Recognition procedures for employment
The recognition of foreign higher education qualifications is carried out for the purposes of employment (professional recognition) or continuation of education (academic recognition) in North Macedonia, and it is based on the Law on Recognition of Qualifications. The body responsible for issuing certificates is the Information Centre for Equalization and Recognition of Foreign High Educational Qualifications, a body within the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), which is to assist holders of foreign diploma to the obtain recognition of their qualifications in North Macedonia.
(Source: Euraxess, accessed May, 2019)
Qualifications awarded by the higher education institutions ranked in the top 50 on the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), US News and Report и Times Higher Education Supplement - Word University Ranking are being automatically recognised. The cost of recognition procedure is up to 80 EUR.
Procedure
An application for the recognition of the first cycle degree is to be submitted by completing a request form alongside the following documents:
- Original foreign exchange diploma (certified with an apostille stamp, i.e. stamp from the relevant Ministry of Foreign Affairs for countries that are not members of the Hague Convention)
- A copy of a diploma(one copy officially certified by the notary)
- The translation of foreign diploma in Macedonian using the Cyrillic alphabet, certified by notary
- Original transcript of records and/or diploma supplement
- A copy of the transcript of records and/or diploma supplement
- The translation of the transcript of records and/or diploma supplement in Macedonian using the Cyrillic alphabet, certified by notary
- A foreign higher education institution study plan and programme
- Administrative tax proof of payment
An application for the recognition of the second cycle degree should, in addition to above listed document, be submitted together with an MA final paper while an application for the recognition of the third cycle degree should also contain a proof that studies lasted at least 3 years and PhD thesis.
Upon the submission of the documents a recognition commission (formed by the minister in charge of higher education by field and area) suggests the title and the level of qualification to the MES. Provided that the recognition commission finds that documentation is incomplete an applicant is notified and has 30 days to complete the documentation.
The Minister of Education and Science has 60 days following the documentation submission to accept the decision. The recognition process of qualifications awarded by the higher education institutions ranked in the top 50 on the Academic Ranking of World Universities lasts 8 days within which the Ministry of Education and Science adopts the decision on recognition of foreign higher education qualification, in this case without a recommendation of the recognition commission.
(Source: Ministry for Education and Science revised by the MES representative, May 2019)
For additional information please consult the Ministry for Education and Science.