UHR's recognition statement

The recognition statement is issued as an electronic document with digital certification, not as a paper product. If you have recieved a recognition statement as a paper product earlier, that is still valid.

Recognition statement for upper-secondary education

The recognition statement will indicate whether or not the foreign upper secondary education meets the general entry requirements for Swedish higher education.

In the recognition statement it is also indicated if the education meets any special entry requirements.
UHR also issues foreign vocational qualifications at upper secondary level that do not give access to university studies in Sweden.

The university admissions process

UHR does not issue recognition statement over a preparatory year, preparatory university tests or language tests. Those qualifications can be assessed in the university admissions process.

If you have a good idea what you're interested in studying, the best thing is to apply for courses and programmes directly at Universityadmissions.se. Your foreign upper secondary studies will be assessed during the application process.

Find out more about the admission process at Universityadmissions.se

If you've completed your upper secondary studies but aren't sure if you meet the entry requirements, you can apply for an assessment of your studies (recognition statement). You can then compare this to the requirements of the courses and programmes you're interested in to see what's missing. 

More information about general and specific entry requirements: Bachelor's requirements (Universityadmissions.se)

An example of a recognition statement for upper-secondary education (pdf, in Swedish)

The design of the recognition statement and some parts of the content were slightly changed after 12th January 2022.

Recognition statement for post-secondary vocational education

UHR assesses foreign post-secondary vocational education that is part of the country's formal education system. The education must belong to the post-secondary vocational education sector and lead to a recognized qualification in the country of education. Your education must have a duration of at least one year of full-time studies.

UHR compares foreign post-secondary vocational education with the two existing diplomas within the Swedish Higher Vocational Education (Yrkeshögskolan):

• Higher Vocational Education Diploma (Yrkeshögskoleexamen), SeQF 5
• Advanced Higher Vocational Education Diploma (Kvalificerad yrkeshögskoleexamen), SeQF 6.

The recognition statement describes your foreign education and how it compares to a Swedish qualification.

An example of a recognition statement for post-secondary vocational education (pdf, in Swedish)

The design of the recognition statement and some parts of the content were slightly changed after 12th January 2022.

Recognition statement for higher education

If you have a completed higher education qualification you can receive a recognition statement that describes your foreign education and how it compares to a Swedish qualification.

UHR compares your foreign education with a Swedish degree whenever possible. When the foreign education has no equivalent in Sweden, UHR can recognize the studies as equivalent to one year of study at the Bachelor’s or Master’s level (first or second cycle).

When your foreign qualification is deemed comparable to a Swedish qualification, this means that your degree has an academic foundation and has a place and purpose in the Swedish education system equivalent to that in the foreign education system. Please note, however, that there may be differences in their content.

No credits are stated, either for the qualification as a whole or for its parts. The comments provide general information about the qualification’s specialisation and other information that may be relevant. Please check the list of subjects for more detailed information about the content.

Comments in the recognition statement

The comments provide additional information, such as whether the qualification has a clear vocational or research focus, and whether a thesis or placement is included. Two qualifications in the same subject area may be entirely different and have different purposes.

Some countries have dual systems in higher education. This could mean that theoretical degrees are awarded at university, while more practical qualifications, including extensive supervised placements, are awarded at other types of higher education institutions. In these cases, the statement comments provide an explanation.

Variation between qualifications

The evaluation does not mean exact equivalence. Many qualifications include courses about the societal conditions and legislation in the country in which they were studied. These differences can be compensated for by additional studies or relevant professional experience. Swedish qualifications can also contain differences in content, depending on where and when they were studied.

An example of a recognition statement for higher education (pdf, in Swedish)

The design of the recognition statement and some parts of the content were slightly changed after 12th January 2022.

The recognition statement is not a degree certificate

Receiving recognition and the accompanying statement does not mean you've received a Swedish degree. The statement's intended purpose is guidance for employers, study councellors and may also be used for guidance by Swedish higher education institutions if you apply for courses in Sweden.

However, the statement does not provide information about how many Swedish higher education credits your foreign qualification is worth.

Review or appeals

Request review

If you received a decision (recognition statement or rejection) that you believe is incorrect, then you can contact Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR) via utbildningsbedomning@uhr.se and request reviewing the decision.  

UHR will reconsider your case. Please note that when contacting UHR you will need to provide your name and case number for us to retrieve your case from the system.

Appeal

You can also appeal the decision, which means that the court will review whether UHR:s decision should be changed. To begin the appeal process, start with “Förvaltningsrätten” and send it by post to Registrator, Universitets- och högskolerådet, Box 4030, 171 04 Solna, or to the e-mail address: registrator@uhr.se.

When writing to appeal, always provide:

• Your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.
• Which decision you want to appeal (please provide your case number).
• The change that you wish to do.

The appeal must be submitted to UHR within three weeks from the day you received the decision, or it will be dismissed. If you have appealed in time, your letter of appeal will be sent by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (Universitets- och högskolerådet) to Förvaltningsrätten along with a copy of the decision and all documents pertaining to the case. 

Background paper - if you don’t have complete documentation

If you’ve completed your education programme with a degree but are missing documentation of this (education document such as transcript and diploma), UHR may still be able to assess your qualification.

You need to submit other documents and information to us. This applies to post-secondary foreign qualifications.

The background paper and how to use it