Formal requirements necessary for the enrolment
– 4 photos – passport size
Long-term residence permit
– see Visa Arrangements
– does not apply to students from EU and EFTA countries
Secondary school education recognition
Each student studying at a university in the Czech Republic must have his/her
secondary school education recognized by the Czech Educational Office.
The deadline to have the process successfully completed is at the end of August.
If you completed the previous level of education at a foreign secondary school, submit one of the following documents: a document proving that a foreign document concerning the obtainment of secondary education is generally recognised as equivalent or valid in the Czech Republic (so-called “nostrification”), or a document proving the granting of the European Baccalaureate, or a foreign document concerning a foreign secondary education completed with a “maturita” examination, if it is deemed automatically equivalent in the Czech Republic in accordance with its international agreements without any further administrative procedures (a “maturita school leaving certificate” from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, or Slovenia), or a foreign document concerning a foreign secondary education to be assessed by the faculty (for a fee of CZK 960). Detailed information about the manner of proving fulfilment of the requirement of obtainment of secondary education with a “maturita” school-leaving examination for graduates of foreign secondary schools is available on the faculty website in this section.
Proof of fulfillment of the above condition can be one of the following:
Nostrification by the education department of recognition authority at any regional authority (Krajský úřad) in the Czech Republic. More information about this process available here
The European Baccalaureate diploma (NOT an IB diploma which requires either option a) or d) - details here
Diploma issued by a secondary school accredited in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary or Slovenia
Nostrification in terms of the admission procedure – processed by our faculty, for more information contact Mgr. Simona Rozkošová
IMPORTANT: each applicant, regardless of what condition from a) to d) they fulfil, has to apply for secondary school education recognition during their on-line registration in the university system. Find below an instruction manual on the application process.
Nostrification Application Manual
PLEASE NOTE: Those who wish to have their certificates recognised by the Faculty will be charged 960,- CZK and asked to pay immediately by card. No other mode of transaction is possible. Those who fulfil one of the conditions a) to c) will not be charged.
Contact person in case of questions: Simona Rozkošová - rozkosos@lfhk.cuni.cz
The following documents may be used to prove completion of foreign secondary education:
a) a document proving general recognition of the equivalence or validity of a foreign document (so-called “nostrification”). Only if you have obtained “Osvědčení o uznání rovnocennosti zahraničního vysvědčení“ or “Rozhodnutí o uznání rovnocennosti zahraničního vysvědčení“ or you plan to obtain one in the near future.
The applicant must submit:
application for nostrification - section Proof of education in the module Admission
An authenticated copy of a document obtained in accordance with Act No. 561/2004 Sb., to regulate pre-school, basic, secondary, tertiary professional and other education (the Education Act), as amended, or in accordance with prior legal regulations, proving that a foreign document concerning the obtainment of secondary education is generally recognised as equivalent or valid in the Czech Republic.
It is issued by Regional Authorities (“krajský úřad”), the Metropolitan Authority of the Capital City of Prague (“Magistrát hlavního města Prahy”), or by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
For more information see:
Free of charge (a fee of CZK 1,000 is paid to the Regional Authority or the Metropolitan Authority within the framework of the procedure on recognition of the equivalence or validity of a foreign secondary education)
b) a document proving the awarding of a European Baccalaureate
The applicant must submit:
application for nostrification - section Proof of education in the module Admission
An authenticated copy of the European Baccalaureate diploma
This applies only to the European Baccalaureate.
Free of charge
This does not apply to the International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma), which is considered a document under section 48 (4) (d) of the Higher Education Act, and in this case the procedure described under letter (d) is applicable. If the applicant submits, in addition to the IB Diploma, a “maturita” certificate of the “maturita” examination in Czech language and literature passed in the common part of the “maturita” examination, then these two documents are considered equivalent to the Czech “maturita” certificate and the applicant does not have to prove foreign education.
c) a document deemed automatically equivalent without any further administrative procedure
The applicant must submit:
A foreign document concerning a foreign secondary education completed with the “maturita” examination, if it is deemed automatically equivalent in the Czech Republic in accordance with its international agreements without any further administrative procedures – these are documents proving obtainment of the equivalent of Czech “maturita” in Slovakia, Poland (“swiadectwo dojrzalosci”), Hungary (“érettségi bizonyítvány”), and Slovenia.
The applicant must submit:
application for nostrification - section Proof of education in the module Admission
An authenticated copy of the foreign certificate or a similar document proving foreign secondary education obtained by completing a secondary educational programme at a foreign secondary school operating under the legal regulations of another state.
If needed the faculty will request the applicant to also submit the following documents:
Original or an authenticated copy of a document describing the content and scope of education completed at a foreign school (an overview of subjects completed during period of study)
Free of charge
d) a foreign document concerning a foreign secondary education
The applicant must submit:
application for nostrification - section Proof of education in the module Admission
An authenticated copy of the foreign certificate or a similar document proving foreign secondary education obtained by completing a secondary educational programme at a foreign secondary school operating under the legal regulations of another state
Original or an authenticated copy of a document describing the content and scope of education completed at a foreign school (an overview of subjects completed during period of study)
If needed the faculty will request the applicant to also submit the following documents:
Additional information on the content and scope of foreign secondary education
A confirmation from the relevant foreign body (e.g., a Ministry of Education) certifying that the programme of study was offered by an institution authorised to provide an education comparable to a secondary education under the Education Act (a statement on “accreditation”). The confirmation is accepted also in a form of a link to the local MOE where the school is notified.
A confirmation from the relevant foreign secondary school or other relevant foreign body (e.g., a Ministry of Education) certifying that a graduate of a secondary educational programme at the relevant foreign secondary school is entitled to apply for admission to study in a bachelor’s or a long-cycle master’s programme of study in the given foreign state. The information is usually notified in the diploma supplement. Eventually the school can issue a specific letter containing this fact.
This concerns documents to which the procedure under letter (c) cannot be applied.
THE DOCUMENT IS ASSESSED BY THE FACULTY – in the case of a positive assessment, the document is accepted; in the case of a negative assessment the applicant is required to submit a document under letter (a) (“nostrification”)
The assessment is valid only for the admissions procedure at one faculty in one academic year.
For information on the current amount of the administrative fee please consult the website of your chosen faculty.
Should you receive your final diploma/ Cambridge results only in August, please request your school to issue a certificate of predicted grades. This document can be sent by the school directly as an original document in a selaed enveloppe.
As soon as the official final results are published, the official certifiate would be handed in later on. Eventually the applicant can share the login details with the Study Department to check the final results whcih would replace the attestation of hard copies.
TRANSLATIONS
Documents which are not originally issued in the Czech, English, or Slovak languages must be officially translated into the Czech or English languages by a court (sworn) translator (Czech or foreign one).
The sheets with translations must be attached to the authenticated copies of the documents they relate to in such a way that makes it impossible to subsequently change or replace the sheets containing the translation. Translations attached to unauthenticated copies of documents shall not be accepted.
OTHER DOCUMENTS
If the situation of the applicant calls for it, the applicant also submits the following documents:
A power of attorney, if the applicant is represented by an attorney for the purposes of proving compliance with the requirement for admission under section 48 (4) and (5) of the Higher Education Act;
If the applicant’s name changes, an authenticated copy of a document proving it (e.g., a certificate of marriage);
An authenticated copy of the decision to award international protection, if the assessment is requested by a person listed in section 90 (4) of the Higher Education Act and if this person wishes to use the possibility of substituting a document with an affirmation.
TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA
A document that temporarily replaces a certificate / diploma can be accepted within the admission process.
However, it must be properly legalized and contain the information normally found on a certificate / diploma, ie: the name of the secondary school and study program completed, the level of education attained, the expected date of issue of the certificate / diploma and the date of issue.
The certificate of completion should be issued by the same secondary school, which will also issue a certificate / diploma.
IB DIPLOMA
If an applicant sends the Transcrip of grades online through the system IBIS, it is not necessary to wait until the physical IB diploma.
It is sufficient for the candidate to provide Transcript of grades (IB Results). It contains the name of the secondary school where the applicant graduated from the IB Program and the resulting marks from six subjects that the applicant studied within the program (best grade = 7). At the request of the applicant, the transcript is sent by the IB directly to the higher education institutions to which the applicant applies. Charles University accepts transcripts only in electronic form sent via the International Baccalaureate Information System (IBIS).
EUROPEAN BACCALAUREATE
The European Baccalaureate is a document automatically equivalent to a Czech Baccalaureate certificate (as with all secondary school certificates of EU member states). Therefore, its holders do not have to prove their foreign education within the admission process.
All you have to do is submit an officially certified copy of the European Baccalaureate - duly legalized according to the country that issued the document.
Cambridge / Pearson Edexcel / AQA/ OCR certificates have to meet the requirements for Great Britain. Thus, you need to provide us either with certified copies of the documents with an APOSTILLE issued in Great Britain OR you should provide us with certified copies (without an Apostille) and AT THE SAME TIME you have to fulfil one of the following requirements:
a. The board will send us a transcript of records or a diploma supplement in a sealed envelope (or you yourself will provide us with a transcript of records or a diploma supplement in a sealed envelope)
b. We will be able to download a transcript of records from the official website of the board (e.g.upon entering a password that you would give us)
Another option, which I highly recommend, is that you will arrange for one pair of originals (the final A-level certificate with at least 3 passed subjects) to be sent by the institution in a sealed envelope directly to our address.
Thus received, it will considered sufficient for the nostrification process. Please bear in mind that we keep the documents and will not return them to you.
If you receive the final certificate in July, beginning of August it should be still fine. But remember it also has to be officially verified and then sent to the Study Department.
For Cambridge certificates, applicants have to reach one of the below results:
The minimum requirements for Cambridge certificates is 5x subjects GCSE + 2x subjects A-level.
The same applies to IGCSE - 5x IGCSE + 2x A-level.
The same applies to O-level - 5x O-level + 2x A-level.
The variety of 1x A-level and 2x AS level is NOT acceptable.
If an applicant has more than 2x A-level but a lower number of GCSE/IGCSE/O-level subjects, this variety can be accepted as well.
All other cases should be discussed with the Study Department - contact person Simona Rozkošová.
Schools following the Cambridge curriculum have to prove the accreditation as well.
IGCSE / IGCE / Cambridge Pre-U
We assess in the same way as the British GCSE and GCE - minimum requirements see above
Cambridge Pre-U Diploma
This is the level of upper secondary education (similar to GCE).
The condition for obtaining the diploma is the completion of 3 principal subjects + the course Global Perspectives and Research (GPR). 1-2 Principal Subjects can be replaced by A-levels.
In addition to the diploma, the graduate also receives a Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate for each course completed.
ATTENTION: The applicant with the Cambridge Pre-U Diploma must also prove the completion of lower secondary education (ie GCSE or its equivalent).
Although the applicant has passed the final exams organized by Cambridge Assessment International Education, it is necessary to verify whether the secondary school has completed his education at an accredited secondary school.
It is possible to verify whether a foreign secondary school has official authorization to teach according to the British curriculum (British accreditation) on the website of the
BRITISH SCHOOLS OVERSEAS: ACCREDITED SCHOOLS INSPECTION REPORTS
Information about Pearson Edexcel:
If the code begins with:
- 8 - it is a full GCE AS level qualification
- 9 - it is afull GCE A level qualification
- W - it is an IAS or IAL unit (not yet ´cashed in´)
- X - it is a full International AS level qualification
- Y - it is a full International A level qualification
Please note that for applicants coming from INDIA, below all required documents:
-Transcript of records of the last two years study
-Senior School Certificate Examination
-Senior School Certificate Examination marks statement
-Grade Sheet cum Certificate of Performance
-Migration Certificate
State Boards
• India is divided into 28 states, each with 1 or more State Boards. Some states have special Boards for lower and upper secondary education.
• For a list of all recognized Boards in each Indian state, see the Ecctis database
Central Boards
• These are the three institutions: the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
• It operates throughout India.
• Secondary education obtained at a school "accredited" by one of the Central Boards is generally considered to be of better quality than secondary education from schools under State Boards.
If the certificate from India is issued by one of the State or Central Boards, the accreditation of the high school can be considered proven.
School accreditation
School accreditation can be considered proven in the following cases:
o The school can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education or the accreditation office of the country.
o The applicant shall provide the original or an officially certified copy of the accreditation certificate issued by the Ministry of Education, the accreditation authority of the country or the national branch of ENIC-NARIC. The document must be correctly officially certified according to the state where it was issued.
o The Ministry of Education, the accreditation office of the country or the national branch of ENIC-NARIC will confirm to you via e-mail sent directly to the e-mail address of the faculty that the school was accredited at the time of the applicant's studies (we do not accept e-mails forwarded by the applicant).
All of the above mentioned documents have to be validated (officially verified) by a lawyer, solicitor or notary public and must contain apostille or super-legalization clause. Apostille is sufficient for countries listed here: http://www.apostille.org.uk/apostille-countries Documents issued in countries not included in the list require super-legalization (verification by locally competent Czech Embassy).
Delivery of the documents
All documents handed in physically at the faculty must be legally attested as described above (depending on the country issuing the documents).
Should the applicant need to keep the documents, please have the copies of the original documents attested by a notary. You will then keep the originals and send the attested copies to the faculty.
PLEASE NOTE that all documents have to be officially translated into English or Czech language!
Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové
Charles University
Šimkova 870
500 03 Hradec Králové
Czech Republic, Europe
Phone: +420 495 816 111
E-mail:
