Recognition of qualifications
Recognition of foreign qualifications, degrees, certificates and diplomas in Hungary
Until 31 December 2006 the Hungarian Equivalence and Information Centre (HEIC) was one of the departments at the Ministry of Education and Culture. As of 1 January 2007 it operates as part of the Educational Authority. The HEIC's primary task is the recognition of certificates and degrees obtained abroad, but it also provides information about the Hungarian and the foreign education systems, and issues certificates about Hungarian qualifications to be used abroad.
From the beginning of the 1990s, with the opening of borders, it became easier to move between countries and, as a result of this, the number of applicants wishing to have their degrees or qualifications recognised in Hungary increased. The rising number of applicants made it necessary in 1993 to establish a central office whose primary task was the recognition of higher education qualifications obtained abroad, it also facilitated teacher and student mobility by providing information.
At the time the legal basis for the HEIC's activity was the 1993 Act on Higher Education and Government Decree No. 47/1995. on the recognition and notification of foreign qualifications, degrees and diplomas obtained at higher education institution abroad.
Due to overlapping jurisdiction of the various laws regulating the recognition of foreign degrees and professional qualifications and also overlapping competence of different institutions and governing bodies, furthermore, due to legal harmonisation tasks arising from negotiations to join the European Union, by 2000-2001 it became necessary to draft a new and consolidated act on recognition.
In December 2001 the Parliament adopted Act 100 of 2001 on the recognition of foreign certificates and degrees which took effect on 1 January 2002. Section III of the Act regulating the recognition according to EU legislation took effect only after Hungary’s accession to the European Union on 1 May 2004.
Having been amended several times since its adoption, the Recognition Act regulates all aspects of recognising foreign certificates and degrees in Hungary in compliance with international recognition principles:
- recognition of primary school leaving certificates
- recognition of secondary school leaving certificates
- recognition of documents certifying vocational training
- recognition of degrees and professional qualifications (documents certifying tertiary education)
- recognition of postgraduate degrees
Providing information
- based on the data available, providing information to authorities, professional organisations and individuals about foreign higher education systems and institutions and the conditions for obtaining primary and secondary school level certificates and higher education degrees
- providing information to foreign authorities and professional organisations about the Hungarian education system and the conditions for obtaining Hungarian certificates and degrees
Further activities
- at the request of the applicants and to be used abroad for official procedures, issuing certificates about Hungarian primary and secondary school level qualifications, higher education degrees and professional qualifications, furthermore, certificates of secondary vocational qualifications and the professional practice completed in Hungary
- maintaining relations with the information centres of other countries and international organisations, especially with offices of the ENIC and NARIC networks
- functioning as the national information point for professional recognition under EU legislation, the head of HEIC being the national co-ordinator for professional recognition under the General System
- collecting, arranging and processing information concerning foreign education systems and programs, the legal status of institutions, and the conditions of obtaining higher education degrees and professional qualifications and other primary and secondary school level certificates in other countries
Educational Authority
Hungarian Equivalence and Information Centre (HEIC)
Hungarian ENIC/NARIC Office
1054 Budapest, Báthory u. 10.
Tel.: +36- 1-374-2200
E-mail: meik@okm.gov.hu
Homepage: http://www.naric.hu
Place of consultation and of submitting applications in person:
Educational Authority, Consulting Office
(1055 Budapest, Báthory utca 10.)
Consultation Office - office hours:
Monday: 8.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m.
Tuesday: 12.30 p.m.- 4. p.m.
Wednesday: 8.30 a.m. -12.00 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.
Thursday: 12.30 a.m. – 4. 00. p.m.
Friday: 8.30 a.m.-12.00 p.m.
II. Mutual recognition of certificates and degrees obtained in the European countries
(http://www.enic-naric.net)
The ENIC Network (European Network of Information Centres on Academic Recognition and Mobility)
The ENIC network was established by the Council of Europe and the UNESCO in order to implement the Lisbon Convention (Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region) and to develop policy and practice for the mutual recognition of qualifications. Members of the network are national information centres dealing with recognising higher education degrees and students mobility.
They will generally provide information on:
- recognition of foreign diplomas, degrees and other qualifications;
- education systems in both foreign countries and the ENIC’s own country;
- opportunities for studying abroad, including information on loans and scholarships, as well as advice on practical questions related to mobility and equivalence.
The NARIC network (National Academic Recognition Information Centres)
The NARIC network is an initiative of the European Commission and was created in 1984. The network aims at improving academic recognition of diplomas and periods of studying in EU, EEA and associated countries. The network is part of the Community's SOCRATES/ERASMUS Programme. All EU and EEA States and all associated countries have designated national centres, the purpose of which is to assist in promoting the mobility of students, teachers and researchers. The main users of this service are higher education institutions, students and their advisers, parents, teachers and prospective employers.
The NARIC centres were designated by the Ministries of Education in the respective countries. In the majority of States, institutions of higher education are autonomous, taking their own decisions on the admission of foreign students and the exemption of parts of courses of study programmes that students may be granted on the basis of education undertaken abroad. As a result, most NARIC centres do not take a decision, but offer on request information and advice on foreign education systems and qualifications.
