Before you apply
1. Make sure that your qualification is eligible for an assessment by us:
- your qualification is a higher education qualification or a qualification giving access to higher education
For a list of authorities responsible for other levels of education, please refer to Recognition in Lithuania
- your qualification belongs to the formal education system of the country of its origin (for example, it was issued by a recognised and/or competent institution)
If in doubt, please contact us at recognition@skvc.lt
2. Make sure that you have a complete documentation package, which meets our documentation requirements.
For more information, please refer to General Documentation Requirements and Country Specific Requirements
Procedure
Once your application is registered with us, it will be reviewed within 1 month. If your application package is complete and no additional information and/or documentation is required, our office decision will be issued within the same 1 month.
If your application package is incomplete and/or additional information is required, you will be notified by e-mail. Then the processing of your application will be suspended, until the required documentation and/or information is provided.
If the required documentation and/or information are not submitted within 3 months after our request, the processing of your application will be terminated. You may reapply at any time, but you will be required to resubmit a complete documentation package.
Criteria
The purpose of an assessment is to determine the academic value of a foreign qualification in Lithuania with a view of access to study and/or employment.
The academic value of a foreign qualification is assessed by comparing the foreign qualification with a similar same level qualification awarded in Lithuania according to the following criteria:
- quality, which refers to:
- whether the institution and/or programme has been properly quality assured at the time of your study (for example, properly accredited and/or recognised by national authorities)
- whether your grades are sufficient for the required purpose;
- profile, which refers to the orientation of the programme (academic ally and/or professionally oriented, general and/or specialised, etc.);
- contents, which refer to the structure of your programme, such as presence of periods of practice and/or final thesis, etc.;
- workload, which refers to the provisioned workload of the programme;
- learning outcomes, which refer to the knowledge and competences associated with the qualification.
Our office uses a learning outcomes approach to assessment of foreign qualifications when focus is placed on the end result and not on the process and manner of study. It means that the workload and content of the programmes may differ as long as comparable learning outcomes are achieved.
Decisions
After an assessment, one of the following decisions can be made:
| recognition is granted |
| recognition means that there are no substantial differences between your qualification and a comparable qualification in Lithuania and you are granted the same rights as a holder of a comparable Lithuanian qualification; please note that the actual admission or access to employment is subject to selection by higher education institutions, employers or other competent bodies |
| limited recognition is granted |
| substantial difference(s) have been identified between your qualification and a qualification in Lithuania, therefore recognition of your qualification is limited to certain specific rights, such as access to employment, but not to further study or access only to specific types of study programmes |
| conditional recognition is granted |
| substantial difference(s) have been identified between your qualification and a qualification in Lithuania, therefore recognition of your qualification is subject to fulfilment of additional requirements, such as additional study |
| recognition is withheld |
| substantial difference(s) have been identified between your qualification and qualifications in Lithuania and they are so substantial that none of the aforementioned decisions could be taken, therefore your qualification cannot be considered comparable to any Lithuanian qualification |
After a decision is made, a statement of academic recognition in Lithuanian is issued. It provides information on the following:
- recognition decision and its purpose
- explanation and/or identified substantial difference(s) (if any)
- right to appeal
- in case of a negative recognition decision, information on alternative routes to recognition.
Right to appeal
All recognition decisions issued by us can be appealed against to the Academic Recognition of Foreign Qualifications Concerning Higher Education Appeal Committee under the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and Science.
A signed appeal should be filed within 14 days from the receipt of our decision with our office. The appeal should include an explanation as to why the decision is contested, a valid form of identification, and all the supporting documentation.
Our office will forward the appeal to the Ministry of Education and Science with 3 office days and its representative will be in touch with you regarding its processing.
