Foreign students who wish to enroll at ISU must first have their diploma nostrified at the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of North Macedonia. The process usually takes between 60 to 90 days, but it is important to note that there may be additional time required for the translation and notarization of documents prior to the application.

If a citizen of the Republic of North Macedonia has completed their secondary education abroad or has completed a separate year of secondary education, they may request nostrification or recognition of equivalence under the Law on Secondary Education, unless international agreements state otherwise. A foreign citizen or stateless person is also entitled to request nostrification or recognition of an equivalent certificate obtained abroad.

Currently, diploma nostrification is done online through uslugi.gov.mk. Students may apply for the process with the help of the Enrollment Institute at the International Slavic University or independently through the Ministry of Education and Science’s website. The Enrollment Institute at the International Slavic University can assist students in translating and notarizing their documents as part of the application process.

Apply using the Enrollment Institute

If the Enrollment Institute provides assistance with the nostrification process, the following steps will be taken:

  • The candidate completes an enrollment application and pays for the services via the Enrollment Institute’s website.
  • The candidate sends the original documents to the Enrollment Institute via DHL, and the Institute arranges for an authorized court translator to translate and certify the documents through a notary.
    • The documents required for the first cycle are:
      • Original high school diploma with an apostille stamp
      • Original certificates for each completed year
      • Original birth certificate
      • Original certificate of citizenship
    • The documents required for the second cycle are:
      • Original foreign higher education diploma with an apostille stamp
      • Original certificate with grades/transcript or diploma supplement
      • Study plan and program during the study period
  • The candidate and a representative from the Enrollment Institute apply for nostrification through the Ministry of Education and Science’s website.
  • The candidate and MSU sign a pre-contract for studying at the university.
  • After the Ministry of Education and Science verifies the documents, the candidate from ISU will receive a Certificate of Conditional Admission. This document will outline the conditions required for enrollment, such as payment of tuition and enrollment in aMacedonian language course if the candidate is studying in a program taught in Macedonian.

Independent application by the student

If a candidate wishes to apply for nostrification independently, they must provide all necessary documents themselves. This includes arranging for the translation and notarization of the documents and submitting them to the Ministry of Education and Science for nostrification.

Once the Ministry of Education and Science issues a decision on the nostrification of the documents, the candidate must then submit this decision to MSU. Following this, the candidate will receive a Conditional Admission Certificate from MSU, which outlines the conditions that must be met before they can enroll. These conditions typically include paying tuition fees, signing a study contract, and enrolling in a Macedonian language course if the candidate is studying in a program taught in Macedonian.

Bachelor’s degree studies

You can find the list of the necessary documents on the website of the Ministry of Education and science:

  • High school diploma with an apostille stamp (or a stamp from the Ministry of foreign affairs for the countries that aren’t part of the Hague convention)
    • two copies of the diploma (one notarized);
    • two copies of the diploma translated into Macedonian language by official court interpreter (one notarized)
  • High school transcripts for each year 
    • two copies of each high school transcript (one notarized);
    • two copies of each high school transcript translated into Macedonian language by official court interpreter (one notarized);
  • Birth certificate and two copies  
    • if the birth certificate is not issued by the Republic of North Macedonia, it should be translated into two copies by official court interpreter, one of which should be notarized.
  • Citizenship certificate and two copies
    • if the citizenship certificate is not issued by the Republic of North Macedonia, it should be translated into two copies by official court interpreter, one of which should be notarized.
  • Proof of payment – 3000 MKD
  • Proof of payment- 250 MKD

Master’s degree studies

You can find more information on the website of the Ministry of Education and science.

List of documents for recognition of first cycle university studies.

  • The university diploma with an apostille stamp (or a stamp from the Ministry of foreign affairs for the countries that aren’t part of the Hague convention)
    • a copy of the diploma (notarized);
    • a translated version of the diploma into Macedonian language by official court interpreter (notarized)
  • Transcript of records or Diploma Supplement 
    • a copy of the Transcript of records or Diploma Supplement (notarized);
    • a translated version of the Transcript of records or Diploma Supplement into Macedonian language by official court interpreter (notarized)
  • Study plan, information about the study process 
  • Proof of payment – 4500 MKD
  • Proof of payment – 250 MKD