Recognition of diplomas and qualifications obtained abroad

 

Foreign diploma recognition, in order for foreign citizens to practise various professions in Romania, is among the most important aspects for hiring foreigners.

As regards European citizens, Law no. 200/2004 on recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications for regulated professions in Romania was adopted and published in the Official Gazette no. 500 of June 3, 2004, amended by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 109/2007 published in the Official Gazette no. 706 of October 18, 2007.

 

In order to access a regulated profession or practise it in Romania, diplomas obtained both in Romania and abroad that entitle the holder to exercise the same profession in the Member State of origin are recognized.

The right to access a regulated profession or carry it out in Romania cannot be denied if the applicant provides proof that he or she has exercised this profession full time for 2 years in the past 10 years in a European country in which that profession is not regulated, if he or she has one or more certificates of professional qualification awarded by a competent authority of a Member State to certify that the person was trained for that profession.

Romanian authorities may ask the applicant to choose between going through an adaptation period not exceeding 3 years or taking an aptitude test in the following cases:

1. If the applicant's theoretical and practical training is substantially different from what is required in Romania to obtain a higher education degree in that field in order to practise the profession in question;
2. If the profession exercised in Romania includes one or more professional activities not covered by the same profession in the applicant's State of origin, and if the difference corresponds to a specific training required in Romania which covers areas that differ substantially from those covered by the degree held by the applicant;
3. If the applicant's training duration is at least one year shorter than the one required in Romania

Documents necessary to prepare the file for recognition of diplomas

As for the recognition of diplomas and qualifications obtained by citizens of third countries in their education system, the file which will be forwarded by the employing company will comprise:

1. Standard request addressed to the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, in which the acknowledgement of the diploma is asked (the address and the phone number of the company will be mentioned);
2. Registration number;
3. Certified copy of the diploma, if it is in Romanian, or if not, a notarized translation in original;
4. Copy of the foreign citizen's passport (the pages having the identification data);
5. Letter from the company naming the position to be held by the person in question;
6. Copy of the registration certificate of the company;
7. Delegation of a company employee, who will submit the file and to whom the acknowledgement certificate will be handed over;
8. Proof of payment for the sums due for diploma acknowledgement, in original or certified copy.

 NOTE: For validation, diplomas will have the Hague Convention Apostille (for the states which are part of this Convention) or the Over-Attested mention or will have attached the authentication certificate issued by the competent authorities from the origin country, taking into consideration the fact that, given the automatic acknowledgement, the acknowledgement of the education institution from the state of origin prevails.

For further details, please access the National Centre for Equivalence and Recognition of Diplomas website.