Recognition of a foreign diploma in France: does it need translating for ENIC-NARIC?
For the recognition of a foreign diploma by the ENIC-NARIC centre in France, there is nothing to translate if your documents are in German, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese. In any other language, two documents must be translated: the diploma and the transcript.
The "equivalence" you are being asked for is usually this centre's certificate: €120, around four months' wait.
Does your diploma need translating? It depends on its language
The ENIC-NARIC centre exempts documents written in six languages from translation:
- German;
- English;
- Arabic;
- Spanish;
- Italian;
- Portuguese.
A Moroccan or Algerian diploma written in Arabic, a bachelor's degree obtained in Brazil, an American master's: you submit them as they are, in their original language.
For all other languages, a translation into French is mandatory. This is the case, for example, for a Ukrainian, Turkish, Chinese, Romanian, Russian or Polish diploma.
Which documents need translating?
Only two, out of the three the file requires:
- The final diploma, or the certificate of completion if you do not yet have the diploma.
- Proof of the official length of studies: your transcripts or the diploma supplement. Failing that, a certificate from the institution confirming the length of the programme.
The identity document does not need translating. And both the diploma and the transcript are also submitted in their original language: the translation is added to the document, it does not replace it.
At DocuTrad, you can have your diploma translated into French for €27 per page, from some twenty languages, including Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Romanian, Polish and Serbian, from a simple scan.
Who can do the translation?
Two types of translation are accepted:
- that of a sworn translator;
- that of the official authorities of the country of origin.
So you can have your diploma translated before coming to France: in your country, the list of sworn translators is available from the cultural services of the French embassy.
A free translation, done by yourself or by a relative, is not enough.
The ENIC-NARIC certificate: what it is for, and what it is not for
The word "equivalence" is often misleading. No equivalence is granted automatically: what exists is a certificate of comparability, which places your diploma in relation to French diplomas.
- To work, it is your future employer who assesses your diploma. They may ask you for the certificate.
- To study, it is the host institution that decides, according to its own admission criteria. It may also ask for it, but service-public.gouv.fr (the official French administration website) makes it clear: it "has no legal value and is not compulsory".
- For a regulated profession, such as doctor, lawyer, architect or hairdresser, and for any medical or paramedical diploma, the centre rejects the application: another procedure applies. Check this before having anything translated.
- For naturalisation, it has no longer been valid since 1 January 2026. To prove your level of French, you need a recognised official test, such as the TCF IRN.
Before starting the process, ask your employer or your school what is expected of you: the certificate, a translation of your diploma, or both.
How much it costs, and how long it takes
The certificate application is paid in two stages:
- €20 when the file is submitted, for the admissibility check;
- €100 if the file is admissible, for its assessment.
Refugees, asylum seekers and beneficiaries of subsidiary or temporary protection are exempt. Allow four months on average after payment, and up to six months for some files, according to the centre. It only processes one diploma per file.
If your documents need translating, at DocuTrad allow €27 per page, for the diploma as for each page of the transcript: you can have your transcript translated on the same basis. The translation is delivered in digital format within the standard 24 to 48 working hours: that is the format you will upload online.
Submitting the file without it being sent back
The application is made online only, on the ENIC-NARIC France centre's platform. No document is accepted by post at submission, although the centre may later ask for your originals for verification.
The official instructions require legible documents, scanned in colour, of 2 MB maximum each, with each document scanned separately. A transcript of several pages and its translation are therefore uploaded as two separate files.
If the centre declares your file incomplete, you have one month to complete it. After that, you have to submit a new file and pay the €20 again.
At the end, the certificate is sent to you electronically, as a PDF. This PDF serves as the original: no paper copy is sent.
In practice
- Check that your diploma does not relate to a regulated profession, then ask your employer or your school what is expected of you.
- If your diploma is not written in one of the six exempt languages, have the diploma and the transcript translated.
- Scan each document in colour, then submit your application online.
Frequently asked questions
My diploma is in English, but my employer is asking for a translation. What should I do?
Provide it. The exemption only applies to the ENIC-NARIC certificate application: your employer or your school sets its own requirements.
Can several diplomas be recognised in the same file?
No. The ENIC-NARIC centre only processes one diploma per file. For a bachelor's and a master's degree, you therefore need two applications, each paid for.
Sources
- France Éducation International, ENIC-NARIC France centre, how to apply for a certificate, general terms and instructions for the submission platform
- Service-public.gouv.fr, having a diploma obtained abroad recognised in France, checked on 17 April 2025
