Nostrification in Czechia: Recognition of a Foreign School-Leaving Certificate

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

To enrol in a bachelor's programme in Czechia you must prove that you completed secondary education equivalent to the Czech school-leaving exam, the maturita. For most foreign applicants that proof is nostrification: an official decision recognising the foreign certificate. It applies whether you study in Czech or in English.

Who decides

The regional authority (krajský úřad) of the region where you live or will live decides on certificates from secondary schools. In Prague this is the City Hall.
The university itself can assess your foreign secondary education for the purpose of its own admission procedure, if it holds institutional accreditation. Many large universities do. The assessment costs a fee and is valid only for that university.

Ask the faculty which of the two it requires. If you apply to several universities, a regional nostrification is accepted by all of them.

Who does not need it

Certificates from countries with which Czechia has an equivalence treaty are valid without nostrification: these include Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, with the exact scope set by each treaty. The European Baccalaureate and, under conditions, the International Baccalaureate are also treated as equivalent. The ministry of education lists the cases.

Documents for the regional authority

the application form
the original school-leaving certificate, or a certified copy
a list of subjects with the number of hours taught in each year of secondary school
confirmation that the school is recognised by the state that issued the certificate, unless this is clear from the certificate
proof of your place of residence in the region, where required
the administrative fee

Foreign documents must be legalised or carry an apostille, unless a treaty removes this, and must be translated into Czech by a court translator. See apostille and legalisation and sworn translations.

Nostrification exams

The authority compares your curriculum with the Czech one. If your schooling differs substantially in content or length, it orders nostrification exams in the missing subjects. They are taken at a Czech secondary school named by the authority, in Czech, and you may use an interpreter at your own cost. Typical subjects are those absent from your transcript. Students in a preparatory course usually prepare for them there.

If the differences are too large, for example fewer years of schooling, the application is refused, and the usual solution is a preparatory year or a year of university at home.

How long it takes

The legal period for a decision is 30 days, or 60 in complex cases, and exams add several weeks. Faculties set a date by which nostrification must be delivered, often the day of enrolment. Apply as soon as you hold the certificate, and tell the faculty if the decision will be late: many grant an extension.

Do it alongside the visa

For non-EU applicants, the visa requires an admission letter, and the admission can be conditional on nostrification. The two procedures run in parallel. See student visa for Czechia.

Where to look next

Official sources

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