More often Belarusian universities appear in international rankings. In 2024 QS World University Rankings published the TOP-1300 world universities which includes BSUIR, BNTU, BSU. But that's not enough for choosing a country and university to study. You need to know whether a Belarusian diploma is recognized in the world.
How to get an international diploma in Belarus?
Today Belarusian diploma is recognized in CIS countries automatically, without additional procedures (except for diplomas on medical education). These countries include Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Belarus has also concluded diploma equivalency agreements with a number of countries, including China, Pakistan, Ecuador, Venezuela, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. These agreements allow Belarusian diplomas to be confirmed under a simplified procedure.
For example, the Ministry of Education of China has an online platform where a student or future employee can create a personal account, then fill in personal information about education, attach a scan of the diploma in Russian, an extract with grades from the diploma, all attached certificates, as well as scientific publications, if any. Then a request for diploma recognition in China is sent. After checking the data, the confirmation is issued - an online document on the recognition of a diploma of higher education in China. With this document, you can be employed. The whole procedure takes about 30 days.
As for the EU countries, Belarus has been a member of the Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications relevant to Higher Education in the European Region since 1997. This means that a Belarusian diploma can be recognized in countries that have ratified this convention. However, each particular country may have its own peculiarities related to the national legislation and the professional branch in which the education was obtained.
Belarusian universities also offer additional educational programs. They allow you to get double diploma. For example, the Institute of Business and Management of Technologies of BSU, BSEU, BSTU.
To get an international diploma we recommend to pay your attention to MBA programs. The thing is that you need to have diploma of higher education.
How to legalize Belarusian diploma abroad?
When you collect the documents for further education or work abroad it is important to prepare official translation of the Belarusian diploma into a foreign language.
Before submitting it to foreign institutions translation of the diploma must be legalized according to the procedure established by the legislation of the receiving country.
The following two obligatory procedures are necessary:
- confirmation of the document validity for foreign countries (apostille or consular legalization);
- notarization of the diploma translation.
It doesn’t matter from where to start.
Apostille is a simplified legalization procedure. It is applicable to the granting of diplomas in 98 countries which signed the 1961 Hague Convention.
Otherwise, it is necessary to undergo the procedure of consular legalization of the document. It is more time-consuming and requires more legal actions in the institutions of both Belarus and another country. Moreover, the document is legal only on the territory of the country that certifies it.
Is the Belarusian diploma recognized abroad?
Recognition of the Belarusian diploma abroad largely depends on the specialty and university that you graduate from.
Belarusian bachelor's diplomas are recognized in EU countries, while master's and PhD diplomas are not.
The Polish Council of Ministers has adopted changes to the law on doctors and dentists, which came into force on April 1, 2020. This law provides for a new way of testing knowledge for those who obtained their diploma outside the European Union. A medical or medical-dental verification exam has been introduced for such specialists, the successful completion of which entitles them to practice medicine (but not science or education). This replaces the procedure of diploma nostrification.
Special commission can require to prove your knowledge or take additional examinations. But you will have to pay for them. In any case the diploma isn’t the main criterion for employment. Your knowledge is much more valuable.
How a foreigner can recognize his diploma in Belarus?
Sometimes a foreigner needs to recognize his non-Belarusian diploma in Belarus. For example, when he/she wants to get a job or study for the master's degree, postgraduate study. In this case you should apply to the National Center for the recognition of documents. You need to show:
- a document and a copy of the applicant's identity document;
- an original educational document and its appendix (some countries require legalization of the document);
- documents confirming a name change (if the name in the passport and education document aren’t the same).
The applicant may provide additional evidence of his or her education (school or college diploma, bachelor's degree, etc.).
Important: if your document falls within the scope of international treaties or if the university you graduated from is included in the list of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, the recognition procedure isn’t required.
