In brief

• Recognition of a foreign degree depends on your goal: studies or work.
• For studies, the host institution decides on admission.
• For work in an unregulated profession, the employer evaluates your qualifications.
• The ENIC-NARIC Centre issues a comparability certificate (fee applies).
• This certificate has no legal value but serves as an expert opinion.
• Regulated professions and sports degrees follow specific procedures.

Who can apply

This procedure concerns anyone wishing to have a degree obtained abroad recognized, regardless of nationality. You must hold a degree recognized by the issuing country. Only degree-granting programs are considered. Degrees attesting solely to language skills are not covered.

Steps to study in France

The procedure varies depending on whether you are coming under a European program or not.

General case: Admission to an institution

Each higher education institution defines its own admission criteria. These criteria depend on your previous background and the requirements of the intended course of study. Recognition of your foreign degree is granted solely by the host institution at the time of your enrollment application.

The institution may request a comparability certificate. This certificate describes the level of your foreign degree and compares it to the French level based on an analysis grid derived from international texts. It is issued by the ENIC-NARIC Centre when the degree can be compared to a training level in France.

Note: The comparability certificate has no legal value and is not mandatory. The final decision always rests with the educational institution.

European programs (Erasmus+, bilateral exchanges)

If you come to study under organized mobility arrangements, the recognition of your degrees is normally provided for in the exchange agreement. It may also result from the application of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Check with the international relations office of your university or school.

Steps to work in France

Recognition criteria differ depending on whether your profession is regulated or not.

Unregulated profession

Your future employer evaluates the qualifications or degrees presented and the professional level. They may ask you for a comparability certificate issued by the ENIC-NARIC Centre. As with studies, this is an opinion on the evaluation of the foreign degree compared to the French level. Only a degree recognized by the issuing country can be subject to this certificate.

Regulated profession

There are two types of regulated professions:

• Liberal professions and ministerial offices (lawyer, judicial commissioner, architect, doctor, etc.).
• Commercial and craft professions (mechanic, hairdresser, etc.).

The procedure differs depending on the profession and whether you obtained your degree in the European Union or not. To know the exact steps, you must inquire with the ENIC-NARIC Centre.

Sports teaching degrees

The process depends on the country where the degree was obtained.

Degree obtained in an EU member country

You can request recognition of your qualifications online via TREQUE. This application is necessary to practice as a sports educator in France and obtain the professional card required for declaration and work. The application on TREQUE is free.

Degree obtained in a non-EU country

The official source indicates that the procedure is different but does not specify the detailed steps in this excerpt. You should consult the full information on service-public.fr or contact the ENIC-NARIC Centre.

Required documents

To obtain a comparability certificate from the ENIC-NARIC Centre, you must provide proof of your foreign degree. The degree must be recognized by the issuing country. Applications are made exclusively online via the ENIC-NARIC Centre website.

Cost

Issuance of the comparability certificate by the ENIC-NARIC Centre is subject to a fee. The cost is set at €120. Payment is made online at the time of application.

Fee exemptions:

• Asylum seekers.
• Refugees.

The qualification recognition application for sports educators from the EU via TREQUE is free.

Processing times

The ENIC-NARIC Centre must respond to your request for a comparability certificate within a maximum of 4 months after payment. Once the degrees have been reviewed, you will receive the certificate by email.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Confusing the comparability certificate with legal equivalence: the certificate has no legal value.
• Thinking that the certificate guarantees admission or hiring: the final decision belongs to the institution or employer.
• Requesting a certificate for a language degree: these degrees are not considered.
• Forgetting that regulated professions require a specific procedure distinct from the simple certificate.

Official source

The information contained in this guide comes exclusively from the official fact sheet updated on April 17, 2025, by the Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister's Office).

service-public.fr Fact Sheet: Getting a degree obtained abroad recognized in France