Many specialists choose Russia to get a high-quality education. It is not as expensive as in Europe or in the USA and is available for all students from a wide range of different countries. This education allows you to find a well-paid job in your home country or build a successful career abroad. Where should these young professionals start? First of all, you need to recognize your level of education.

Official requirements for recognition of a diploma

Legalization is necessary to check whether everything is in order with the diploma itself. According to paragraph 13 of article 107 of the law 273-FZ, the diploma must be properly legalized. This means that you must first prove in your home country that the diploma is authentic. Usually this procedure is carried out in several stages and takes a lot of time. The main point is to have the documents stamped by the Russian consulate in your country, which confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document.

Many countries have signed the 1961 Hague Convention on Simplified Legalization. In November 2023, there are 123 such countries, including the PRC. If your country is on this list, it is enough to put an apostille on your diploma to confirm its authenticity. If not, check whether all the legalization stamps are present on your diploma and on the appendix with grades. There are cases when officials abroad forget to put the last stamp on the appendix, although everything is in order with the diploma itself. Then you will have to send the appendix back to your home country in order to put the last stamp. Otherwise you will not be able to obtain nostrification in Russia.

Legalisation first, recognition later

Legalisation it is necessary to check whether everything is in order with the diploma itself. According to paragraph 13 of article 107 of the law 273-FZ, the diploma must be properly legalised. This means that you must first confirm in your home country that the diploma is genuine. Usually this procedure is carried out in several stages and takes a lot of time. The main point is to have the documents stamped by the Russian consulate in the foreign country, which confirms the authenticity of the official’s signature and seal on the document.

Many countries have signed the 1961 Hague Convention on Simplified Legalisation. In November 2023, there are 123 such countries, including the PRC. If you come from such a country, it is enough to put an apostille on your diploma to confirm its authenticity. If not, check whether all the legalisation stamps are present on your diploma and on the appendix with grades. There are cases when officials abroad forget to put the last stamp on the appendix, although everything is in order with the diploma itself. Then you will have to send the appendix back to your home country in order to put the last stamp. Otherwise you will not be able to obtain nostrification in Russia.

Translation and notarization

Then, if all the stamps are found, it is necessary to translate the diploma itself and its transcript into Russian. The translation must be notarized. In addition, the translation of your foreign passport is compulsory, which is submitted in one package of documents for diploma recognition.

If you already have a translation of your diploma and attachments, that’s good. But first check whether they are stamped by the consular section of the Russian Embassy in your country. If not, these translations are not valid. They will have to be redone and certified by a Russian notary. As a rule, all official translations in Russia must be notarized. Translators can also sign the translation and stamp it, but this option will not be accepted by the Russian state authorities.

It is better to get a notarized translation done at a translation agency. In this case, you do not take as much risk as with a private translator. Translation agencies usually comply with all the requirements for official papers and make translations quick and easy. To avoid having to redo the translation you receive, warn the translator that you will need to submit it to a state organization.

Obtaining recognition

All these translations need to be sent to the Rosakredagentstvo. First you need to upload the scanned copies to the organization’s website electronically, then send the originals by post. The mail address is: 115162, Moscow, 33 Shabolovka St., FGBU “National Accreditation Agency for Education”.

Here is the minimum package of documents to be collected for Rosakredagentstvo.

• Scan copy of the original diploma in the form of an electronic document.
• Notarized translation of the diploma into Russian in the form of an electronic document.
• Notarized copy of the translation of the diploma in the form of an electronic document, also a scan copy.
• Scan-copy of the original appendix with grades.
• Notarized translation of the appendix with grades in the form of an electronic document.
• Notarized copy of the translation of the diploma supplement as a scan copy.
• Scan-copy of the original foreign passport or residence permit in Russia.
• Notarized translation of the passport into Russian in the form of a scan copy.
• Scan-copy of a notarized copy of the translation of the passport into Russian.
• Application for recognition of education.

It is possible that you will need other documents, for example, an employment record book

or a list of publications to prove your academic degree. After you have submitted the whole package, you will receive a receipt for the payment of the state fee for nostrification. In 2023 it is 6500 rubles or 675 rubles for some countries.

Russia has concluded with many countries bilateral and multilateral agreements on mutual recognition of education. The list of such agreements is here. If the diploma is issued by a country with which there is an agreement, it does not require recognition. This means that you will pay a minimal fee to have your documents reviewed. After 4-5 weeks you will receive a certificate that recognition is not required.

Even if the Russian Federation has no special agreements with your country, Russia can recognize diplomas of certain universities. The list of such universities is given in the order of the Government of the Russian Federation. In this case you do not need a full recognition procedure either. You just have to pay a small fee and receive the corresponding certificate.

If your university is not included in such a list and the country has not signed an agreement with the Russian Federation, the recognition procedure must be complete. In this case, you will receive a receipt for payment of the full fee by e-mail. Then in 45 days, if everything is in order with the documents, you will receive a certificate of recognition of education in electronic form. You will need to print it out and submit it to the university for admission.