Nostrification of Ukrainian certificates and diplomas in Wrocław

Nostrification of a higher education diploma (Master’s/Bachelor’s degree)

If you already have a diploma and want to continue your education at second-cycle or doctoral studies in Wrocław, the matter is more difficult. Nostrification is carried out by the council of the scientific discipline at a given university (e.g. at WUT in the appropriate faculty building). The cost of nostrification of a diploma in 2026 is usually 50% of the professor’s salary (about PLN 4500-5000), unless your financial situation allows you to be exempt from fees by the rector.

Wrocław bottlenecks

The biggest problem in 2027 will be the lack of deadlines for sworn translators of Ukrainian. Do not use translations made in Ukraine, even if they are notarial – the Wrocław dean’s offices and the USOS system will not accept them. Only documents with the stamp of a Polish sworn translator are accepted.

Nostrification and recognition step by step

Follow this procedure so that your status in the recruitment system does not change to “rejected” on the day before the results are announced.

Apostille in Ukraine

Before you leave for Wroclaw or before you ask your family to send documents, make sure that there is an Apostille on your certificate/diploma. Without this, the Board of Education in Wrocław (1 Powstańców Warszawy Street) will not start the recognition procedure if your document comes from the years that require confirmation.

Sworn translation in Wroclaw

Find a translator on the MS list. Avoid intermediaries from the “Apartments in Wrocław” Facebook groups that offer cheap translations. Go to the office near the Market Square or the Embankment (Bogusławskiego Street). The translator must translate not only the diploma itself, but also the supplement (supplement with grades). Without the supplement, you will not be prescribed ECTS credits.

Registration in the NAWA system

Take advantage of the free NAWA Qualifier system. Generate a document confirming your right to study. This is a PDF that in 2026 is required by most admissions committees at WUT and UWr as a supplement to the file.

Submitting documents in Serowiec or Kuźnicza

Once you have uploaded the scans to the IRK system, you must appear with the originals.

• For WUT: building C-13 (cheese shop), recruitment department.
• For the University of Wrocław: Kuźnicza Street (appropriate faculty or admissions office).

Statement of costs and deadlines for legalization of documents (Wrocław 2026/2027)

The biggest problems of students

The basic mistake is the lack of a diploma supplement. A Ukrainian diploma without an insert with grades is useless for a Polish university, because it is not possible to verify the learning outcomes and assign them to the ECT system. A student ends up in a queue to see an interpreter twice, paying twice for the express.

Another trap is the recruitment deadlines. Many candidates think that they can “report” the documents after the semester begins. In Wrocław, in 2026, the USOS system automatically blocks access to PE enrollment and the selection of language courses for people who do not have uploaded and verified education documents. If you do not comprehend nostrification by September, you will not choose classes, which results in no ECTS credits and deletion from the list before the end of the first semester.

The third reason is incorrect legal status. If you are studying on the basis of PESEL UKR, you have other privileges (e.g. exemption from nostrification fees in some cases), but you must have a certificate of legality of residence. Failure to update data in the dean’s office after leaving for Ukraine for the holidays and returning (change of status in the border guard) is the most common reason for the loss of the rector’s scholarship.

Language requirements and document validity: B2 certificate

In the 2026/2027 academic year, the mere nostrification of a Ukrainian diploma is not enough for the USOS system to fully activate your student account at WUT or UWr. Wrocław universities have introduced a strict requirement to combine recognition of education with documented language proficiency. Even if your diploma from the Lviv University of Technology is recognized by the discipline council in the A-1 building, you must provide a certificate of Polish language proficiency at a minimum level of B2.

If you do not have a certificate issued by the State Commission for the Certification of Knowledge of Polish as a Foreign Language, in Wrocław you can take the exam at the SJO (Foreign Language Study) at Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego Street (for WUT) or at the Institute of Polish Philology at Nankiera Square (for the University of Wrocław). Without this attachment, your education documentation will be considered incomplete, which will block you from applying for the Rector’s Scholarship and participating in international exchanges.

Digitization of recruitment 2026/2027: Trusted signature and ePUAP

In 2026, the Wrocław Board of Education at 1 Powstańców Warszawy Square almost completely switched to digital service via the e-RSO (Electronic Register of Foreign Certificates) system. As a candidate from Ukraine, you should create a Trusted Profile as soon as you receive your PESEL UKR number or residence card. This allows you to submit an application for recognition of the certificate without standing in queues for many hours, which in September stretch all the way to the Grunwaldzki Bridge.

In the IRK (Internet Recruitment of Candidates) system for 2027, Wrocław universities require scans with a qualified digital seal of a sworn translator. If your translator at Solny Square only offers a paper version, ask for a digitally signed document. Such a solution reduces the time of document verification in the dean’s office from 14 days to only 48 hours, which is crucial in the last round of enrollment for the most popular faculties in Serowiec (C-13).

Recognition of education and the right to benefits: Why USOS blocks payments

This is a real financial problem: your social scholarship or allowance in Wrocław will not be paid until your education status in the POL-on system is changed to “recognized/nostrified”. The Wrocław scholarship committees at Kuźnicza Street (UWr) and in the L-1 building (WUT) have automatic access to the ministerial databases.

If the process at the Board of Trustees is dragging on, you must download a certificate of ongoing proceedings and deliver it to the Material Assistance Office. Remember that in the academic year 2026/2027, a student’s statement alone is no longer enough. Without legal recognition of the Ukrainian high school diploma, the system will not count your points in the scholarship ranking, which with the cost of living in Grunwald (room approx. 2200 PLN) can be disastrous for your budget.

Specialist translations

The biggest challenge in legalizing a diploma from Ukraine is the correct translation of the grade scale. The Ukrainian 12-point system must be converted to a Polish scale of 2-5 so that you can get an entry in the USOS system without losing your grade point average.

Wrocław sworn translators (look for offices at Ruska and Antoniego Streets) often use the official NAWA conversion tables, but you need to check whether there is an annotation of the grades in the translation (e.g. “passed” vs “infectious”). If the translator misinterprets the Ukrainian “prosperously” as the Polish “sufficient” (3.0), your average for the rector’s scholarship will drop drastically. In 2026, universities such as UUE require that the translation of the supplement be accompanied by the so-called “Legend of Grades”, describing the percentage distribution of results at your home university in Ukraine.

Help from the City Hall and NGOs

If you’re getting lost in the maze of Apostille and nostrification regulations, don’t pay expensive law firms. Wrocław has an extensive network of free support:

1. Świdnickie Crossing (Municipal Information Centre): There you will find advisors who will help you fill out applications to the Board of Trustees and indicate an up-to-date list of sworn translators.
2. Ukraine Foundation (46A Ruska Street): This is the most important point on the map of Wrocław for students from the East. Experts from the foundation conduct regular duty on the legalization of residence and education. They will help you verify whether your documents from Kharkiv, Kyiv or Odessa require full nostrification or just recognition.
3. Cooperation with foreign countries (Lubska Street): Here you will get information about special funds to cover the costs of nostrification of medical diplomas at the UMW for people in a difficult situation.

Nostrification and labour law

An important distinction for part-time (part-time) students at WUT or WUT: recognition of a diploma for the purpose of continuing education (academic) is done automatically by the NAWA Qualifier, but recognition for the purpose of performing a regulated profession (e.g. civil engineer, architect, doctor) requires a full nostrification procedure.

If you work in Wrocław corporations in the vicinity of Strzegomska Street or in office buildings on Piłsudskiego Street, your employer may require nostrification of your diploma in order to promote you to a specialist position. In 2027, Wrocław companies are increasingly financing half of the cost of nostrification (approx. PLN 2500) on the condition that they sign a loyalty certificate. Check with your HR department if your diploma from Ukraine is already entered in the Polish register of regulated professions.

Where to arrange the individual stages of legalization

Why is July the “last bell”?

The Wrocław education market is extremely overloaded in 2026. If you plan to submit documents for recognition of education in August, you risk not receiving a decision before the deadline for enrolling in PE at USOS (usually mid-October). The lack of a decision from the Board of Trustees means the status of an “incomplete student”, which blocks the issuance of an ELS card. Without a card, you will not be able to buy a cheaper Urbancard and enter the reading room in the Libraries. The ideal schedule is: Apostille in May, translation in June, Board of Trustees in July. Thanks to this, in October, your only concern will be the rector’s hours and integration on Słodowa Island, and not the spectre of being removed from the list for formal reasons.

Exemption from the nostrification fee

In the academic year 2026/2027, the cost of the nostrification procedure at Wrocław public universities is rigidly linked to the regulation of the Minister of Science. However, as a student from Ukraine, you have a real chance of avoiding this fee (usually about 4500-5000 PLN). The key document is the Pole’s Card or War Refugee Status (PESEL UKR).

If you are applying for nostrification of your diploma at the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology or the Faculty of Law of the University of Wrocław, attach to the set of documents a statement of difficult financial situation along with the history of the account from a Polish bank (e.g. the PKO BP branch at Unii Lubelskiej Square). Wrocław councils of scientific disciplines have autonomy in granting exemptions. In 2026, priority will be given to people whose home universities in Ukraine have been destroyed or are in the zone of active occupation. The absence of a fee must be approved by the Rector – documents in this matter are usually sent through the general office in building A-1 (Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego).

Digital Certificates and Diia App: Acceptance of e-Documents

Wrocław has become a leader in the implementation of paperless systems. In the academic year 2026/2027, the Recruitment Departments of the University of Wrocław and WUT fully honor the education documents downloaded from the Ukrainian Diia system. If you don’t have a physical certificate plastic, you can generate a certificate with a QR code directly in the app.

Verification procedure in Wroclaw:

The university in Serowiec (C-13) has dedicated workstations with access to Ukrainian educational bases. However, you must remember that just looking at the application is not enough for the USOS system. You need to print out the digital certificate and then obtain its certification from a Polish notary (the fastest way to do this is in the offices at Sądowa Street, close to the district court). The notary will confirm the compliance of the printout with the electronic document, which, after being translated by a translator at Świdnicka Street, is a full-fledged basis for entry on the list of students and the award of ECTS credits.

The Trap of Curriculum Differences: Supplementary Exams at Wrocław Faculties

The nostrification of a higher education diploma in Wrocław rarely ends with the submission of papers. In 2027, faculty councils (e.g. the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology) meticulously compare the so-called learning outcomes. If your Ukrainian study program differs from the Polish standard by more than 30 ECTS credits, you will be referred to differential exams.

These exams take place in faculty buildings, e.g. in the D-20 WUT building or in institutes at Koszykowa Street. The cost of one supplementary exam in Wrocław is an expense of PLN 500-800. The biggest differences in curricula occur in faculties such as Civil Engineering, Law and Nursing. Before you pay for the full nostrification procedure, ask for an initial consultation with the BON (Office of Persons with Disabilities and Support) – despite the name, these offices often help international students navigate the differences in the curriculum to avoid financial failure.

Specifics of the Medical University (UMW)

Medical students and graduates from Ukraine are subject to the strictest regulations. The nostrification of the doctor’s diploma at the UMW (Medical University of Silesia) takes place in the complex at 213 Borowska Street. In 2026, the university requires a detailed list of clinical practices from Ukraine to be attached to the application.

If your diploma was issued after 2022, you must prove that the internship took place in an in-person setting rather than remotely. The Wrocław UMW rejects applications for nostrification of medical diplomas obtained exclusively online. In case of shortages, the university may impose an adaptation internship at the University Clinical Hospital. Remember that you must submit documents for medical nostrification to the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Medicine (often located in historic buildings on Pasteur Street). This is a process that takes from 6 to 12 months, so plan housing logistics (e.g. renting a room on Hubs) with a large time margin.

Notarized photocopies and certificates

For the IRK/USOS system, a photocopy of the certificate is only paper. Every document from Ukraine must be “certified for compliance with the original”. In Wrocław, the notaries’ area is Sądowa Street and Piłsudskiego Street.

Why there?

The proximity of the Board of Education at Powstańców Warszawy Square makes the local law firms specialize in providing services to foreign students. The cost of certifying one party in 2026 is about PLN 10-20. Remember to go to the notary with an interpreter or with a ready-made sworn translation if you do not speak Polish to the extent that allows you to understand the instruction. Without a notarized certificate, your file in Serowiec will be considered incomplete, which will suspend the issuance of the ELS card and the activation of the Urbancard.

Article 158 of the Higher Education Act: Confirmation of education without documents

In the academic year 2026/2027, extraordinary procedures are still in force in Wrocław for people who cannot recover documents from Ukraine (e.g. from Mariupol or Bakhmut). On the basis of Article 158 of the Act, you can apply for confirmation of education at a certain level through examination examinations.

Wrocław universities have appointed special examination committees. The procedure consists of an interview and tests in the subjects of the field. If you pass, you will receive a certificate that in Wrocław has the same legal force as a graduation diploma or a high school diploma. This is a “last chance” solution that allows you to continue your education at UETA or UPWr without having a physical diploma. An application for such a procedure is submitted directly to the Rector of a given university in the main building.

How to collect documents after nostrification?

After completing the nostrification process at the Wrocław University of Technology or the University of Wrocław, you will receive an official certificate of equivalence of the diploma. It is not automatically sent to your profile in USOS. You must pick them up in person at the dean’s office and go with them to the ELS card issuing point.

In 2027, this certificate will also be necessary to activate the full student tariff in the Urbancard application. The Wrocław MPK often carries out inspections on tram lines 16 and 33 in terms of the validity of foreign students’ qualifications. Having a recognized education is your only protection against a fine of PLN 280 and problems with the legality of your stay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my certificate from Ukraine have to be nostrified by the Board of Trustees in Wrocław in 2026?

If you graduated from secondary school in Ukraine after 2002, your certificate (Attestation) is recognized in Poland by law for the purpose of continuing your education. This means that you do not have to go through the formal nostrification process at the Board of Education at 1 Powstańców Warszawy Square. However, it is required to have the document with the Apostille and its translation into Polish by a sworn translator. Exceptions are certificates issued in the times of the USSR or before 2002 – in their case you must submit an application for recognition of the school certificate. This procedure is free of charge, but requires the provision of the original, translation and photocopy of the passport. In Wrocław, the Board of Trustees is very restrictive in terms of deadlines – if your application is received in August, you can receive a decision only at the end of September, which may make it difficult to stay in Teki or Ołówek dormitories, where a set of student documents is required. Always check the latest announcements on the kuratorium.wroclaw.pl website, as the regulations for refugees with UKR status are subject to change in the 2026/2027 academic year.

Where can I find the cheapest sworn translator of Ukrainian in Wroclaw?

The price for a billing page (1125 characters with spaces) of a sworn translation in Wrocław in 2026 ranges from 60 to 90 PLN. The largest concentration of translation agencies can be found in the vicinity of Solny Square, Kuźnicza Street and Ruska Street. Don’t look for the “cheapest” translator on classifieds groups – make sure that this person is on the official list of the Ministry of Justice. Many offices in the vicinity of Grunwaldzki Square offer packages for students (e.g. certificate + supplement for a lump sum). Remember that a supplement to a higher education diploma is often 5-10 pages of specialist text, which can cost up to PLN 800. If you need a translation “for tomorrow”, the rate increases by 100%. A good practice among Wrocław students is to order collective translations (e.g. for 5 people from one year) – then the offices at Świdnicka Street are more willing to negotiate prices. Always ask for an invoice – it can be the basis for applying for a random allowance at the university if you can prove that the costs of legalizing the documents have exceeded your financial capabilities.

What is the NAWA Qualifier and does it replace the nostrification of the diploma?

The qualifier is an online tool of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) that allows you to automatically generate information about your foreign diploma. This document shows what Polish title your Ukrainian diploma corresponds to and what qualifications it gives (e.g. to second-cycle studies or to open a doctoral dissertation). At universities such as WUT or UEW, the Qualifier is treated as an official confirmation of the status of the diploma and in many cases (especially in the case of diplomas from universities accredited in Ukraine) it replaces the need for nostrification. This is a huge money and time saver. However, you need to know that the Qualifier will not work if your diploma was issued by a university in the occupied territories or an institution that does not have the appropriate state authorizations. In 2026, Wrocław recruitment offices (e.g. in Serowiec C-13) require a printout from the Qualifier as a mandatory attachment to the candidate’s file. If the NAWA system does not recognize your university, the only way is to use the costly nostrification procedure at a specific faculty.

How much does it cost to have a doctor or dentist diploma nostrified at the Medical University of Wrocław?

Notrification of a medical diploma at the UMW (Pasteura Street / Borowska Street) is one of the most difficult and expensive procedures. In the academic year 2026/2027, the cost of the administrative fee is approximately PLN 4500-5000. Remember that this fee does not guarantee success – you must pass differential exams in subjects whose curricula did not coincide with Polish teaching standards. Students from Ukraine often have to complete additional clinical internships in hospitals at Borowska Street or Fieldorfa Street. Applications for nostrification are usually submitted twice a year. If you have refugee status (UKR), you can apply for co-financing of this fee by the Labour Office in Wrocław (Gliniana Street) as part of the career support programme. Without nostrification of your medical diploma, you will not receive the Right to Practice the Profession (PWZ), and your diploma will only be a “decoration” on the wall. This process takes from 6 to 12 months, so do not plan to work as a doctor immediately after arriving in Wroclaw.

Can I study in Wrocław without the original certificate (e.g. due to destruction during the war)?

In the academic year 2026/2027, Wrocław universities apply special procedures for people who cannot recover original documents from areas affected by hostilities. According to Polish law, in such a situation, you can apply to the Board of Education in Wrocław to conduct proceedings to confirm your education. This procedure consists in verifying your knowledge or presenting indirect evidence (e.g. photos of documents, scans from the electronic databases of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, witness statements). If the Board of Trustees issues a confirmatory decision, it replaces the maturity certificate in the recruitment process at the University of Wrocław or WUT. This is a lengthy process and requires a visit to the Student Affairs Department as early as May/June. Don’t leave it for September – without an official decision of the Board of Trustees, the USOS system will not allow you to matriculate, and you will lose the chance for a scholarship and a place in a dormitory.

What are the most common mistakes in translating school documents from Ukraine?

The biggest mistake is the wrong transliteration of the name and surname. Your details on the sworn translation must be identical to those in your foreign passport. If you have “Oleksandr” in your passport and the translator enters “Aleksander”, the university (e.g. UPWr at Norwida Street) will reject the application due to inconsistencies in personal data. Another mistake is the lack of translation of the seal and annotation about the Apostille. Sworn translators in Wroclaw know that they have to translate every watermark and every small stamp. Also pay attention to the names of the subjects – the Polish core curriculum knows “Knowledge of Society”, and the Ukrainian one knows “Jurisprudence”. A good translator at Noakowskiego Street will use terminology that will make it easier for the admissions committee to convert your grades into Polish enrolment points in the IRK system. Always check the finished translation before picking it up from the office – it takes a minute to revise after printing, and returning from the university to the office after a week is a waste of valuable time.

Is an Apostille necessary if I have a certificate from the Embassy of Ukraine?

In 2026, the Embassy of Ukraine and the Consulate in Wrocław (ul. pl. Nankiera) can issue certificates confirming the education obtained, but for most universities (especially for the Wrocław University of Technology) this is not enough. Apostille is an international standard for certifying documents and Polish law requires it to be recognized as authentic. There are periodic exclusions for war refugees, but they mainly concern emergency recruitment. If you are planning a normal study path, try to get an Apostille. This can be done through a proxy in Kyiv or through Ukrainian e-services systems (Diia), as long as your certificate is in the new digital format. A certificate from the consulate can only be an auxiliary document that will speed up the procedure in the dean’s office, but it will not replace the permanently legalized original certificate.

How long does the procedure for recognizing a certificate at the Board of Education in Wrocław take?

The statutory time for issuing a decision is 30 days, but in practice, due to the number of applications from students from Ukraine, the procedure at Powstańców Warszawy Square 1 in Wrocław takes from 4 to 6 weeks. If you are filing documents during the “peak” (July-September), be prepared for a longer waiting time. Instruction for the smart: You can send the application by post (registered mail), but it is better to appear in person. The employee will immediately check whether you have a set of documents (application, original certificate for inspection, sworn translation, statement of the right to study in Ukraine). If something is missing, you will receive a call to fill in the gaps by post after 2 weeks, which will extend the whole process by another month. With a decision from the Board of Trustees, you are “unsinkable” – your education is legally equal to the Polish matura exam, which opens the way for you to all public and private universities in Wrocław.

Does the nostrification of the diploma entitle to receive the Rector’s scholarship in Wrocław?

The nostrification itself is only a recognition of the validity of your diploma, but it does not automatically guarantee the rector’s scholarship. To get additional money (often 1000 PLN+ per month), you need to demonstrate a high grade point average or scientific achievements already obtained at the University of Wrocław. However, if you have nostrified your bachelor’s degree and are starting your master’s studies at the University of Wrocław, your grades from the supplement (converted to the Polish scale of 2.0-5.0) may be taken into account in the scholarship ranking. The key here is a precise translation of the supplement – if the translator enters the grades in a way that is unclear to the scholarship committee in Serowiec, you will lose the chance to get money. Remember that as a student from Ukraine with UKR status, you are entitled to all types of support (social, disabled, allowances), as long as you meet the income criteria and have a recognized educational document.

What should I do if the university refuses to recognise my diploma despite the NAWA Qualifier?

It happens that autonomous admissions committees (e.g. in very popular fields such as Computer Science at WUT) question the suitability of the Ukrainian study program for continuing education at a higher level. In such a situation, you have the right to appeal to the Rector or submit a request for reconsideration of the case. You must then present a detailed study program (the so-called syllabus) translated into Polish. In Wrocław, you can seek help from the Student Legal Clinic or the Student Ombudsman. Often the problem is not a “bad diploma”, but a lack of understanding of the Ukrainian grading system by a Polish official. The presentation of the official conversion table (available on the website of the ministry in Kyiv) usually solves the problem within a few days. Remember: fight for your own, because once a diploma is recognized in Wrocław, it will be valid throughout the European Union.