The higher education institution in Croatia where the applicant seeks to continue his or her higher education carries out academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions for the purpose of continuing education in Croatia based on the Recognition of Foreign Educational Qualifications Act (published in the Official Gazette 158/03, 198/03, 138/06, 124/09 and 45/11).
Instructions for applying for academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions for the purpose of continuing education in Croatia:
1. Fill out application form and enclose all necessary documents
The application form is an official document needed to initiate the process of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications. The form needs to be filled out completely. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of the information given. The recognition process cannot be initiated without a properly filled out application form and requested documentation.
If changes to the information submitted occur during the recognition process, the applicant must inform the Academic Recognition Office in writing.
Application form for academic recognition
Application form for recognition of periods of study
2. Pay processing fee
The processing fee for the academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions for the purpose of continuing education in Croatia, as well as its amount, distribution and exemptions, are determined by Rulebook on the amount of the fee for the costs of recognition and evaluation procedures, the method of distribution of the fee, exemption from the payment of the fee and other issues of the costs of the procedure (Official Gazette 85/2023).
The processing fee for the academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications for completed undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate university and professional study programmes is 60 euros (HRK 452.07).
The processing fee for the recognition of periods of study is 30 euros (HRK 226.04).
*Exchange rate: 7,53450
3. How to fill out the payment form:
Primatelj (recipient): Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000 Zagreb
IBAN: HR9823400091100010475
Poziv na broj (reference number): 1132
Opis plaćanja (purpose of payment): troškovi postupka akademskoga priznavanja IVK
Uplatitelj (user): applicant’s name, surname, address and OIB number (make sure to write it legibly).
Payments made from abroad:
Account holder: University of Zagreb
Bank name: Privredna banka Zagreb d. d., Radnička cesta 50, HR-10000 Zagreb
BIC: PBZGHR2X
IBAN: HR3423400091510297183
Reference number: 1132
Purpose of payment: Recognition of foreign qualifications
User: applicant's name, surname, address and ID number (or Passport number)
4. Applications for the academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions for the purpose of continuing education at one of the faculties or academies of the University of Zagreb is submitted together with all required documentation and proof of fee payment by mail to the following address:
REPUBLIKA HRVATSKA
SVEUČILIŠTE U ZAGREBU
Ured za akademsko priznavanje inozemnih visokoškolskih kvalifikacija
Trg Republike Hrvatske 14
P.P. 407
HR – 10002 Zagreb
Application procedure:
An applicant initiates the process of academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions for the purpose of continuing education at one of the faculties or academies of the University of Zagreb by submitting an application form, the relevant documents and other available information. The process ends with a formal recognition decision based on General Public Administration Procedure Law (published in the Official Gazette 47/2009). Recognition decision has to be made within two months of the submission of an application and all the required documents. In case of incomplete documentation, the applicant will be notified in writing (by mail or e-mail) of their obligation to complete it.
The commission for the academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications make recognition decisions at sessions which are held once a month.
After the Commission evaluates the applicants’ academic qualifications and determines whether all the requirements were fulfilled, a recognition decision on academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications and recognition of periods of study at foreign higher education institutions is issued and sent to the applicants’ addresses given in the application forms, to the faculty or academy where the applicant wishes to continue his or her studies, and to the Agency for science and higher education.
According to the General Public Administration Procedure Law, an applicant has the right to appeal within 15 days of receiving the decision. The appeal is made in writing in two copies and sent to Zagreb University address: Trg Republike Hrvatske 14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. The Commission for the academic recognition of foreign higher education qualifications, as the first instance in the process, analyses the appeal and makes a new decision if there is a valid reason for the change. If the Commission finds that there are no valid reasons to re-consider the decision taken, the appeal and the original recognition decision together with the original application documentation is sent to the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport, which acts as a second instance decision-making body.
Representatives from the Commission for Academic Recognition of Foreign Higher Qualifications at the University of Zagreb, the Office for Academic Recognition of Foreign Higher Qualifications and the Project Management EU Office participated in the FAIR project – Focus on Automatic Institutional Recognition (2015-2017) – the aim of which was to explore improving automatic recognition of foreign qualifications procedures in EU states.
The final report can be seen here.
