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Nostrification of a diploma is the procedure for recognising an education document: a foreign diploma in Ukraine (through the Ministry of Education and the State Enterprise Information & Image Centre) or a Ukrainian diploma abroad under that country's rules. It is a separate procedure, not an apostille: the apostille only certifies the seal and signature and is the first step. Apostille first, then translation, and only then the application for recognition.
A foreign diploma in Ukraine: recognition via the Ministry of Education
If you studied abroad and want to work or study in Ukraine, the diploma goes through recognition (nostrification) via the Ministry of Education and the State Enterprise Information & Image Centre. This usually takes up to a few weeks. The document is submitted with a Ukrainian translation; for countries where the apostille applies, the original diploma must carry the apostille of the issuing country. This is a separate procedure from the apostille — the apostille is only a preliminary step and does not confirm the level of the qualification. We advise on the list of documents and prepare the notarised translation.
A Ukrainian diploma abroad: Germany and Poland
Recognition of a Ukrainian diploma abroad is a foreign-country procedure, and each country has its own rules. In Germany the qualification is checked against the anabin database (anabin.kmk.org) and through the ZAB (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen). In Poland nostrification (nostryfikacja) goes through a university or, in certain cases, through NAWA. Almost always the Ukrainian diploma must first be apostilled (the Ministry of Education places the apostille on education documents) and given a sworn translation into the country's language. The sequence depends on the country and the document type, so we determine it before starting, so you do not pay twice.
Apostille or nostrification: what is the difference
This is the most common confusion. An apostille only certifies the authenticity of the seal and signature on a document and does not confirm the level of your qualification; it is a prerequisite, not the recognition. Nostrification (recognition) is a separate procedure at an education authority that confirms your qualification is valid for work or study. The correct order is: legalisation first (apostille on the diploma and supplement, or consular legalisation for non-Hague countries), then translation, and only then the application for recognition. Skip the apostille and the recognition application will not be accepted.
Tell us which country the diploma is for, and we will build the diploma nostrification in the right order — apostille, translation, submission.
Frequently asked questions about diploma nostrification
How does an apostille differ from nostrification?
An apostille certifies the authenticity of the seal and signature on a document — it is a prerequisite. Nostrification (recognition) is a separate procedure at an education authority that confirms your qualification is valid for work or study. Apostille first, then recognition.
Who places the apostille on a diploma in Ukraine?
The apostille on education documents (diploma, supplement, certificate) is placed by the Ministry of Education. This is not the same authority as for other documents: the Ministry of Justice apostilles notarial acts and civil-registry records, the Ministry of Internal Affairs handles the criminal-record extract. The Ministry's fee is separate; our service starts from 950 UAH.
How long does diploma recognition take?
Recognition of a foreign diploma in Ukraine via the Ministry of Education usually takes up to a few weeks. Abroad, the timeframe is set by that country's authority (a university, the ZAB, NAWA, etc.) and depends on the country and the institution. The decision on recognition is made by the relevant authority — we do not guarantee a third party's outcome, but we prepare the documents flawlessly.
Nostrification is recognition of a qualification, not a stamp on paper, so the key is the right sequence: apostille and translation first, then submission to the relevant authority. The decision is made by the Ministry of Education or a foreign institution under its own rules, so we cannot guarantee their outcome — but we can make sure the documents are flawless and accepted without extra rounds. Tell us which country the diploma is for, and we will map out the exact route.
