Document Recognition for Cyprus: School Certificates and KYSATS

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

In Cyprus two different things are called recognition. For a bachelor's application, the institution itself judges your school-leaving certificate. A national body, KYSATS, recognises higher education degrees, not school certificates. Knowing which one applies saves you a lot of unnecessary paperwork.

School certificate: the institution decides

There is no central office that approves a foreign school certificate before you apply to a private university. Eurydice says private institutions usually require a leaving certificate from a recognised secondary school, and each one sets its own checks. Public universities have their own routes for foreign certificates. See how to get into a university in Cyprus.

What the universities ask for in practice:

European University Cyprus (EUC): the official high school leaving certificate and grade mark sheet, as certified copies in English.
University of Nicosia (UNIC): for applicants who need a student visa, the original attested high school leaving certificate and mark sheets.

Attested means certified by the authorities of your home country. UNIC notes that the procedure differs between countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention and those that are not. For the general rules, see apostille and legalisation of documents.

Translations

UNIC says attested documents must be in English, and that translations must be made by an approved translator and then attested. EUC asks for certified copies in English. If your certificate is in another language, ask your institution which translators it accepts before you order a translation.

Documents for the entry permit are separate

A non-EU student also needs a police clearance certificate, medical test results and bank documents, each with its own validity period, for example four months for medical tests and six months for the police certificate. These documents go to the institution, which passes them to the Migration Department. See student visa for Cyprus.

KYSATS: recognising a degree

KYSATS is the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. It describes itself as the competent authority of the Republic of Cyprus for recognition of higher education qualifications, and it is a member of the NARIC and ENIC networks. You need it if you want your degree, including a Cypriot private university degree, to be recognised as equivalent to a degree of a Cypriot public university.

Its FAQ explains some rules that matter when choosing where to study:

Degrees from Cypriot public universities are automatically recognised.
A private university degree is covered only if you completed the entire programme at that university.
For a bachelor's degree awarded by an institution other than the one where you did part of the programme, at least three full-time semesters (three-year courses) or four (four-year courses) must be completed at the awarding institution.
Credit transfers from external qualifications exceeding 10% of the programme's credits can cause problems.
KYSATS does not recognise institutions or evaluate programmes. That is the job of the competent authorities, and for Cyprus that means checking the programme in the CYQAA register.

How a KYSATS application works

Evaluation costs €85.43 per application, and the certificate of recognition costs €34.17. Re-evaluation costs €170.86.
Documents: the Apolyterion or school-leaving certificate, the degree, the Diploma Supplement and official transcript, with official translations into Greek or English where needed. Translations are accepted only from the awarding institution, official sworn translators of the Republic of Cyprus, or the relevant ministry of the awarding country.
Applications are submitted only on Mondays and Tuesdays between 08:30 and 14:00, by appointment at 56 Strovolos Avenue, Nicosia.
A separate application is needed for each degree.

KYSATS does not state a processing time. These details are for the degree you earn, so you will not need them at the start.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.