Diploma Recognition in Poland: NAWA and SYRENA Guide

A nawa recognition statement explains how your foreign qualification is recognized in Poland. Check whether you need an individual statement, qualify for automatic recognition, and meet your university’s requirements.

Start with the qualification you hold and the level you want to enter. A school-leaving certificate used for bachelor’s admission follows different rules from a university degree used for master’s admission.

What is a nawa recognition statement?

NAWA, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, issues individual statements about foreign educational qualifications. SYRENA is its online application system.

For secondary-school certificates, the statement confirms the right to apply for first-cycle studies, usually bachelor’s programs, or long-cycle studies. For higher-education diplomas, it explains the qualification and applicable recognition rules.

The statement is issued in Polish as a digitally signed PDF. It is not an admission letter, visa, scholarship award or general license to practice a regulated profession.

The university assesses your grades and application separately.

Who needs it?

Secondary-school certificates

Automatic recognition covers eligible certificates from EU, OECD or EFTA education systems, certificates covered by international agreements, and International Baccalaureate and European Baccalaureate diplomas.

These qualifications do not require an individual NAWA statement for applying to first-cycle or long-cycle studies. The scope of each agreement matters: check the exact certificate rather than assuming every document from a country qualifies.

Other foreign secondary-school certificates generally require an individual statement. If your certificate already has a recognition decision from a Polish Regional Educational Authority, you do not need NAWA to recognize it again.

Higher-education diplomas

For master’s admission, the central question is whether your degree gives access to the next level of higher education in its country of issue. Accreditation and the lawful delivery of the studies also matter.

Do not apply the secondary-school country checklist automatically to university degrees. Ask the admissions office whether it needs an individual statement or accepts general information generated through NAWA’s KWALIFIKATOR system.

Which recognition pathway should you follow?

These are alternative routes, not three compulsory stages:

• Eligible automatically recognized school certificate, IB or EB diploma: follow the university’s document checklist without a separate NAWA application for that recognition route.
• Other foreign school certificate without an existing recognition decision: apply through SYRENA.
• University degree used for master’s admission: check progression rights and the evidence required by the university.
• Need for equivalence to a specific Polish higher-education qualification: establish whether an agreement applies or university nostrification is necessary.

Nostrification is a separate procedure conducted by an authorized Polish higher-education institution. It assesses equivalence to a Polish qualification.

It is not an automatic fallback whenever NAWA cannot issue a favorable statement. For a degree providing the relevant progression rights, nostrification is generally unnecessary simply to continue studying. An accreditation problem is not something to assume nostrification will resolve.

Which documents should you prepare?

Prepare the documents for the qualification being assessed:

• Your final school certificate or higher-education diploma.
• Its transcript, supplement or list of subjects and grades, where applicable.
• The previous qualification that enabled entry to that stage of education.
• The previous qualification’s transcript, where applicable.
• Your passport identification page.
• Evidence explaining a name change, if relevant.
• Required certified or sworn translations.
• A parent or guardian declaration for a minor using the school-certificate route.
• Refugee-status documentation, where applicable.

For a bachelor’s diploma, the previous qualification will usually be the school certificate used to enter university. For a school-leaving certificate, it may be a lower-secondary certificate. Integrated school systems can require different handling.

Apostille and legalization

NAWA does not require documents uploaded to SYRENA to carry an apostille or legalization. Your university may impose separate authentication requirements.

Keep those checklists separate. Automatic academic recognition does not establish an exemption from every university document requirement.

Translations and proof of progression rights

NAWA’s current application guidance exempts documents issued in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian from translation. For other languages, follow its certified or sworn translation requirements. Check the university’s language and translation rules separately before ordering additional copies.

Your qualification must support the relevant right to continue education. If that is unclear, ask NAWA what supporting evidence it needs; do not assume a separate university-access letter is compulsory for every applicant.

How do you apply through SYRENA?

1. Open the correct application module

Use the official SYRENA portal and select English or Polish. Choose Secondary school certificate or Diploma / Academic Degree according to the qualification being assessed.

The published procedure uses an application form, email confirmation and an application ID. Do not assume that creating a conventional password-based account is a separate required step.

2. Enter personal and qualification details

Match personal details to your passport and qualification details to the document. Use the document’s issue date rather than your graduation ceremony date.

For a duplicate document, the current manuals instruct applicants to enter the original document’s issue date.

3. Upload the documents

Use PDF or JPG files, with a maximum size of 3 MB each. Scan originals clearly in color and combine the pages of each multipage document into one file.

Put each document in its designated field. Reusing the same certificate everywhere can leave the application incomplete. However, the school-certificate manual includes a specific exception for integrated schooling where no separate earlier certificate exists.

4. Review and activate

Check your email address, document numbers and attachments before sending the form. Open the activation email and click its link within 48 hours.

Sending the form alone does not complete submission. Save the confirmation and application ID. There is no NAWA application fee to pay.

5. Track the case

Check status using your application ID and the same email address, including its original capitalization.

If NAWA requests missing documents, supplement the existing application through the supplied link. Its current manuals specify 14 days. Do not create a duplicate application to answer that request.

6. Save the result

When notified that your nawa recognition statement is ready, download the signed PDF within 30 days. Keep the original digital file and a backup.

If it contains an error, follow the portal’s case re-examination instructions.

How long does recognition take, and what does it cost?

NAWA issues individual statements free of charge. Translation, authentication required by another institution and separately commissioned assistance may still cost money.

Do not treat 60 days as a guaranteed completion deadline. NAWA’s contact notice warns that processing can exceed that period because of application volumes. Its recognition guidance describes processing in the order complete documentation is received.

A reliable current average waiting time was not found in the official sources reviewed. Missing documents and incorrect submissions can extend your planning horizon.

Nostrification has a separate regulatory timetable: generally 90 days from a formally complete application, excluding specified periods for translations, examinations or professional placements. That is not the SYRENA timetable.

Plan backwards from the university’s document deadline and leave room for corrections.

What happens at the university?

For an applicant whose school certificate requires recognition, the statement supplies evidence of the right to apply. The university still evaluates grades, subject preparation, language evidence and any entrance examination. For English-taught study, confirm which language documents are accepted; speaking English comfortably is not a substitute for the required evidence.

For first-cycle and long-cycle applicants whose certificates fall outside the automatic-recognition routes, the country guidance also identifies an entrance-examination requirement introduced in July 2025. Check how your chosen program assesses the required knowledge or artistic aptitude, including its format and dates.

You may be able to begin registration while recognition is pending, but that depends on the university. Ask the admissions office to confirm:

• Whether it can assess an incomplete file.
• The final deadline for the recognition document.
• Whether a conditional offer allows later submission.
• What happens if the document arrives late.

A conditional offer does not automatically mean you can enroll or submit the statement after classes begin. Record its conditions alongside your admissions and applications checklist.

After admission, move on to payment, housing and your PESEL and arrival checklist.

Connect the document checklist to your chosen university

Your institution’s academic profile helps identify the right study context, but does not establish its recognition deadline. Compare the relevant university pages, then ask the admissions office about your exact qualification and intake.

• University of Wroclaw is a public institution in Wrocław with broad coverage across humanities, social sciences, law and science. DSW Ideis University is a private institution in the same city, with computing, management and creative-media subjects. Their shared location does not imply identical admission rules.
• Collegium Da Vinci University is a private institution in Poznań with a profile connecting technology, business, media and creative subjects. Match your intended study area to its requirements before treating recognition as the last step.
• Civitas University is a private institution in Warsaw with social-science, communication and management coverage. The Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, also in Warsaw, connects computing with creative and interdisciplinary fields. Subject preparation can matter alongside document eligibility.
• SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities covers psychology and broader social sciences alongside areas such as design and computing. Its locations include Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław, so confirm the campus attached to your chosen studies.
• WSB Merito Universities is a private university network covering business, technology and other applied subjects. Check the specific institution and location within the network; a university-level profile does not confirm that every option is available everywhere.

Public or private status does not settle whether your foreign qualification is accepted. Keep the institution’s written answer with your recognition documents, language evidence and any assessment dates.

What changes for EU and non-EU applicants?

For academic recognition, distinguish citizenship from the education system that awarded your qualification.

An EU passport does not automatically exempt a certificate obtained outside the automatic-recognition routes. Equally, a non-EU passport does not cancel an exemption attached to a qualifying certificate.

Immigration requirements are a separate assessment. If you need a visa or residence permission, check the applicable official instructions for your circumstances. A recognition statement does not grant permission to enter or stay in Poland.

Which mistakes should you avoid?

Starting when the university’s document deadline is already close creates a risk that even a correctly submitted application cannot remove.

Other avoidable mistakes include choosing the wrong SYRENA module, confusing issue and graduation dates, uploading cropped scans, overlooking the activation email, and missing requests for additional documents.

Do not order translations solely from an old checklist. Confirm the current requirements first.

NAWA scholarship applications are separate from recognition. A scholarship application does not replace SYRENA, and a recognition statement does not award funding.

Check the precise certificate and awarding body for your qualification. Do not assume that national attestation procedures and Polish recognition describe the same process.

Final Thoughts

Still choosing your program or city? Use the StudyFits AI Advisor to compare study options against your profile, then confirm recognition requirements with the university. Keep your qualification, translations, SYRENA status and university deadlines together in a document checklist.

If you need document preparation, translation or legalization support, explore relevant providers listed on StudyFits and confirm their scope and fees before booking. Keep the university’s written requirements beside your checklist. Your next step is to match your qualification to the intended study level and establish which evidence the admissions office needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a NAWA statement if I have an IB diploma?

An International Baccalaureate diploma falls within the automatic-recognition route for first-cycle and long-cycle admission. The university’s other admission requirements still apply.

Can I apply before the NAWA statement arrives?

Possibly. Check the university’s current rules and obtain its final document deadline. There is no universal permission to submit the statement after enrollment.

Is SYRENA free?

NAWA does not charge for the individual statement. Translation or other document services may involve separate charges.

Do I need an apostille before applying through SYRENA?

No. NAWA does not require apostille or legalization for SYRENA uploads. Check authentication requirements separately with your university.

Does an English diploma need a Polish translation?

NAWA’s published guidance exempts English-language documents from translation for its application. Your university may have different requirements.

Does a nawa recognition statement guarantee admission?

No. It addresses your qualification’s recognition; the university decides whether you meet the program’s admission requirements.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, immigration, or admissions advice. Requirements, fees, and deadlines change frequently; always verify current details on official university and government websites, and consult qualified professionals (such as a lawyer, accountant, or university admissions office) before making decisions. StudyFits is not responsible for decisions made based on this content.