Document Recognition for Slovakia: Recognition Statements and RÚŠS Decisions
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
To start a bachelor's or long-cycle programme in Slovakia you need a complete secondary education. If your school-leaving certificate is foreign, the university must see that it is equivalent to a Slovak one. Depending on where you went to school, that happens automatically, through a recognition statement from the ministry, or through a decision of a regional school office. This guide follows the rules as published in October 2026.
Three routes
| Where your certificate is from | What you need |
|---|---|
| Czechia | Nothing: Czech certificates are equal to Slovak ones |
| A country with a ministry recognition statement | The statement, attached to your certificate |
| Any other country | A recognition decision from a regional school office (RÚŠS) |
In every case, recognition only confirms the level of your education. It does not admit you: the faculty still applies its own admission conditions and selection.
Czech certificates
Under a 2015 treaty between Slovakia and Czechia, certificates issued by Czech schools count as Slovak ones for further study, automatically. You do not apply for anything. Certificates issued in Czechoslovakia before 1993 are valid too.
The recognition statement
Since March 2025 the Ministry of Education has used a simpler system for many countries. Instead of a recognition procedure, you download a recognition statement (doložka o uznaní stupňa vzdelania) for your country from the ministry's portal. Together with the certificate it refers to, it replaces recognition of the level of education for further study. The university then only checks that you studied at a recognised school.
Statements are published for these countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The statement is an electronic document, and its validity on paper can be checked by QR code. The University of Žilina, for example, asks applicants to attach it to an officially certified copy of the certificate and an official translation into Slovak, where one is needed.
Recognition by a regional school office
If your country has no statement, you apply to a regional school administration office (regionálny úrad školskej správy, RÚŠS). There are eight, one in each regional capital. You apply to the office for the region where you live or where your university is. Do not send the application to the ministry: it only slows the process down.
You send:
- the application, on the office's form or as your own letter;
- a copy of your passport or ID card;
- an officially certified copy of your school-leaving certificate;
- a transcript of subjects and exams, for countries without a bilateral agreement;
- an official translation into Slovak of the documents;
- proof that you paid the administrative fee.
| Your certificate | Fee | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Covered by a bilateral agreement | €7 | Within one month of a complete application |
| Not covered by an agreement | €40 | Within two months of a complete application |
You pay the fee with an eKolok voucher, bought at a Slovak post office, in the eKolok app or online. The office can recognise your certificate, reject the application, or set a difference exam if your schooling differs too much from the Slovak one. An incomplete application is put on hold until you add what is missing.
Timing and conditional admission
Faculties can admit you conditionally while recognition is still pending. You must then prove that you meet the conditions, including recognition, by your enrolment day at the latest. With two months for a decision, apply to the regional office as soon as you have your final certificate.
Translations and apostille
Translations must be official translations into Slovak, made by a sworn translator. Neither the ministry nor the regional offices list an apostille as a general requirement for school certificates, but universities may ask for one: the University of Žilina, for example, may require an apostille or superlegalisation in justified cases. For your residence permit, foreign official documents generally need one. See apostille and legalisation of documents and sworn translation of documents.
IB and other international diplomas
For the International Baccalaureate and similar diplomas, read IB diploma and university admission in Slovakia.
Step by step
- Check whether your country has a recognition statement on the ministry's portal.
- If not, find the regional office for your region and download its form.
- Order a certified copy and an official Slovak translation of your certificate.
- Pay the fee and send the application.
- Apply to the faculty in time, and bring the statement or the decision by enrolment day.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in Slovakia
- How much it costs to study in Slovakia
- Student visa for Slovakia
- Student housing in Slovakia
- All programmes in Slovakia
Official sources
- Ministry of Education: recognition of secondary education: regional offices, fees and deadlines
- Ministry of Education: recognition statements by country (in Slovak)
- Ministry of Education: rules for recognition for further study: the Czech treaty and bilateral agreements (in Slovak)
- University of Žilina: guideline 8/2025 on recognition of documents (in Slovak)
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.