How to Request a Duplicate Foreign Diploma Recognition Certificate in Romania

Can you obtain a duplicate CNRED recognition certificate?

Yes. Romania's National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED) expressly provides for duplicate issuance when an existing recognition or equivalence document has been lost, destroyed or damaged.

The Romanian term is eliberare duplicat or emitere duplicat. The original document may be called an atestat de recunoastere, atestat de echivalare or, for certain educational admission procedures, an adeverinta de echivalare.

CNRED operates under Romania's Ministry of Education and Research. The duplicate procedure is described in the official guidance for the qualification category under which the original document was issued.

Start with the official CNRED frequently asked questions, which confirm that duplicates are available and direct applicants to the procedure specific to their recognised diploma.

The first practical step is to identify your original recognition route. This determines which documents and fees apply.

Which qualification category should you choose?

CNRED does not publish one identical duplicate checklist for every recognition certificate. The original educational qualification and recognition procedure determine the requirements.

The absence of a fee from one published checklist should not be interpreted as proof of a universal exemption. Confirm the current requirements for your specific certificate before making a payment.

For example, the Romanian citizens' foreign bachelor's degree procedure lists a written request, qualification copy, identity copy and declaration, without listing payment evidence in the duplicate section.

By contrast, the European higher education labour-market recognition procedure expressly requires proof of payment of 100 RON.

What documents must you submit?

Across the reviewed CNRED duplicate procedures, the main requirements are consistent.

1. Application: a written request for issuance of a duplicate.
2. Declaration on your own responsibility: confirmation that the original certificate was lost, destroyed or damaged.
3. Identity document: a copy of the holder's identity card or passport.
4. Foreign qualification: a copy of the diploma or educational document originally recognised or equated.
5. Payment receipt: where the specific CNRED procedure requires a duplicate fee.
6. Other documents: where relevant to the original procedure or the applicant's circumstances.

For several higher education and vocational routes, CNRED explicitly accepts a declaration on the applicant's own responsibility. Do not automatically assume that a notarised declaration is required for every category.

Some specialised procedures may have additional formal requirements. Read the exact duplicate section for your certificate before obtaining notarisation or paying for supporting documents.

What should the declaration say?

The declaration should identify the holder and the original recognition document as clearly as possible, and state which of the circumstances applies: loss, destruction or deterioration.

If you know the original certificate number or issuance date, include it to help CNRED identify the existing record.

CNRED's reviewed procedures require a declaration about the relevant circumstance but do not establish one universal declaration template for every qualification category. Follow any form or wording supplied by the responsible CNRED service.

Do you need the foreign diploma again?

CNRED's duplicate checklists require a copy of the educational qualification originally recognised.

This is distinct from requesting recognition for the first time. The purpose is to identify the qualification associated with the previously issued Romanian recognition document.

If you also lost the foreign diploma, contact the original educational institution or issuing authority about obtaining replacement evidence, and ask CNRED which supporting document it can accept.

How much does a CNRED duplicate cost?

There is no single fee that can safely be applied to every CNRED duplicate procedure.

Several published recognition procedures expressly require 100 RON and a copy of the payment receipt. These include certain higher education recognition routes for labour-market access and recognition for admission to master's or doctoral studies.

Other procedures, including foreign bachelor's and master's degree equivalence for Romanian citizens, publish duplicate document lists without expressly specifying a duplicate payment receipt.

Before paying, check the duplicate section of the official recognition procedure applicable to your original certificate.

Where payment is required, follow the payment instructions on that same CNRED page. Do not assume that an old bank account, an unrelated education fee or a payment made for the original recognition application automatically covers the duplicate.

Which official procedures specify 100 RON?

The third-country higher education labour-market recognition procedure requires proof of payment of 100 RON.

The European applicants' master's and doctoral admission recognition procedure also requires a copy of proof of payment of 100 RON.

These examples establish fees for the named procedures, not for every duplicate issued by CNRED.

How and where do you submit the request?

CNRED is the responsible institution for duplicate issuance of recognition documents that it originally issued.

The reviewed procedure pages describe duplicate document requirements, while submission arrangements are presented in the broader context of each recognition service.

For original recognition applications, CNRED publishes several channels, including ROePAS, the Ministry of Education and Research registry, postal services and courier delivery, depending on the procedure.

However, an online route for the original recognition application does not establish that the same route accepts a duplicate request. The reviewed official duplicate sections do not consistently confirm a complete online duplicate application service.

For that reason, confirm the duplicate submission channel directly with CNRED before sending the documents.

CNRED publishes the following central contact details:

• Institution: National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas.
• Address: Strada Spiru Haret nr. 12, Sector 1, 010176 Bucharest, Romania.
• Email: cnred@edu.gov.ro.
• Telephone: +40 21 405 63 22.

Explain which recognition certificate you need replaced and identify the original qualification category. Ask which submission method and fee apply to your case.

Is an online duplicate application available?

CNRED uses the ROePAS platform for online submission of several original recognition applications and electronic issuance of documents in eligible cases.

However, the reviewed official duplicate instructions do not establish a universal, fully online duplicate application route for all certificate categories.

The availability of ROePAS for a new recognition request should not be treated as confirmation that a duplicate can be requested through the same workflow.

Contact CNRED or follow the specific procedure's current instructions before attempting an online submission.

How long does it take to receive the duplicate?

CNRED publishes a maximum of 30 working days from registration of a complete file for evaluation and issuance of decisions under several original diploma recognition procedures, subject to extensions for additional verification or expert consultation.

That period is not expressly identified as the processing deadline for duplicate certificates.

The reviewed duplicate sections do not establish one standard national issuance deadline covering all categories.

If you need the replacement urgently for employment, university admission or another administrative purpose, contact CNRED and ask for the expected duplicate issuance period. Do not assume that an urgent service or guaranteed delivery date is available.

How will you receive the replacement?

CNRED publishes several document issuance arrangements for original recognition certificates, depending on the procedure.

These include electronic issuance through ROePAS for eligible online applications, collection at CNRED's Bucharest office, postal delivery and courier delivery.

For certain recognition routes, documents may also be delivered through educational institutions or other designated recipients.

The applicable arrangements for a duplicate should be confirmed when submitting the replacement request. Do not assume that every duplicate is automatically issued electronically.

For example, the foreign bachelor's degree equivalence procedure permits collection of the original certificate by the holder, certain close relatives and authorised representatives under the specified conditions.

If someone else will collect your duplicate, confirm the relevant authorisation requirements before arranging collection.

Do you need to apply for diploma recognition again?

No, not merely because the CNRED certificate was lost or damaged. The published duplicate procedure exists to replace a recognition document that CNRED previously issued.

A new recognition application is a different process. It is relevant when the qualification has not yet been recognised or when a separate assessment is legally required.

For example, a person who obtained CNRED recognition of a foreign bachelor's degree and subsequently lost the Romanian recognition certificate should first use the duplicate procedure for that existing recognition decision.

The person should not submit an entirely new equivalence application solely because the original certificate is missing.

If you still have an existing application under examination rather than a completed recognition decision, consult the Helpydo guide on checking a CNRED recognition application status. A pending application is not the same as a previously issued certificate that needs replacement.

What if you do not know the certificate number?

The reviewed duplicate checklists require an application, declaration, identity copy and recognised qualification copy. They do not universally list the original certificate number as a mandatory document.

If you do not know the number, provide the information you still have: your name, the recognised qualification, the issuing educational institution and any previous CNRED correspondence or application reference.

Ask CNRED whether additional information is needed to locate the original record.

Do not invent a certificate number or submit an unrelated recognition reference as though it identified the missing document.

What special situations should you check?

Damaged certificate

CNRED's published duplicate rules include deterioration as a qualifying circumstance.

Describe the damage in your declaration and ask whether the damaged original must be presented or surrendered. The reviewed general duplicate checklists do not impose one universal damaged-original handling rule.

Destroyed certificate

Complete destruction is expressly included in several CNRED duplicate procedures. The applicant must declare the circumstances and provide the supporting documents specified for the relevant qualification category.

Name changed after the original certificate was issued

If your current identity document shows a different name from the original recognition record, explain the discrepancy and ask CNRED whether evidence of the legal name change is required.

Do not assume that requesting a duplicate automatically changes the identity details recorded in the original recognition decision.

Doctoral recognition certificates

CNRED publishes a separate procedure for recognition of foreign doctoral diplomas and doctoral titles, including a duplicate section.

The doctoral route identifies its own supporting documents and refers to payment under the applicable legal rules. Do not automatically transfer the 100 RON fee from another qualification category to a doctoral duplicate.

What happens if the request cannot be completed?

Start by identifying the specific problem communicated by CNRED.

• Missing identity or qualification copy: supply the evidence requested under the applicable duplicate procedure.
• Missing declaration: provide the statement describing loss, destruction or deterioration.
• Payment evidence missing: verify whether the original recognition route requires a duplicate fee and provide the correct receipt where applicable.
• Original recognition record not identified: supply additional details from previous correspondence or the recognised qualification.
• Different issuing authority: contact the institution that actually issued the missing recognition or professional authorisation document.

CNRED's reviewed duplicate sections do not publish one universal appeal deadline specifically for refusal to issue a duplicate.

Appeal provisions relating to an original recognition decision should not automatically be applied to a separate replacement request. If CNRED refuses a duplicate, obtain the written reasons and ask which administrative or legal remedy applies to that decision.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a new diploma recognition application instead of requesting a duplicate.
• Assuming every duplicate costs 100 RON.
• Assuming every duplicate is free because one procedure does not list a payment receipt.
• Omitting the declaration explaining the loss, destruction or damage.
• Forgetting the copy of the foreign diploma originally recognised.
• Using a duplicate checklist for a different qualification or applicant category.
• Assuming the original application's ROePAS submission route is also available for duplicates.
• Confusing a CNRED recognition certificate with a professional licence issued by another authority.
• Applying the original recognition processing deadline to duplicate issuance without confirmation.

Which official CNRED instructions should you use?

CNRED confirms duplicate availability in its frequently asked questions.

For vocational qualifications, consult the foreign vocational school diploma equivalence procedure.

For university qualifications, use the official page corresponding to the original recognition decision, such as the foreign bachelor's degree equivalence procedure or the third-country higher education recognition procedure.

Use the section labelled Eliberare duplicat to determine the applicable documents and fee. Contact CNRED to confirm the current submission and delivery arrangements before sending the request.