How to Obtain Recognition of a Foreign High School Diploma in Romania

Who recognises foreign high school diplomas in Romania?

The responsible national institution is the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED), operating under Romania's Ministry of Education and Research.

CNRED evaluates foreign pre-university educational qualifications and establishes their level, field of study and, where relevant, specialisation in relation to the Romanian education system.

For completed secondary education, the relevant Romanian document is generally described as a diploma de bacalaureat or another educational certificate establishing completion at baccalaureate level.

Recognition can be required for admission to Romanian post-secondary or university studies and for certain employment purposes.

Start with the official CNRED pre-university recognition overview. It separates procedures by applicant category and explains the distinction between recognition of completed qualifications and recognition of study periods.

Which recognition route applies to you?

Your citizenship or legal status and the purpose of recognition determine the procedure. CNRED publishes separate routes rather than one universal application for every foreign secondary school graduate.

The third-country labour-market procedure should not be used as a substitute for a university admission procedure without confirmation from the competent institution.

For Romanian citizens, use the foreign baccalaureate equivalence instructions.

For European applicants seeking admission, use the official European applicant recognition procedure.

Which foreign secondary qualifications can be recognised?

CNRED recognises foreign documents certifying completion of studies at baccalaureate level by evaluating the qualification against the Romanian education system.

For qualifications obtained in EU member states, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, CNRED describes an automatic recognition approach that facilitates continuation of studies in Romania.

Automatic recognition concerns the qualification level and does not remove separate university admission conditions. An applicant must still meet the entry requirements of the intended Romanian educational institution.

For qualifications from other countries, CNRED examines the relevant documents and applies the procedure appropriate to the applicant's status and purpose.

Does recognition guarantee university admission?

No. Recognition establishes the educational level of the foreign qualification for the relevant Romanian purpose.

A university may separately require compliance with its admission calendar, programme prerequisites, examination requirements, language conditions or other published selection rules.

For some foreign qualifications, CNRED also requires evidence of examinations or other conditions associated with access to higher education in the issuing country.

What documents do you need?

The core documents are the foreign secondary school diploma and proof of identity. The applicable procedure may require further evidence.

• Application form: the official CNRED form for the selected route when filing physically.
• Diploma: a copy of the foreign high school or baccalaureate qualification.
• Identity: a copy of the passport or identity card.
• Translation: a certified Romanian translation where the diploma is issued outside the accepted language group.
• Additional academic evidence: documents proving completion of an examination or fulfilment of a higher education entry condition, where applicable.
• Name-change document: evidence of a legal name change where the diploma and identity document show different names.
• Authentication: apostille, legalisation or other verification where required.
• Payment receipt: where the selected procedure imposes an evaluation fee.

Applicants benefiting from international protection may also need evidence of their status under the applicable procedure.

Use the exact checklist for your applicant category. CNRED may request additional documents to clarify the qualification or verify authenticity.

Do you need to translate your diploma into Romanian?

CNRED's reviewed procedures distinguish between documents issued in widely accepted languages and those requiring certified Romanian translations.

For educational documents issued in Romanian, English, French, Spanish or Italian, the published checklist generally accepts a copy without requiring a separate Romanian translation of that document.

For documents issued in other languages, CNRED requires a copy accompanied by a certified Romanian translation.

Additional documents, such as evidence of university-entry examinations or name changes, can have their own translation requirements under the relevant procedure.

For example, an English-language high school diploma generally falls within the accepted language group. A diploma issued in a different language may need a certified Romanian translation even if the applicant speaks English.

Does your foreign diploma need an apostille?

Authentication depends on the country that issued the educational document and the applicable international arrangements.

CNRED's official instructions distinguish several situations:

• Republic of Moldova: diplomas do not require ordinary authentication. Additional authenticity evidence is required for diplomas issued before 2008 and for certain later diplomas that cannot be verified online.
• Countries subject to the Hague Apostille procedure: CNRED specifies apostille requirements for certain issuing countries, including Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus.
• Countries outside the relevant apostille arrangements: diplomatic or consular legalisation, or other recognised authentication evidence, may be required.
• Treaty or reciprocity exemptions: authentication requirements may be waived where applicable legal arrangements provide an exemption.

Do not assume that every EU diploma is exempt from apostille requirements, or that every foreign diploma requires the same form of legalisation.

Check the issuing country's requirements in the official CNRED baccalaureate equivalence instructions.

How do Romanian citizens apply?

Romanian citizens seeking equivalence of a foreign baccalaureate diploma have several submission routes published by CNRED.

1. Prepare the foreign diploma, identification and any required translations or authentication.
2. Use the official application form if submitting a physical file.
3. Choose the submission channel that fits your circumstances.
4. Submit the complete application and retain the acknowledgement.
5. Monitor the assessment and respond to any request for additional evidence.

CNRED identifies the following channels:

• Online: through the ROePAS platform.
• University: through the relevant Romanian university, where that route applies.
• County school inspectorate: through the competent inspectorate.
• Ministry registry: by post or express courier to the Ministry of Education and Research registry in Bucharest.

The official procedure describes the registry at 12 Spiru Haret Street, Sector 1, 010176 Bucharest.

The available route may depend on the educational institution involved and the applicant's circumstances. Do not submit identical applications through multiple channels without confirming that this is necessary.

How do European applicants apply?

CNRED provides a dedicated procedure for citizens of EU and EEA member states, Switzerland and eligible family members seeking admission to Romanian post-secondary or undergraduate studies.

The official procedure permits online submission through ROePAS, including submission by a Romanian higher education institution through the same platform.

Applicants benefiting from a form of international protection in Romania are also covered by the published admission procedure, with additional submission arrangements including the Ministry registry by post or courier.

Before applying, confirm whether your intended university submits the recognition request on your behalf or expects you to apply directly.

Prepare the qualification, identification, translations and any additional evidence required for your specific diploma. The published procedure requires proof of payment of the evaluation fee unless the applicant falls within the stated international-protection exemption.

Use the CNRED European admission recognition page for the complete route.

What if you need recognition for employment rather than university admission?

CNRED also publishes procedures for recognition of pre-university educational documents for access to the Romanian labour market.

The relevant procedure depends on citizenship, legal status and the qualification concerned.

For third-country nationals, CNRED publishes a dedicated labour-market route that permits online submission through ROePAS or submission through the Ministry registry by post or express courier.

The published third-country procedure requires an employer application form for physical submission, a copy of the educational document, identity evidence, additional documents where relevant and a 100 RON evaluation fee.

CNRED expressly instructs companies to submit an individual file for each employee whose qualification requires recognition.

Consult the third-country labour-market recognition procedure if that is your purpose.

Recognition of an educational diploma is not necessarily equivalent to authorisation to practise a regulated profession. If the intended occupation is regulated, see the separate Helpydo guide on recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

How much does recognition cost?

There is no single fee that applies to every foreign secondary school diploma recognition route.

For Romanian citizens seeking equivalence of a foreign baccalaureate diploma, the reviewed official procedure does not specify an evaluation fee in its required-document list.

For European applicants and eligible family members seeking admission to post-secondary or undergraduate studies, CNRED specifies 100 RON.

Under that admission procedure, applicants benefiting from a form of international protection in Romania are exempt from the evaluation fee.

The published third-country labour-market recognition procedure also specifies 100 RON.

Where a fee applies, CNRED describes payment through its cashier, through Ghișeul.ro or, for payments from abroad, by bank transfer under the official instructions.

Check the payment instructions for your exact procedure before transferring money. Translation, authentication and courier expenses are separate from the evaluation fee.

How long does CNRED take to recognise the diploma?

For Romanian citizens seeking equivalence of a foreign baccalaureate diploma, CNRED publishes a period of 30 working days from registration of a complete application.

For the published European admission recognition procedure, CNRED states 30 days from registration of a complete file, without expressly labelling those days as working days on that specific page.

CNRED states that the period may be extended where additional verification, correspondence or exceptional circumstances require more time.

These are recognition processing periods, not university admission deadlines. If you are applying for a university programme, check its submission calendar separately and arrange recognition early enough to meet the institution's requirements.

How can you check the application status?

CNRED provides an official application status checking service for existing recognition requests.

After submission, keep the application reference and any acknowledgement or correspondence provided by the institution.

Use the Helpydo guide on checking your CNRED application status for the tracking process.

If CNRED requests missing documents, follow the instructions and deadline applicable to your recognition route. An incomplete application can delay the assessment and may require additional action before a decision can be issued.

How do you receive and use the recognition certificate?

CNRED's published procedures provide for issuance of a recognition or equivalence document after a favourable assessment.

For eligible applications submitted online, the document may be issued electronically through ROePAS.

Depending on the procedure, other issuance arrangements include collection through CNRED, the relevant university or county school inspectorate, and delivery by post or courier.

For the Romanian citizens' baccalaureate equivalence route, CNRED also publishes rules for collection by the holder, certain relatives, authorised representatives and educational institutions.

After receiving the document, provide it to the Romanian university, educational institution or employer that requires proof of recognition.

Recognition does not replace a university's separate admission decision or any other qualification-specific requirements.

What if you completed only part of secondary school abroad?

Recognition of a completed high school diploma is different from equivalence of individual school years.

If you attended school abroad but did not obtain a final secondary school qualification, the relevant process generally concerns recognition of periods of pre-university study.

CNRED identifies county school inspectorates and the Bucharest School Inspectorate as the authorities responsible for recognition of completed school years within grades I-XII.

The diploma recognition procedure described here is intended for an existing completed secondary qualification, particularly one at baccalaureate level.

Contact the competent school inspectorate if your purpose is to enter or continue secondary education in Romania rather than to obtain recognition of a final high school diploma.

What problems should you avoid?

• Wrong procedure: using a labour-market recognition route when the purpose is university admission.
• Incomplete qualification evidence: submitting a school transcript without the final diploma or other accepted proof of completion.
• Missing translation: failing to provide a certified Romanian translation where the document language requires one.
• Missing authentication: overlooking the apostille or legalisation requirements for the issuing country.
• Missing admission evidence: failing to provide required proof of examinations or university-entry conditions associated with the foreign qualification.
• Identity mismatch: not explaining a legal name change between the diploma and current identity document.
• Wrong fee: assuming every applicant pays the same amount or ignoring a published exemption.
• Admission timing: assuming CNRED recognition automatically reserves a place at a Romanian university.

What if CNRED requests more documents or refuses recognition?

If the application is incomplete, identify the exact missing evidence and submit it through the channel specified by CNRED.

If CNRED refuses recognition, obtain the written reasons and follow the appeal procedure applicable to your applicant category.

The published Romanian citizens' foreign baccalaureate equivalence procedure specifies an appeal period of 45 working days from issuance of the recognition or equivalence certificate or notification of the reasons for non-recognition, as applicable. It also specifies a 60-working-day appeal resolution period from registration with CNRED, subject to justified extensions.

The European undergraduate admission procedure instead specifies 30 working days for filing an appeal and 60 working days for its resolution, subject to the published conditions.

These deadlines are not interchangeable. Use the appeal rules attached to your actual recognition procedure and decision.

Where should you start?

Use the CNRED pre-university recognition overview to identify your applicant category.

Romanian citizens should consult the baccalaureate equivalence procedure. EU, EEA and Swiss applicants seeking higher education admission should consult the European admission procedure.

CNRED's central contact details are:

• Address: 12 Spiru Haret Street, Sector 1, 010176 Bucharest, Romania.
• Telephone: +40 21 405 63 22.
• Email: cnred@edu.gov.ro.

If CNRED already recognised your diploma but the recognition document has been lost or damaged, use the separate Helpydo guide on requesting a duplicate CNRED recognition certificate instead of submitting a new recognition application.