or OECD/EFTA member states, in China, Ukraine and Libya, as well as IB and EB diplomas, are recognised based on provisions of the Polish law and/or international agreements, therefore no additional recognition procedure is required. Please see more details in the section:
Required Documents