Nostrification of a Ukrainian diploma in Poland 2026: when it is needed, the procedure, the price, the concessions

Nostrification is a procedure for recognising a foreign diploma as equivalent to a Polish one. In 2026, a Ukrainian in Poland does not always need it. First check whether your diploma is not recognised automatically — this will save time and money.

When nostrification is NOT required

• Diplomas issued in Ukraine before the Polish-Ukrainian agreement entered into force (20 June 2006) are recognised in Poland automatically for the purpose of continuing studies — on the basis of bilateral instruments in force at the time the diploma was issued. The agreement on mutual academic recognition itself (signed on 11 April 2005, in force from 20 June 2006) governs the recognition of documents issued from that date.
• An important caveat: this agreement concerns the recognition of education only for academic purposes (continuing studies). Recognition for employment (particularly in regulated professions) takes place under Poland's domestic law — and here the agreement does not recognise the diploma automatically.
• Check the status of your diploma before submitting documents via NAWA (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej) and the KWALIFIKATOR system at kwalifikator.nawa.gov.pl.

When nostrification IS required

• The diploma was issued after the date covered by the academic agreement, and it is needed for further study.
• The diploma is needed for employment in a regulated profession, where the employer or authority requires recognition of the qualification under Polish law.
• An institution (employer, university, licensing authority) explicitly requires a Polish equivalent of the diploma.

The university procedure: steps

1. Check the diploma via NAWA / KWALIFIKATOR — whether it is recognised automatically.
2. Choose a university that has academic category A+, A or B+ in the discipline to which your diploma belongs. Only such institutions carry out nostrification.
3. Prepare the documents (below) together with translations into Polish.
4. Submit the application and pay the fee for the procedure (or apply for a concession/funding).
5. Assessment by the university: the institution compares the study programme, learning outcomes, duration and practical training with Polish requirements.
6. Possible additional requirements: if significant differences are found, the university may require you to take exams or complete practical training.
7. Decision: the university recognises the diploma as equivalent or refuses — no later than 90 days from the date of submission of the complete set of documents (excluding the time for translations, exams and practical training).

Which documents are needed

• The diploma of completion of studies together with the supplement (suplement) and a translation into Polish.
• Documents allowing an assessment of the course of study, learning outcomes and duration of studies (for example, an academic transcript), with translations.
• The document that was the basis for admission (school-leaving certificate/diploma), with a translation.
• Copies certified as true by an institution are acceptable; the university may require a sworn translation.
• If needed, some universities may additionally request a document on a change of surname or a birth certificate — this is not a general requirement, check with the specific institution.

How much it costs and how to save

• The maximum fee for nostrification is 50% of a professor's minimum salary. From 1 January 2026 this minimum salary is 9650 zł (Regulation of 14 April 2026, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 525), so the upper limit of the fee is approximately 4825 zł. This is the maximum: a particular university may set a lower amount (for example, the University of Warsaw charges 4825 zł).
• Each university itself determines the conditions and procedure for exemption from the fee — ask about the concession directly at the institution.
• Funding from the Funduszu Pracy: if you are registered as unemployed, the starosta may, on your application, fund the fee for the nostrification procedure from the Labour Fund. Submit the application to the powiatowy urząd pracy (poviat labour office).

Concessions for persons under temporary protection and without an original diploma

• Without an original diploma: Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Poland after 24 February 2022 may go through the procedure without submitting originals of the diploma — on the basis of the special law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine of 12 March 2022.
• If the diploma is entirely missing: persons under temporary protection (as well as those with refugee status or subsidiary protection) who do not have a diploma at all can use a separate procedure for confirming the completion of studies at a particular level under the Law on Higher Education and Science of 20 July 2018.
• Those who arrived before 24.02.2022: according to the ministry's position, such persons can use the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees instead of classic nostrification.

The special law and regulated professions

The special law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine allows Ukrainian forced migrants to work without nostrification of their diploma in some situations. However, for some regulated professions (for example, medical ones) separate simplified routes of access to the profession apply — check their conditions separately with the relevant authority, because they are not identical to diploma nostrification.

Legal basis: Art. 327 of the Law of 20 July 2018 "Law on Higher Education and Science" and the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 28 September 2018 (Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1881) set out the procedure for nostrification, the 90-day term and the fee limit.