Do I need eligibility/NAWA confirmation?
1. Why would I need a NAWA confirmation?
Eligibility declaration is a statement proving that the secondary school leaving certificate/ high school diploma you were awarded upon completion of your secondary education enables you to pursue higher education at any type of college or university in country where your diploma was issued. Recognition of foreign certificates for admission to long-cycle Master's degree programmes in Poland is mandatory for certificates issued outside the EU/EFTA/OECD and not covered by recognition agreements.
2. Who can sign it for me?
Pursuant to the Act of 12 May 2025 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 622), as of 1 July 2025, the Director of (National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) is being authorised to issue written information = individual recognition statement = regarding eligibility for admission to long-cycle (uniform Master’s) studies in Poland.
Such written information is mandatory only for certificates issued outside the EU/EFTA/OECD and not covered by recognition agreements.
Details on how to apply, the user manual, and required documents are available here.
Please pay attention on how to make scans of the documents.
List of certificates requiring NAWA information available here.
Applications to be submitted by the candidate. The individual recognition statement will be issued by NAWA and presented to the Candidate within maximum 60 days. The Candidate has to add this decision to the already submitted documents. Final admission to the University will be issued based on the NAWA written information regarding eligibility for admission to long-cycle (uniform Master’s) studies in Poland.
3. How do I determine if I need it?
Each full diploma* that was issued by a country which is NOT a member of EU/OECD/EFTA requires NAWA confirmation.
In addition NAWA certificate is not required in the case of secondary school certificates issued in countries included in international agreements on recognition of education (e.g. agreements with China or Ukraine).
*Full diploma means that your whole or major part of secondary education was completed in one country and you were awarded a regular diploma. Special entry or supplementary diploma holders (i.e. holders who have completed part of the education in one country and then moved to another and thus were not awarded regular diploma as their peers) are required to submit eligibility declaration.
Selected school leaving certificates exempt from the eligibility declaration requirement:
- Norwegian Vitnemal
- Swedish Slutbetyg
- German Abitur der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife
- Irish Leaving Certificate
- British GCE certificates
- Polish Świadectwo Dojrzałości
- International Baccalaureate diploma
- Eureopan Baccalaureate diploma
If you are not sure whether your diploma requires eligibility declaration or not, you may send us a scan of your diploma and ask (recruit@pum.edu.pl).