If you have completed your high school education abroad and are looking to study at a university in Turkey, you will need to obtain a High School Equivalency Certificate to demonstrate the equivalence of your diploma, graduation certificate, exam results, or any other relevant certificate with Turkish high schools. This certificate is mandatory and legally required to be eligible for university admission in Turkey.
To apply for the equivalency certificate, you need to submit your application to the provincial/district education directorates in Turkey or through education consultancy and/or education attachés abroad. It is recommended to apply for the equivalency certificate while you are still in your home country to make the process easier. You can find a list of relevant overseas representatives for your country on the official website. If your country is not on the list, you need to apply for the equivalency certificate as soon as you arrive in Turkey.
It is important to note that the equivalency certificate applications must be made in person by the students themselves. Before submitting your application, you need to follow certain steps and prepare the necessary documents to ensure a smooth application process. If you need any assistance, the IPO can guide how to obtain the Equivalency Certificate from Turkey.
Please make sure to have your original diploma and transcripts ready when applying for an equivalency certificate. Don't forget to get an apostille on your original documents. Please note that the Educational Attaché in your country or the Provincial Directorate of National Education will not accept documents that aren't verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
To authenticate your high school graduation documents, you need to complete the apostille procedures in your own country before coming to Turkey. An apostille is a document authentication system that verifies the authenticity of a document for its legal use in another country. If you have internationally recognized documents such as Cambridge, IB Diploma, Matura, Baccalaureate, etc., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Ministry of National Education or Apostille Endorsement is mandatory.
If you're in Turkey without a student visa, you must obtain your residence permit from Turkey before applying for the equivalency letter. However, if you come to Turkey with a student visa, you can apply for the equivalency letter using your passport.
If you took Cambridge GCE A Level exams as a private candidate, you need to get a document stating that you're eligible to continue your university education from your own country to receive the Equivalency Letter in Turkey. Please note that you cannot obtain an Equivalency Letter in Turkey without this document, and your university enrollment may be terminated if you fail to obtain it.
For all Cambridge GCE A Level exam result documents, you need to have document authentication (apostille) procedures carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the British Council. Please note that you can only complete this apostille procedure in your own country.
You need to attach the originals and photocopies of the following documents to the Application Form:
- Documents for the last primary education school year received from the schools attended, certificate of separation if there is a learning certificate.
- Documents for the last secondary education school year received from the schools attended, certificate of separation if there is a learning certificate.
- Secondary education school completion certificate, certificate of study for the last academic year received from the institution of study abroad, diploma (original "Apostille" certified diploma).
- Translation made by sworn translators of the passport used during the study abroad, or the entry and exit dates and pages of the passport.
- In the case that there is no field instructor or specialist in the institution to perform the equivalence process, Turkish translations made by sworn translators of foreign documents are accepted. (Ministry of National Education Equivalence Regulation)
- To schedule an appointment for an Equivalency Certificate request, you can upload your application documents through the e-Equivalence website. Please refer to the website for guidance and further information.
- Once you've submitted your application, you need to prepare the original documents and their photocopies in a transparent folder for your appointment.
- On the day of your appointment, you're required to visit the district Directorate of National Education, where you scheduled your appointment, with your application documents.
- The applicant or their legal representative must submit the application in person to the Higher Education and Overseas Education Department for Equivalency Certificate requests. After examining the files, they are submitted to the "Document Registration" unit along with their special file in a transparent folder for the necessary procedures.
- The Equivalency Certificate is prepared for eligible candidates after the relevant experts conduct the necessary examinations. If all your documents are complete, you'll receive the Equivalency Certificate within approximately 14 days. However, students with incomplete documents or incomplete apostille may take 1-2 months for the necessary procedures to complete.
- After the submission of original documents during the application stage, the "Evaluated" seal is stamped on them, and they're delivered to the applicant or their legal representative with the Equivalency Certificate in a special file (in a transparent folder) upon signature.
- To simplify the process, it is highly recommended that you apply for your equivalency certificate while still in your home country. You can find a list of relevant overseas representatives for your country on the official website.
- However, if there is no Educational Attache available in your home country or if you haven't obtained your equivalency certificate, you must apply as soon as you arrive in Turkey.
- Please keep in mind that obtaining the certificate may take a considerable amount of time.
- Additionally, please note that graduation certificates and diplomas obtained electronically or through distance education are not eligible for equivalency letter procedures, as per the Current Legislation (Official Gazette Date: 05.04.2023 Official Gazette Number: 32154).
- Upon approval of your Equivalency Letter, you will be able to access the corresponding document in PDF format through the e-Equivalence or e-government platforms. Once you have received the Equivalency Letter, it is your responsibility to provide both the letter itself and all original copies of your high school documents to the Student Affairs department at TED University. Once your Equivalency Letter is approved, you can download the relevant document in PDF format via e-Equivalence or e-government platforms.
- After obtaining the Equivalency Letter, you are responsible for submitting your Equivalency Letter and the original copies of all your high school documents to TED University Student Affairs.
- Turkish Republic high school graduates
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) high school graduates (excluding Cambridge curriculum)
- Graduates from schools opened abroad under the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, with the Ministry of National Education (MEB) seal on their diplomas
