Document Recognition for Kosovo: School Diplomas and Nostrification

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

If you finished secondary school outside Kosovo, Kosovo universities ask you to have your school diploma recognised (the process is often called nostrification) before you can compete for a place. The decision is taken by the education ministry, not by the university. This guide explains what we could confirm from official and university pages.

Who decides

The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) recognises foreign school certificates. UBT, a private college, tells international applicants that their secondary diplomas must be recognised and found equivalent by MESTI before they apply. The University of Gjakova writes that nostrification is handled by the ministry and that your school must also appear on the ministry's list of recognised schools.
NARIC Kosovo is the ministry's office for the recognition of foreign higher-education diplomas. It was set up in 2008 and has been a standalone office since 2018, according to a 2023 presentation by the Kosovo Accreditation Agency. It also issues the certificate-decision for non-Kosovar applicants described below.
The university decides admission. It checks the recognition decision together with the rest of your file.

What the certificate covers

The University of Mitrovica describes the MESTI-NARIC certificate-decision that candidates from Albania and other non-Kosovar candidates need. It covers:

recognition and equivalence of the diploma;
equivalence of grades and overall school success;
equivalence of the Matura exam;
confirmation that the candidate meets the conditions of the competition.

The same university says its quality office can handle grade equivalence on its own. Ask your university whether it does this too.

Documents universities ask for

Each university sets its own list. The University of Gjakova asks applicants to submit:

a birth certificate issued within the previous six months;
school transcripts for all years, original or notarised;
the secondary-school diploma, and the Matura certificate if you have one, original or notarised;
a copy of your ID;
for schools abroad, the decision recognising your schooling.

Kosovo's official languages are Albanian and Serbian. A translation of foreign documents is usually needed; ask MESTI and the university which documents must be translated and whether a notary or court translator must certify the translation. For the general rules, see apostille and legalisation of documents and sworn translations.

What we could not confirm

The NARIC Kosovo web address redirected to a maintenance notice when we checked on 25 October 2026, so we do not list a fee, a processing time or an online form. Before you start:

ask MESTI, or the admissions office, whether your documents need an apostille or legalisation, and from which authority;
ask how long the decision takes in the current year;
ask whether your school is on the recognised list.

Start well before the university call opens. UBT says its bachelor's calls usually open after the State Matura, in June or July, so a recognition decision that arrives late can cost you a year.

Step by step

Collect your original diploma and transcripts, plus a birth certificate not older than six months.
Get them certified in the issuing country as the ministry instructs.
Translate them if required.
Apply to MESTI for recognition and the certificate-decision.
Submit the decision with your university application. See how to get into a university in Kosovo.

Where to look next

Official sources

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