Acknowledgement of equivalence and validity of secondary-school reports from international schools 

Nostrification is the recognition of a foreign education level (elementary, secondary, higher vocational or university) by Czech authorities.

Procedure for recognizing foreign secondary education in the Czech Republic

A condition for admission to a bachelor's degree program is the completion of secondary education with a school-leaving examination.

1. In the case of obtaining a foreign secondary education by completing studies in a secondary education program, compliance with the condition under paragraph 1 is proven by submitting the original or an officially certified copy of:
   
   a) a foreign document on foreign secondary education with a school-leaving examination, if it is automatically equivalent in the Czech Republic according to its international obligations without further official procedure (Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Germany),
   
   b) a document on the general recognition of the equivalence or validity of a foreign document on the achievement of foreign secondary education in the Czech Republic, obtained pursuant to Sections 108 and 108a of the Education Act, (https://www.vsfs.cz/en/?id=3362-international-secondary-education general recognition)
   
   c) a document on the award of the International Baccalaureate (Section 48, paragraph 4, letter c) of the Higher Education Act),
   
   d) a document on the award of the European Baccalaureate.
    

    

2. Compliance with the condition under paragraph 1 may also be assessed on the basis of an applicant's request for assessment of a foreign document on foreign secondary education, which was obtained by completing studies in a secondary education program at a foreign secondary school operating under the legal regulations of a foreign state and which, in the given foreign state, entitles its holder to access studies in a bachelor's degree program (hereinafter referred to as the "application for assessment of secondary education").

To assess foreign higher education at the VŠFS, certified copies of documents with the required level of verification must be submitted. The list of required documents by level of study is available below.

If the documents required for assessment of foreign education are not in Czech or English, the applicant is obliged to attach their official translation into Czech.

The documents must be translated by a court interpreter or a translator from the list of interpreters and translators maintained by the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic.

An applicant who applies for assessment of foreign secondary education (internal nostrification) for the admission to a bachelor's degree program shall submit:

1. an officially certified copy of the foreign document certifying foreign education, including its official translation into Czech if the document was not issued in English
2. an officially certified copy of a confirmation from the relevant foreign authority that the foreign secondary school was authorized to provide secondary education at the time of the applicant's studies in the specified foreign country, and that a graduate of the secondary education program of the given foreign secondary school is authorized to apply for admission to study in a bachelor's degree program in the specified foreign country, including its official translation into Czech if the confirmation was not issued in English.

If necessary, the VŠFS may request additional information about the content and scope of the foreign secondary education program.

Foreign education assessment process

1. The applicant pays a fee of CZK 1,000 for the assessment of foreign education.
   Account No. 177659927/0300  ČSOB Prague 1
   Variable symbol (V.S.)  your application No.
   Specific symbol: 8162
   Payment from abroad: IBAN CZ23 0300 0000 0001 7765 9927, BIC CEKO CZ PP
2. Sending documents proving completed education to VŠFS – Address: Information Centre, Estonská 500, 101 00 Prague 10. Documents can also be submitted in person at the Information centre on the same address.
3. After the applicant has fulfilled the admission procedure conditions and submitted the above-mentioned documents, VŠFS will assess whether the documented education meets the condition of previous education necessary for admission to the relevant study program. VŠFS will accept the document if it has no doubts that the applicant has demonstrated that this condition for admission has been met.
4. The applicant is notified of the result of the assessment of foreign education.
5. If the document of education was not accepted, the applicant shall submit a document of general recognition of foreign education in the Czech Republic (general nostrification).
6. In case the applicant does not submit the necessary documents upon request within the specified period, or informs VŠFS about their decision not to continue with the process of assessment, the admission process will be stopped.