Recognition in Ireland of qualifications gained abroad /Recognition of Irish qualifications in other countries

The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) is the Irish centre for the recognition of qualifications gained abroad and provides an advisory service on foreign qualifications and how they compare to Irish qualifications. This information is useful to a number of parties; it helps holders of foreign qualifications find out what level on the Irish qualification system their foreign qualification best compares, so that they are in a better position to seek employment or undertake further study in Ireland.

The information is also useful to potential employers or institutions that are not familiar with the education system of a particular country to determine whether a person is qualified to undertake a specific function within an organisation or to gain entry to further education.

The Qualifications Recognition service (www.qualrec.ie) provides an online database of international qualifications. Currently, there is information on 16 countries available. You can use this database to locate a particular qualification and obtain a printout of how it compares to the Irish education and training system.

Individuals may also submit an application to find out the comparability of their specific qualification. Qualifications Recognition will issue a personalised statement. Some education providers or employers may require this. The service is free of charge.

In order to process a recognition application, the applicant must submit the following documents:

• Completed application form (application forms can be downloaded from the website below or can be requested from NQAI)
• Certified photocopy of the qualification in its original language
• Certified photocopy of the transcript/marks sheet/list of subjects studied in the original language
• Certified translation of the qualification into English or Irish (if applicable)
• Certified translation of the transcript/marks sheet/list of subjects studied into English or Irish (if applicable)

Once the application has been processed, the applicant is provided with a statement which provides information regarding their award and the institution where they studied.

It advises regarding the qualification, comparing the foreign qualification held by the applicant to an Irish qualification which is placed on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications. The recognition service is provided free of charge. However, any translation costs incurred are borne by the applicant. Applications generally take 8 – 12 weeks to process.

Courtesy of: The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland

www.nqai.ie