Diploma recognition: in Ukraine and Türkiye (YÖK)

This page explains both directions. First, recognition in Türkiye of a diploma obtained in Ukraine: YÖK for university diplomas and the Ministry of National Education for school documents. Second, recognition in Ukraine of a diploma obtained in Türkiye (nostrification). Documents, apostille, fees, and application addresses are provided below.

• YÖK does not grant equivalency to associate, bachelor's, and master's diplomas of Turkish citizens who newly enrolled in higher education institutions in Ukraine after 12 February 2022.
• Applications of those who started before this date are evaluated separately under the relevant legislation.
• The equivalency of doctoral diplomas is handled not by YÖK but by the Interuniversity Council (ÜAK).

• Whether a university abroad is recognized by YÖK must be investigated before starting education. A diploma from an unrecognized institution is not granted equivalency.
• For most countries, institution-recognition information is obtained through the "School Recognition Certificate Inquiry" service on e-Government.
• Ukrainian universities do not appear in this inquiry. For Ukraine, complete the School Recognition Petition Sample and submit it to the YÖK Department of Recognition and Equivalency Services:
  • in person or by mail (YÖK)
  • also by email, according to the announcement of the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv dated 29 June 2026: denklik@yok.gov.tr
• No fee is charged for the school-recognition letter, and no appointment is required.
• A school-recognition certificate does not mean equivalency. Equivalency is examined separately after graduation.

• YÖK verifies Ukrainian diplomas through apostille verification in Ukraine. Therefore, the diploma and transcript must have an apostille.
• In Ukraine, apostilles on educational documents are placed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Applications are made through the state enterprise Information and Image Center (ДП «Інформаційно-іміджевий центр») affiliated with the Ministry, using the single-window procedure.
• The Ministry apostille is placed after the document has been verified. Verification checks the document's authenticity, whether it was issued by an authorized institution, and whether it was prepared in accordance with the legislation.
• ENIC Ukraine's warning of 12 October 2026: an apostille placed by the Ministry of Justice on a notarized declaration (affidavit) only verifies the notary's signature. It does not replace the Education Ministry apostille on the educational document.
• Apostilles placed by the Ministry after 18 January 2013 can be checked through the electronic register on the ENIC Ukraine website.
• During an air-raid alarm in Kyiv, the center's office closes and visitor services are suspended.

1. Submit an online preliminary application. Documents are first uploaded to the system. Print and sign the preliminary application form.
2. Complete and sign the consent declaration form in full.
3. Pay the application fee. For 2026 (1 January–31 December 2026), the fee for a diploma or graduation equivalency application and a request for re-examination is TRY 1,250.
   • Account: YÖK Department of Strategy Development, Ziraat Bank, account no. 5386419-5057, IBAN TR4500 0100 1745 0538 6419 5057
   • State in the description which request the fee is being paid for.
4. Apply with your documents on the appointment date. Uploaded documents are checked at the appointment and the originals are returned. The appointment date is considered the application date.
5. Complete missing documents within 30 days. Otherwise, the application is returned.
6. You may obtain an "Procedures in Progress" letter for military-service deferment or a job application. It is free if requested during the application; if requested later by petition, the fee is TRY 300.
7. The processing time varies according to the country, program, and correspondence. During the preliminary review, the university is contacted through the Turkish mission, and your period of stay in the country is calculated.
8. You can track your application through e-Government.

• signed printout of the online preliminary application form and signed consent declaration
• original Turkish identity card
• original diploma or graduation certificate and its Turkish translation certified by a Turkish notary or Turkish mission
• original certified transcript showing all courses, credits, and grades, and its certified Turkish translation
• transcript and translation of any courses transferred from another institution
• if the program language is one in which ÖSYM conducts an examination, a score of at least 60 points on YDS or a certificate for an examination accepted as equivalent by ÖSYM
  • If you do not submit the certificate within 2 years of the application, the application is rejected.
  • Examinations taken at home (Home Edition, At Home, etc.) are not accepted.
  • No language certificate is required if the program language is the same as your native language.
• original passports used during the study period or notarized/Turkish-mission-certified copies of their entry and exit pages
• entry-exit record from e-Government or the provincial police department
• if you are a dual citizen, a document showing that you lived in that country during the study period (rental agreement, bill, etc.)
• fee receipt
• color photocopies of all documents, including all pages of the passports

• For medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and law, equivalency requirements vary according to the world university ranking in the year studies began and, for those who completed secondary education in Türkiye, their YKS ranking.
• In some fields, the Level and Competence Assessment System (SYBS) is applied during the equivalency process: a level-determination examination, course completion, or clinical practical training. The 2026 level-determination examination guide is available on the YÖK website.
• Pharmacy graduates must submit a document showing that they completed a 1-month internship at a pharmacy registered with a pharmacists' chamber in Türkiye.
• Diplomas obtained through distance education are not granted equivalency in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, teaching, engineering, or architecture (see U4.2).

• Equivalency of report cards and diplomas for primary, middle, and high schools attended in Ukraine is handled through an online application in the Ministry of National Education's e-Equivalency system.
• As the application center, education consultancy offices abroad or provincial directorates of national education in Türkiye may be selected.
• The Kyiv Education Consultancy handles equivalency only for primary and secondary education documents. For university diplomas, apply directly to YÖK.
• Each document to be uploaded must be no larger than 2 MB.
• The consultancy certifies report cards and diplomas from primary school through university as "true copies of the original." It does not certify other documents.

• Recognition of your foreign educational document may be required to work or continue studying in Ukraine. Recognition is granted by a decision of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science. The Information and Image Center prepares the file (the ENIC Ukraine function).
• The process has three steps:
  • verification of the document's authenticity (if the document has an apostille, this is considered sufficient and the process is expedited)
  • checking the institution's accreditation
  • determining the Ukrainian equivalent of the qualification by an expert commission
• There are three possible outcomes: recognition (a perpetually valid recognition certificate), conditional recognition with additional requirements (an examination or additional education), or refusal.
• Required documents:
  • application form completed and signed in Ukrainian
  • consent form for processing personal data
  • notarized copy of the apostilled diploma and certified Ukrainian translation
  • notarized copy and translation of the apostilled diploma supplement or transcript
  • copies of previous educational documents, if any
  • photocopy of the identity document, with Ukrainian translation if necessary
  • state-fee receipt
• Fee and time:
  • mandatory state fee: 51 hryvnias for individuals
  • the Ministry's decision is issued within 45 days after all documents are submitted
  • the Center's optional expedited service: from 2,580 hryvnias for 60 business days to 4,980 hryvnias for 5 business days
• The application is submitted at the office or by courier. During martial law, documents may also be submitted remotely in electronic or paper form. Do not send original documents by ordinary mail.
• The verification result for foreign documents for admission to a university in Ukraine is delivered to your Study in Ukraine digital account (see U4.1).
• Apostilles for documents issued in Türkiye are provided by governorates and district governorates. Applications can also be made through the e-Apostille system.

• YÖK Department of Recognition and Equivalency Services — school recognition and diploma equivalency
  • Address: Üniversiteler Mah. 1600. Cad. No: 10, 06800 Bilkent, Ankara
  • Telephone: +90 850 470 09 65
  • Email: denklik@yok.gov.tr
• Information and Image Center (Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science) — apostilles for Ukrainian educational documents
  • Address: V. Chornovola St. 25, office 220, 01135 Kyiv
  • Telephone: +380 44 484 64 45, +380 44 484 64 95
  • Email: centre@apostille.in.ua
• Same center, foreign-document recognition department — recognition of a Turkish diploma in Ukraine
  • Address: V. Chornovola St. 25, office 220, Kyiv · Mail: Box 47, Kyiv 01135
  • Telephone: +380 44 486 20 43 (Monday–Friday 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–17:00)
  • Email: centre@naric.in.ua
• ENIC Ukraine — information about the Ukrainian education system
  • Telephone: +380 44 484 64 25
  • Email: info@enic.in.ua
• Education Consultancy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv — school-document equivalency and certification
  • Address: Panasa Myrnoho St. No: 22, 01901 Kyiv · Telephone: +380 44 281 07 50 · Email: kiev@meb.gov.tr
• Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Kyiv — certification of sworn-translator translations (by appointment)
  • Telephone: +380 44 281 07 50 · Emergency: +380 63 211 47 65

• Obtaining an apostille for a Ukrainian diploma through the Ministry of Justice with a notarial declaration instead of through the Ministry of Education.
• Mistaking a school-recognition certificate for equivalency.
• Throwing away old passports. YÖK requires all passports used during the study period.
• Taking the language examination from home (Home Edition). These results are not accepted.
• Submitting translations of the diploma and transcript without certification by a notary or Turkish mission.
• Paying the fee without stating the purpose in the description.
• Trying to have a Turkish diploma recognized in Ukraine without an apostille and certified translation.

• I started in Ukraine in 2023. Can I obtain equivalency? Under YÖK's decision of 4 April 2023, diplomas of those who newly enrolled after 12 February 2022 are not granted equivalency.
• I started in 2021 and spent some time in Türkiye during the war. What happens? The situation of those who started before 12 February 2022 is evaluated separately. YÖK examines your passport and entry-exit records; you must have been in the country for at least 70% of each period (see U4.2).
• Do I pay for the school-recognition letter? No. No fee is charged for school-recognition letters.
• How much is the equivalency application? TRY 1,250 in 2026.
• Where do I apply for doctoral equivalency? Doctoral equivalency is handled by the Interuniversity Council (ÜAK).
• When will my Turkish diploma be recognized in Ukraine? The Ministry's decision is issued within 45 days after all documents are submitted. The state fee is 51 hryvnias.

• YÖK – School recognition petition sample (PDF)
• YÖK – Equivalency application form (PDF)
• YÖK – Recognition and equivalency procedures (PDF)
• YÖK – Consent declaration forms
• e-Government – YÖK equivalency application and tracking
• Regulation on the Recognition and Equivalency of Higher Education Diplomas Obtained Abroad
• ENIC Ukraine – Checking Education Ministry apostilles
• Information and Image Center – Apostille application
• MEB e-Equivalency (school documents)
• e-Apostille (Turkish documents)