Unlike academic recognition, which implies recognition for the purpose of continuing education, the main purpose of professional recognition of a diploma from a foreign university is employment in Serbia. A foreigner whose diploma has been recognized in this way can apply for temporary residence for up to one year and, during this period, look for a job or prepare to start their own business.
Does a higher education diploma grant a residence permit in Serbia? The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as guaranteed residence. The administration for foreigners has a discretionary power to turn down any applicants if there are reasons to believe the applicant will not use their stay in a manner for which the stay has been granted. The diploma you have will bring you close to obtaining residence in Serbia, should all other conditions be met.
We wrote about the procedure for granting temporary residence on this basis (residence for talents), the necessary documentation and costs in one of the previous articles, and now we will talk about the recognition of a foreign higher education document.
Competent authority
The procedure for the recognition of a foreign diploma is conducted before the ENIC/NARIC Centre. This center is an organizational part of the Agency for Qualifications. In addition to higher education certificates, the Agency also conducts procedures for the recognition of foreign documents of primary and secondary education. The ENIC/NARIC Centre is not authorized for the recognition of any type of specialisation or certificates issued within the framework of professional training. Only final diplomas issued by higher education institutions are recognized, not certificates of graduation.
Electronic submission
The application for recognition of a foreign higher education document should be completed and submitted electronically, via the following link.
When filling out the application, you need to enter basic personal data, data on the acquired education, including the level at which you obtained the diploma whose recognition is requested, as well as data on the level of education that preceded the level at which recognition is requested. For example, if you are looking for a professional recognition of a master’s degree, you will also need to enter information about the undergraduate studies you have taken.
Necessary documents
After filling out the electronic application, you need to attach the following documentation:
- Original diploma with an APOSTIL, if required. APOSTIL certification is not required if the diploma was obtained in countries with which the Republic of Serbia has concluded bilateral agreements on mutual exemption from certification of public documents/diplomas with the APOSTIL stamp;
- Original diploma supplement or exam transcript. If you have a doctoral degree that has neither a diploma supplement nor an exam transcript, the submission of these documents is not required;
- Translation of the diploma and diploma supplement made by a certified court interpreter. It is not necessary to submit translations of foreign higher education documents from the following countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia and Montenegro, it is sufficient to certify copies of these documents at a notary public and attach them to the electronic application. If the original diploma is bilingual, it does not matter from which language it is translated;
- A copy of an identity card or passport;
- A CV in Serbian or English stating the course of education;
- For the recognition of doctoral studies, it is necessary to submit a doctoral dissertation in electronic form in the original language;
- Proof of payment of the fee;
Costs of the procedure
The fee for the recognition of a foreign document is 13,150.00 RSD (about 113 EUR). In addition to the fee, you can count on the costs of a court interpreter (about 1,500.00 RSD, or 13 EUR per translation page), and the cost of an apostille that varies from country to country.
Time necessary for the recognition of a foreign higher education diploma in Serbia
The procedure for the recognition of a foreign higher education document lasts up to 60 days from the date of submission of the application. If the higher education degree is obtained from one of the top 500 universities ranked in one of the most recently published international rankings of universities in the world, the Shanghai ranking consultancy, the US News and World Report Ranking or The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the decision on professional recognition is made within 8 (eight) days from the date of receipt of the application with complete documentation.
Retrieving the decision on recognition– required documentation
The Agency will notify you of the decision electronically. When downloading the solution, you need to bring:
- completed, printed and signed electronic application,
- the original diploma and diploma supplement or exam transcript for inspection (a certified copy is not the same as the original document),
- translation of the diploma and diploma supplement or transcript of the exam, with a copy of the original certified by a court interpreter,
- a copy of the doctoral thesis, if recognition of the doctoral degree is requested.
To summarize, the procedure for professional recognition of a foreign diploma requires carefully prepared documentation and an understanding of the legal framework. In order to avoid errors and unnecessary delays, it is recommended to inform yourself in a timely manner and, if necessary, consult with experts in the field of immigration law. Quality preparation is the first step towards successful integration into the labor market in Serbia.
Author: Attorney Milica D. Čučković, member of the Belgrade Bar Association