The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic will soon launch a digital system of automatic recognition of education documents for applicants from EU Member States and countries with which a bilateral agreement has been signed in this area. A database of recognition clauses for the most common qualifications will be available on a dedicated portal, which students can easily download and attach to their application form. This will speed up the admission process and reduce the administrative burden.
Each applicant for studies at the I., II., or III. level at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA) must submit both the E-application form for study at SUA and the decision on the recognition of educational documents issued by a foreign institution, along with any additional required documents listed below under the respective study level section.
Authorities Responsible for Document Recognition:
- The decision on the recognition of documents on education issued by a foreign secondary school is issued by the district office in the relevant region according to the applicant's residence or according to the seat of the university, which in the case of SUA is the Regional Office of Education in Nitra, Department of Vocational and Methodological Activities, J. Vuruma 1, 949 01 Nitra .
- The decision on the recognition of documents on education issued by a foreign university is issued by:
- the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic if the applicant applies for recognition of the level of education according to international agreements (if the document on education was issued in one of these countries) or if no university in the Slovak Republic provides education in the same or a related field of study as the applicant stated in the document,
- the university in the Slovak Republic that provides education in the same or a related field of study as the applicant stated in the document (list of universities in the Slovak Republic and the fields of study).
The specific conditions, rules, tuition fees, and available study programs for each SUA faculty are listed here:
- Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science
- Faculty of Economics and Management
- Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development
- Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering
Application Documents and Admission Process for International Applicants:
I. LEVEL OF STUDY (BACHELOR´S DEGREE):
1. Application Form Submission
- Applicant must submit the E-application form to study at SUA through the university’s designated portal or send the completed form via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
2. Payment of the fee for admission procedure
- The sum of the fee depends on the specific faculty and study program and it varies between 30 EUR and 65 EUR
- The proof of the payment has to be sent via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
3. Recognition of Secondary Education Documents
- Applicant must submit a copy of their secondary school graduation certificate (maturita certificate) and the transcript of grades from their secondary education. This requirement differs based on bilateral agreements between Slovakia and the applicant’s country.
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- Countries with Bilateral Agreements: If the applicant’s home country is among those with a bilateral agreement (e.g., Hungary, Poland, Russia, Germany, China, Romania, Ukraine), only the graduation certificate is required.
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- Countries without Bilateral Agreements: For applicant from countries without a bilateral agreement, both the graduation certificate and transcript of grades must be submitted.
- Notarization of Documents: The applicant must have a notarized copy of the documents listed above. The notarization ensures the authenticity of the documents and verifies they are accurate copies.
- All notarized copies of documents must be translated into Slovak by an officially accredited translator in Slovakia. The applicant must send the notarized copies to the accredited translator by post and arrange for the officially translated documents to be sent directly to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs.
- The applicant must send the Application for recognition of a foreign secondary education qualification for further studies and other purposes, along with all notarized and translated documents, to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs via post for further processing—unless the documents have already been sent by the accredited translator.
- Payment of Application for recognition of educational documents
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- An application fee of 40 EUR (for countries without bilateral agreements) or 7 EUR (for countries with bilateral agreements) must be paid. The payment is made through an eKolok (electronic postal stamp), which can be purchased online via the Slovak Post website.
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- eKolok Details: After making the payment, the applicant will receive a QR code confirming the transaction, which must be sent to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs for confirmation.
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- The fee must be paid only after the documents are received by the Vice-Dean’s office to avoid any issues with expiration. The eKolok has a one-month validity period, so delays in document submission may require purchasing a new eKolok.
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4. Passport Scan
- The applicant must send a scanned copy of their passport to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs via email. This document is needed for identity verification.
5. Processing by the Faculty
- The faculty will collect all required documents, including:
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- Completed Application Form
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- Copy of the passport
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- Notarized and translated copies of secondary education documents (graduation certificate and transcript of grades)
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- Confirmation of eKolok payment (QR code)
- All these documents will be sent by the faculty to the Regional Office of School Administration in Nitra (for Bachelor's degree applications) for recognition processing.
- The documents will be forwarded to the relevant recognition center, where they will be reviewed and validated.
For more information on the recognition of completed studies from primary and secondary schools abroad, you can refer to the official guidelines on the Ministry of Education’s website here.
6. Decision on Recognition of Education
- Within 30 days, the Regional Office of School Administration in Nitra or Ministry of Education, Research,Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic will issue a recognition decision regarding the applicant’s previous education.*
- The decision will be sent to the faculty, and once received, it will be forwarded to the applicant.
7. Online Interview
- Once the applicant’s educational documents have been successfully recognized, they will be invited to an online interview in English. The applicant may take the interview at any point during the admission process.
- The online interview will assess the applicant’s language proficiency and general preparedness for studying at the university.
8. Final Admission Decision
- Based on the recognition of the previous education and the successful online interview, the applicant will receive a final admission decision to study at the university.
II. LEVEL OF STUDY (MASTER´S DEGREE):
1. Application Form Submission
- Applicant must submit the E-application form to study at SUA through the university’s designated portal or send the completed form via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
2. Payment of the fee for admission procedure
- The sum of the fee depends on the specific faculty and study program and it varies between 30 EUR and 65 EUR
- The proof of the payment has to be sent via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
3. Recognition of University Education Documents
- Applicants must submit a copy of their undergraduate diploma and a transcript of records from their previous university studies.
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- For International Recognition: If the applicant’s previous degree is from an institution outside Slovakia, the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic will evaluate the educational documents for equivalency - Centre for Recognition of Diplomas
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- For Domestic Recognition: If a Slovak university offers a similar program, the recognition process can be completed by the university -list of universities in the Slovak Republic and the fields of study
4. Additional Requirement:
- Transcript of Records or Diploma Supplement fot the I. level of study is required, which provides a detailed overview of the applicant’s previous academic performance. Transcript of Rrecords or Diploma Supplement for the I. level of study
- Curriculum Vitae
5. Other Documentation
- Similar to the bachelor’s process, the applicant must submit a completed application form, passport scan and proof of payment for the application fee. Documents must also be notarized, translated, and sent to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs.
6. Online Interview
- Applicants must participate in an online interview as part of the admission process. This will assess the applicant’s qualifications and English proficiency.
7. Final Admission
- The final admission decision will be based on the recognition of the previous education, successful online interview, and the university’s assessment of the applicant’s qualifications.
III. LEVEL OF STUDY (PHD DEGREE)
1. Application Form Submission
- The applicant must select a dissertation topic from those published on the respective faculty's website. All PhD positions are also listed on the Euraxess Jobs and Opportunities portal
- Applicant must submit the E-application form to study at SUA through the university’s designated portal or send the completed form via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
2. Payment of the fee for admission procedure
- The sum of the fee depends on the specific faculty and study program and it varies between 30 EUR and 65 EUR
- The proof of the payment has to be sent via email to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs of the respective faculty
3. Recognition of University Education Documents
- Applicants must submit a copy of their undergraduate diploma and a transcript of records from their previous university studies.
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- For International Recognition: If the applicant’s previous degree is from an institution outside Slovakia, the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic will evaluate the educational documents for equivalency - Centre for Recognition of Diplomas
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- For Domestic Recognition: If a Slovak university offers a similar program, the recognition process can be completed by the university -list of universities in the Slovak Republic and the fields of study
4. Additional Requirement:
- Transcript of Records or Diploma Supplement fot the I. level of study is required, which provides a detailed overview of the applicant’s previous academic performance. Transcript of Rrecords or Diploma Supplement for the I. level of study
- Curriculum Vitae
5. Other Documentation
- Similar to the bachelor’s process, the applicant must submit a completed application form, passport scan and proof of payment for the application fee. Documents must also be notarized, translated, and sent to the Vice-Dean for International Affairs.
6. Framework Project
- Applicants must submit a framework project outlining their research plan or study proposal, which is crucial for the doctoral admission process.
7. Online Interview
- A specialized online interview focused on the research topic and methodology will be part of the admission process.
8. Final Admission
- The applicant’s admission will be confirmed based on the recognition of prior education, framework project, and a successful online interview.