How to Recognize a Foreign University Degree in Romania for Work or Further Studies
Learn how to obtain recognition of a foreign bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in Romania through CNRED, including application routes, documents, fees and regulated-profession exceptions.
RO Romania
Education ~ 11 min read
8 FAQ
Updated 2026-10-15
Helpydo structures practical guidance around official or public sources. For individual cases, confirm requirements with the responsible institution.
To recognize a foreign university degree in Romania, identify the appropriate procedure through the National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED). The route depends on your citizenship or residence status, degree level and whether recognition is needed for employment or further studies. Eligible applicants can submit certain applications through ROePAS; university admission applications may be submitted through the receiving institution. CNRED generally indicates 30 working days for recognition, subject to additional verification. Some employment applications require a 100 lei evaluation fee. Regulated professions may require recognition by a separate competent authority.
What you need
- Foreign bachelor's, master's, doctoral or other eligible higher education qualification for which recognition is requested.
- The application form required by the CNRED procedure applicable to your citizenship, residence status and purpose, where physical submission is used.
- A copy of the foreign diploma or other study document to be recognized.
- A certified Romanian translation when required by the applicable procedure. CNRED's verified employment procedure generally accepts copies of documents issued in Romanian, English, French, Spanish or Italian without requiring a Romanian translation.
- Academic transcripts when recognition of a specialization is requested, the field of study is unclear or the applicable professional procedure requires them.
- A copy of a passport or identity card and evidence of a legal name change, if applicable.
- Apostille, diplomatic legalization or other authentication when required for the country issuing the diploma, unless an applicable exemption exists.
- Proof of payment of the evaluation fee, or evidence supporting an applicable exemption, where required.
- Additional evidence requested by CNRED for the specific qualification, applicant category or recognition purpose.
Eligibility
Romanian citizens, citizens of EU and EEA countries, Swiss citizens and other eligible foreign nationals may seek recognition of foreign higher education qualifications in Romania under the relevant CNRED procedures. The applicable route depends on the applicant's status, the qualification and the purpose of recognition.
Recognition may be required for admission to further university studies or for access to employment. A foreign qualification must be assessed under the applicable recognition rules; possession of a diploma alone does not guarantee recognition of a particular Romanian specialization or admission to a particular university programme.
For regulated professions, recognition of academic studies and authorization to practise are distinct matters. Certain professional qualifications must be assessed by the competent Romanian professional authority rather than through the ordinary academic-recognition route alone.
How to do it
- Determine your recognition purpose. Establish whether you need the foreign degree recognized for master's or doctoral admission, employment or access to a regulated profession.
- Select the correct CNRED procedure. Use the Higher Education Studies section to identify the route for Romanian citizens, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and eligible family members, or third-country nationals.
- Confirm the responsible institution. For further studies, contact the Romanian university about its admission and CNRED submission arrangements. For employment, check whether CNRED or a professional competent authority handles your qualification.
- Prepare your documents. Gather the diploma, identification, relevant academic transcripts, translations, authentication and any additional documents required by your procedure.
- Check the evaluation fee. Pay the applicable fee using an authorized payment method and retain proof, unless the procedure provides an exemption.
- Submit the application. Where available, use ROePAS. Other verified routes include submission through the receiving university or delivery of the required file to the Ministry of Education and Research Registration Office by mail or courier.
- Follow the assessment. Check the file status using CNRED's official status-check service and respond to requests for additional evidence.
- Obtain the recognition document. Depending on the procedure, CNRED may issue the document electronically through ROePAS, arrange collection or send it through an authorized delivery channel.
- Use the recognition for its intended purpose. Present it to the receiving university, employer or other institution, while completing any separate admission or professional-authorization requirements.
What does recognition of a foreign university degree mean?
Romania's National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED), operating within the Ministry of Education and Research, assesses foreign higher education qualifications against the Romanian education system.
The assessment may establish the qualification's level, main field of study and, where appropriate, specialization. CNRED may recognize a qualification directly or require additional examinations or compensatory measures, depending on the applicable recognition rules.
Recognition of a diploma is not necessarily the same as admission to a university, acceptance for a particular job or authorization to practise a regulated profession.
Which recognition procedure should you use?
Before preparing documents, identify the purpose of recognition and the applicant category. CNRED publishes separate procedures for different situations.
| Your situation | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Foreign degree for further university studies | Receiving Romanian university and the relevant CNRED admission procedure |
| Foreign degree for employment in a non-regulated profession | CNRED employment-recognition procedure |
| Foreign qualification for a regulated profession | Competent Romanian professional authority |
| Romanian citizen with a foreign degree | CNRED procedure for Romanian citizens |
| EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or eligible protected person | CNRED procedure for the applicable status and purpose |
| Other third-country national | CNRED procedure for third-country nationals |
Do not assume that the same form, fee or submission channel applies to every category.
Recognition for further university studies
If you completed university studies abroad and want to enrol in a Romanian master's or doctoral programme, contact the university where you intend to apply.
CNRED's published procedure for eligible EU/EEA/Swiss applicants and their family members provides for submission through the higher education institution, including online submission through ROePAS by the university.
The university remains responsible for applying its admission criteria. Recognition establishes the relevant academic level or field; it does not automatically secure admission to a particular programme.
For admission to bachelor's studies using a foreign secondary-school qualification, a different recognition procedure applies. See the guide to recognizing a foreign high school diploma.
Recognition for employment in Romania
For employment, CNRED provides recognition procedures for foreign bachelor's, master's and doctoral qualifications, with separate instructions according to applicant category.
CNRED's general guidance describes automatic recognition for qualifying degrees obtained from universities in the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland, as well as degrees from certain recognized prestigious universities in other countries.
Automatic recognition does not mean that every diploma is accepted without an application or documentary checks. It means that eligible qualifications can be recognized without differential examinations or other compensatory measures under the applicable rules.
Qualifications outside the automatic-recognition arrangements may require an individual assessment. CNRED can request additional evidence or apply compensatory measures where the relevant procedure permits them.
What if your profession is regulated?
A regulated profession is one for which Romanian law establishes specific qualifications or conditions for professional access.
CNRED identifies professions including physicians, dentists, pharmacists, general care nurses, midwives, veterinary surgeons and architects as professions subject to specific recognition arrangements.
For qualifications obtained in EU, EEA or Swiss jurisdictions that grant access to these professions, the appropriate Romanian competent authorities handle the professional-recognition requirements.
For certain other cases, CNRED may issue a recognition statement after confirmation from the competent professional authority that the conditions for practising the profession have been satisfied.
For a profession-specific decision, consult the separate guide to recognition of foreign professional qualifications.
For example, a person with a foreign engineering degree seeking a non-regulated position may need academic recognition through CNRED. A person seeking to practise medicine must first identify the professional recognition and authorization requirements imposed by the competent authority. The two applicants should not assume they follow the same procedure.
Which documents are needed?
The exact list depends on the CNRED procedure. For the verified employment-recognition route covering EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and other specified eligible applicants, CNRED identifies the following principal documents:
- Application form, when submitting a physical file.
- Copy of the diploma or study document to be recognized.
- Academic transcripts where required to establish the field or specialization.
- Copy of the applicant's passport or identity card.
- Evidence of a legal name change, if relevant.
- Proof of the evaluation fee or eligibility for an exemption.
- Additional supporting documents where required by the specific case.
Do foreign diplomas need Romanian translations?
Under the verified employment procedure, documents issued in Romanian, English, French, Spanish or Italian can generally be submitted as copies without an accompanying Romanian translation.
For study documents issued in other languages, a certified Romanian translation is required. Similar language rules apply to relevant transcripts and identification-related supporting documents where specified.
Check the precise instructions for your application category before ordering translations, because document requirements are procedure-specific.
Does the diploma need an apostille or legalization?
Authentication depends on the issuing country and any applicable treaty or reciprocity exemption.
- For countries covered by the Hague Apostille Convention, CNRED may require an apostille from the competent authority in the issuing country.
- For countries outside the applicable apostille arrangements, diplomatic legalization or another accepted authentication procedure may be required.
- CNRED publishes country-specific authentication requirements and exemptions.
- For diplomas issued in the Republic of Moldova, CNRED identifies special rules, including authenticity certificates for certain older diplomas or diplomas that cannot be verified electronically.
Check the official CNRED authentication instructions for the issuing country before arranging an apostille or legalization. A certified translation does not itself replace document authentication.
How much does degree recognition cost?
The verified CNRED employment-recognition procedure for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and specified other eligible categories lists an evaluation fee of 100 lei.
Persons benefiting from a form of international protection are exempt from that fee under the procedure.
CNRED identifies payment through Ghișeul.ro, payment at its cashier's office and a bank-transfer arrangement for payments from abroad. Applicants should use the current payment instructions attached to their own procedure.
The 100 lei figure should not be treated as a universal fee for every foreign degree recognition application. University-admission procedures and other applicant categories may have different payment requirements.
Where and how can you apply?
Online through ROePAS
CNRED supports online submission through ROePAS for certain recognition procedures.
For eligible employment applications, the applicant can use the online route specified by CNRED. For some university-admission procedures, the Romanian higher education institution submits the application through ROePAS.
Check who is responsible for submitting the file before opening an application, particularly when recognition is needed for university admission.
Submission by mail or courier
For the verified employment-recognition procedure, CNRED also accepts files sent to the Ministry of Education and Research Registration Office at 12 Spiru Haret Street, Sector 1, 010176 Bucharest, Romania.
Use the correct application form and include all required supporting documents. The permitted delivery channels depend on the selected procedure.
How long does recognition take?
CNRED's general higher education guidance states a recognition period of 30 working days for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, subject to extensions for additional checks.
Some individual CNRED procedures describe a 30-day period starting when a complete and properly documented application is registered. Applicants should follow the time limit published for their exact route.
Processing may take longer where CNRED must obtain additional information, verify documents or refer a doctoral qualification for specialist assessment.
If your application is incomplete
Under the verified employment-recognition procedure, when CNRED requests additional documents, the applicant has a maximum of three calendar months to complete the file.
If the documents are not provided within that period, CNRED closes the file. Restarting the procedure then requires a new application.
Check application status regularly and respond promptly to any request for clarification or missing evidence.
What happens after recognition?
CNRED issues a recognition document through the delivery method available for the relevant procedure.
For applications submitted online through ROePAS, the recognition document may be issued electronically through the platform. Other procedures provide for collection or delivery to an authorized recipient.
For university-admission applications, the certificate may be issued to the representative of the Romanian higher education institution rather than directly to the applicant.
Once recognition has been granted, use the document for the purpose stated in your application. A university may still apply programme-specific admission conditions, while an employer or professional authority may require separate evidence.
Can you appeal a refusal or recognition decision?
For the verified CNRED employment-recognition procedure, an appeal can be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Research Registry within 30 working days from issuance of the recognition or equivalence certificate, or from notification of the reasons for non-recognition.
CNRED states that appeals are resolved within 60 working days of registration, with extensions possible in justified circumstances and written notification to the applicant.
An appeal challenges an existing decision. It is different from submitting a new application after an incomplete file has been closed.
Consult the appeal instructions for the specific recognition procedure before relying on these time limits.
Mistakes that can delay recognition
- Using the wrong procedure: selecting an employment route when the purpose is university admission, or overlooking a professional competent authority.
- Missing academic records: omitting transcripts when the field or specialization cannot be determined from the diploma.
- Incorrect authentication: assuming that all countries have identical apostille or legalization requirements.
- Unnecessary or missing translations: failing to follow the language rules for the relevant CNRED procedure.
- Ignoring additional-document requests: allowing the applicable completion period to expire.
- Confusing recognition with professional licensing: assuming a recognized academic degree independently authorizes practice of a regulated profession.
Related procedures
If your case concerns a different education document, consult the corresponding procedure. You can learn how to check your foreign diploma recognition application status or how to request a duplicate recognition certificate if the original document has been lost or damaged.
For current forms, online application access, country-specific authentication rules and professional exceptions, consult the official CNRED resources listed below.
Frequently asked questions
Who recognizes foreign university degrees in Romania?
The National Centre for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas (CNRED), within Romania's Ministry of Education and Research, handles academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications. Regulated professional qualifications may fall under separate competent authorities.
Can I recognize a foreign bachelor's or master's degree online?
Yes, certain CNRED recognition procedures support online applications through ROePAS. For some university-admission procedures, the Romanian university submits the application. The available route depends on the applicant category and purpose.
How long does CNRED take to recognize a university diploma?
CNRED's general guidance indicates 30 working days for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Some specific procedures state 30 days from registration of a complete file. Additional verification or specialist assessment can extend processing.
How much does recognition of a foreign degree cost?
The verified CNRED employment procedure for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and specified other eligible categories lists a 100 lei evaluation fee, with an exemption for persons benefiting from international protection. Check the specific procedure for other categories and admission-related applications.
Do I need to translate my English university diploma into Romanian?
Under CNRED's verified employment-recognition procedure, study documents issued in English generally do not require a certified Romanian translation. Documents issued in languages other than Romanian, English, French, Spanish or Italian generally require one. Check your specific procedure.
Are university degrees from EU countries automatically recognized?
CNRED provides automatic-recognition arrangements for eligible qualifications from accredited universities in EU, EEA and Swiss jurisdictions. This does not eliminate applicable application requirements, and regulated professions remain subject to their own professional rules.
Can I work as a doctor or architect after CNRED recognizes my diploma?
Not solely on the basis of ordinary academic recognition. Doctors, architects and other regulated professionals must satisfy the requirements of the competent Romanian professional authority. Academic recognition and authorization to practise are separate decisions.
What happens if CNRED rejects my application or requests missing documents?
For the verified employment procedure, requested missing documents must be supplied within a maximum of three calendar months or the file is closed. Appeals against recognition decisions or non-recognition may be submitted within 30 working days under that procedure. Check the instructions applicable to your own case.
Official sources
CNRED – Higher Education Studies: recognition, equivalence, automatic recognition and processing periodsCNRED – Recognition of foreign higher education studies for eligible EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and other categories seeking employmentRelated procedures
Useful next steps and closely related guides for Romania.
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