Will my HSE diploma be recognized abroad?

To translate your diploma contact the HSE University Expert Translation Centre 

Copies of diplomas are certified by faculty deans.

The Russian National Information Centre on Academic Recognition and Mobility maintains a list of accredited universities in English. The National Research University Higher School of Economics is a part of the list of recognized (accredited) higher education institutions.

To apply for apostille of your HSE diploma 

Only for the faculty of economic sciences alumni, if you have any questions after you have read the information below, please email them to Oxana Budjko

1.       How do I know whether or not I need to legalize my diploma?

If you are going to use your documents in a country that has a bilateral or multilateral agreement with Russia about the mutual recognition of credentials, you don’t need to have your documents legalized and may use them as is. Please see below the list of such countries with such agreements. In addition, you can always go to http://www.nic.gov.ru/en/proc/nic/legalize for more information about specific countries that require or don’t require legalization. If your target country does not have a relevant agreement with Russia, you will need to have your documents legalized. There are two types of legalization: an Apostille (for countries participating in the Hague Convention) and consular legalization (for all other countries).  

Countries with bilateral agreements on the mutual recognition of credentials:

1. Albania (Republic of Albania);
2. Algeria (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria);
3. Argentina (Argentine Republic);
4. Bosnia and Herzegovina;
5. Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria);
6. China (People's Republic of China);
7. Croatia (Republic of Croatia);
8. Cuba (Republic of Cuba);
9. Cyprus (Republic of Cyprus);
10. Czech Republic;
11. Egypt (Arab Republic of Egypt);
12. Estonia (Republic of Estonia);
13. Finland (Republic of Finland);
14. Greece (Hellenic Republic);
15. Hungary;
16. India (Republic of India);
17. Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran);
18. Iraq (Republic of Iraq);
19. Italy (Italian Republic);
20. Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic of Korea);
21. Latvia (Republic of Latvia);
22. Lithuania (Republic of Lithuania);
23. Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia);
24. Mongolia;
25. Montenegro;
26. Poland (Republic of Poland);
27. Romania (Romanian People's Republic);
28. Serbia (Republic of Serbia);
29. Slovakia (Slovak Republic);
30. Slovenia (Republic of Slovenia);
31. Spain (Kingdom of Spain);
32. Tunisia (Tunisian Republic);
33. Vietnam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam);
34. Yemen, South (People's Democratic Republic of Yemen).

Countries that are parties to the Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters (January 22, 1993):

1. Armenia (Republic of Armenia);
2. Azerbaijan (Azerbaijan Republic);
3. Belarus (Republic of Belarus);
4. Georgia;
5. Kazakhstan (Republic of Kazakhstan);
6. Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic);
7. Moldova (Republic of Moldova);
8. Russia (Russian Federation);
9. Tajikistan (Republic of Tajikistan);
10. Turkmenistan;
11. Ukraine;
12. Uzbekistan (Republic of Uzbekistan)

2.       Which type of legalization do I need?

If the country where you are planning to use your documents does not have any agreements with Russia regarding the recognition of credentials (see the list above) and is not a party to the Hague Convention, you need to obtain consular legalization for your documents. Please follow this link to check the status of each country http://www.nic.gov.ru/en/proc/nic/legalize. This is a trustworthy web resource.

3.       Is it possible to obtain both an Apostille and consular legalization? If so, which application should I file first? 

Given the legal framework of legalization, we believe that this shouldn’t be a problem.

For instance, a Russian degree awarded to a German citizen will require an Apostille if the graduate is planning to go home after graduation, as Germany is a party to the Hague Convention. However, if this student is planning to continue his/her studies in the United Arab Emirates afterward, he/she will also need to apply for consular legalization.   

It’s up to you whether you apply for an Apostille first and then for consular legalization or vice versa since the Russian legislation does not have any special requirements regarding the order of application.  

4.       Is there anything I need to keep in mind while planning to apply for the legalization of my HSE degree?  

A document is legalized in the country where it was issued.  For example, you cannot legalize a UAE diploma in Russia and you cannot legalize your Russian diploma in the UAE.

In Russia, only documents written in Russian can bear an Apostille stamp. Therefore, you should first obtain an Apostille on your Russian diploma, and then have it translated into your target language for notarization.

Case by case exceptions:

Some countries that DO have bilateral agreements with Russia on the recognition of credentials still require that all documents originating from Russia bear an Apostille stamp.   

Some countries that are NOT parties to the Hague Convention, sometimes accept documents with an Apostille.

An Apostille stamp can be affixed to your original degree certificate or to its notarized copy, depending on the requirements of the foreign institution where you are planning to submit your documents. Russian authorities will not be able to recommend the best option since requirements vary from one place to another.  

If you would like to read more about the legalization process, Apostilles, and consular legalization, please follow this link: https://istudents.hse.ru/en/legalization