Academic recognition refers to
• admitting someone to studies based on a foreign education, and
• crediting of studies completed abroad towards a Finnish qualification.
People sitting around a table in a meeting
Photo: Satu Haavisto

In Finland, education providers and higher education institutions are responsible for academic recognition. They decide on the admission of applicants who have completed their studies abroad and on the crediting of studies and other learning towards a Finnish qualification.
Upon request, the Finnish National Agency for Education provides information to education providers and higher education institutions to support academic recognition. 

Lisbon Convention on academic recognition of qualifications

The Lisbon Recognition Convention, a convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications in the European region, is in force in Finland. The Lisbon Convention is in force in nearly all European countries. It aims at facilitating academic recognition of qualifications by improving the recognition procedures and increasing transparency.

In Finland, the universities and universities of applied sciences, the National Defence University, and the Åland University of Applied Sciences come within the scope of the Lisbon Convention.

Recommendations on among others the use of qualifications frameworks as tools in recognition, the criteria and procedures for the assessment on foreign qualifications, transnational education, joint degrees, and recognition of qualifications held by refugees have been accepted as appendices to the Lisbon Convention.

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International Joint Degrees

An international joint degree is a programme of education, organised jointly by two or more higher education institutions that belong to the countries’ official system of education and that leads to a higher education degree. The Finnish National Agency for Education has prepared a memorandum on matters that higher education institutions planning joint degree programmes should pay attention to when awarding degrees and issuing degree certificates. The memorandum was updated in 2019.

Memorandum in Finnish, Swedish and English
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Information exchange networks

ENIC (European Network of Information Centres) - and NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centres) -networks share information on higher education systems, higher education degrees, recognition procedures and good practices in recognition of qualifications. The Finnish National Agency for Education represents Finland in the networks. 

The Nordic ENIC- and NARIC-offices form a Nordic National Recognition Information Centres (NORRIC) -network.

The websites of the networks provide information on education systems and recognition of qualifications in different countries as well as jointly developed material to support recognition of qualifications. 

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Information about foreign systems of education

The Finnish National Agency for Education has published diagrams on foreign systems education. They are meant for guidance and counselling purposes as well as for student admission professionals. You can access the diagrams and international sources of information on the page intended for guidance and counselling professionals.

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Contact information

Email: recognition(a)oph.fi

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