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Admission

2025/2026

Legalization of the diploma

Applicants who have completed secondary education outside Poland are required to legalize or obtain an Apostille for their educational documents before they can be accepted in the admission process.

 

What is document legalization?

Legalization is the official confirmation of the authenticity of a document issued abroad, allowing it to be recognized by Polish institutions, including universities.
The process depends on the country where the document was issued. 

 

 

Apostille or legalization – what’s the difference?

Apostille – applies to documents issued in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961.
In this case, it is sufficient for the document (e.g. high school diploma) to bear an Apostille certificate issued by the competent authority in the country of origin.
➤ Information about the authority responsible for issuing Apostille is available on the official government website of each country.

Consular legalization – applies to documents issued in countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention.
In this case, the document must be:

  1. legalized by the Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where it was issued, and
  2. subsequently legalized by the Polish diplomatic or consular post in that country.

 

 

Translation of documents

After obtaining Apostille or legalization, all documents issued in languages other than Polish or English must be translated into one of these languages by:

  • a sworn translator registered in Poland (Ministry of Justice list), or
  • a certified/sworn translator in the country where the document was issued (provided their status is recognized in Poland).

 

 

Documents requiring legalization

  • high school diploma / secondary school certificate,
  • transcript of records (if issued separately),
  • other educational documents required in the admission process confirming eligibility for higher education studies.

 

 

When to submit legalized documents?

Applicants must submit legalized and translated documents:

  • at the stage of submitting application documents, or
  • no later than upon enrollment (matriculation).

Failure to provide legalized or apostilled documents will prevent admission to studies.

 

 

Important:
The university reserves the right to verify the authenticity of submitted documents and request additional confirmation if necessary.

You do not need to go through a recognition procedure if your secondary school certificate was issued by:

  • a school operating in the educational system of a country that is a member of the EU, EFTA, or OECD;
  • the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB diploma);
  • a European School (European Baccalaureate diploma – EB);
  • a country with which Poland has signed a bilateral agreement on the mutual recognition of education (even if the agreement has expired).

These documents are automatically recognized in Poland and grant you the right to apply for admission to higher education institutions.

 


Starting from July 1, 2025, if your secondary school certificate was issued outside of the EU, EFTA, OECD, and your country does not have a bilateral agreement with Poland, you will need to obtain:

  • an Official Statement from the Director of NAWA (Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange) confirming that your diploma gives access to higher education.

This statement is required by universities during the application process.
 
Remember!

 


If you have already received a recognition decision issued by a Polish Education Superintendent (Kurator Oświaty) before July 1, 2025, you do not need to apply for an additional statement from the Director of NAWA.

 


Such decisions remain valid and continue to be accepted by Polish universities during the admission process.

As of July 1, 2025, all foreign secondary school certificates that do not qualify for automatic recognition (i.e. not issued in EU, EFTA, OECD countries, or under bilateral agreements with Poland, and not IB or EB diplomas) must be formally recognized for the purpose of applying to a Polish university. This procedure is handled by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) through the online platform SYRENA:
https://nawa.gov.pl
https://syrena.nawa.gov.pl

To apply, candidates must submit the following documents via SYRENA (electronically, signed with a trusted profile or qualified e-signature):

  • A completed application form;
  • The original certificate or an officially certified copy with Apostille (if the country is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention) or legalization (if not);
  • If the certificate does not include full details, the following additional documents are required:
    • final exam results and grades;
    • a transcript listing subjects and classes completed, with grades;
    • information about the curriculum, grading scale, and duration of education;
    • a confirmation that the certificate grants access to higher education in the issuing country;
  • A certified Polish translation of all documents, prepared by:
    • a sworn translator in Poland;
    • a sworn translator registered in an EU, EFTA, or OECD country;
    • a Polish consul;
    • or an embassy/consulate of the country that issued the certificate.

The procedure is free of charge. NAWA issues an official statement confirming that the certificate gives access to higher education in Poland. This document must be submitted to the university during the admission process. The processing time is up to 60 days.

If you have already obtained a recognition decision from a Polish Education Superintendent (Kurator Oświaty) before July 1, 2025, you do not need to apply to NAWA again. Such decisions remain valid and are accepted by universities.

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Admission

2025/2026

+48 814485374
admissions@umlub.edu.pl
Room 31-32 (ground floor), Al. Racławickie 1, (Collegium Novum), 20-059 Lublin
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