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Recognition of studies
Before making the final decision on what university or study programme to choose, you should check whether the university and the selected study programme is officially recognised in Estonia. Pursuant to the laws of Estonia, accreditation is not compulsory; it is, however, the only possibility for an institution of higher education to acquire the right to issue officially recognised documents certifying higher education. According to the Agreement on Good Practice in Internationalisation, the signed institutions have agreed that all study programmes that are offered for international students (English-taught programmes) have to have full accreditation.
Recognition by the Republic of Estonia is the basic requirement for the recognition of studies in your home country. Information about the accreditation of higher education institutions and their programmes can be found on the databases of Estonian higher education institutions (Õppekavade akrediteerimine) on the website of the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency.
If you wish to continue your studies in Estonia on the basis of a foreign academic certificate, diploma or degree, you must apply directly to the higher education institution or
ENIC/NARIC Centre in Estonia for admission, as well as for recognition of your studies.
The Estonian ENIC/NARIC belongs to the Council of Europe and UNESCO ENIC (European Network of National Information Centres on Academic Recognition and Mobility) network, and is a member of the European Commission NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centres) network. The main activities of the Centre in Estonia are the evaluation of foreign educational qualifications (certificates, diplomas, degrees, etc.), and the provision of information on education systems and recognition. Foreign students who have been awarded a degree by an Estonian education institution but wish to continue studies or start working in either their home or another foreign country must approach the appropriate authority in that country in order to evaluate the equivalence of the Estonian credential in a particular education system.
Students studying in Estonia in the framework of the
Erasmus programme do not have to check on the study programmes offered in their host institution, as only institutions with accredited study programmes are eligible to participate in the Erasmus programme. To facilitate the comparability and recognition of acquired credits and grades, you should complete a Learning Agreement to be signed by them and the home and host institutions. The Learning Agreement is an informal contract that indicates precisely what modules and courses you would be studying. At the end of the study period abroad, the host university will provide both you and the sending university a transcript reporting the results obtained in the agreed programme of study.
