Is my degree recognised abroad? ENIC-NARIC, WES and anabin explained

Somewhere in most study abroad plans, a small worry appears. Will a university in another country actually understand my degree? Will a 3.2 from my university mean the same thing to them as it does at home?

The answer is that recognition is a system, not a mystery. Most countries have official bodies whose job is to compare foreign qualifications with their own. This guide explains the main ones, using their official pages, checked on October 31, 2026.

First: who decides?

For admission to a university, the university usually decides for itself. It may use national databases or ask you for an evaluation report, but the final call is theirs.

For visas, jobs and immigration, a government body or an approved organisation is often involved. That is where names like ENIC-NARIC, anabin and WES come in.

Europe: the ENIC-NARIC network

The ENIC-NARIC Networks bring together the European Network of Information Centres (ENIC) and the National Academic Recognition Information Centres in the EU (NARIC). The Council of Europe, the European Commission and UNESCO are responsible for them (UK ENIC).

Each member country has a national centre. These centres give information on foreign qualifications, education systems and recognition procedures, and some also evaluate qualifications and make recognition decisions. If you are applying in Europe and are unsure how your degree will be treated, your destination country’s ENIC-NARIC centre is the official place to ask.

United Kingdom: UK ENIC

In the UK, the national centre is UK ENIC. Its Statement of Comparability is a certificate showing how your qualification compares with the UK education system. People use it when applying for jobs, further study or professional registration (UK ENIC).

Two things to know:

• It does not comment on your grades, your specific subjects or your English.
• It is a paid service, with a faster option available.

Many UK universities assess international qualifications themselves and publish country-by-country entry requirements, so check the university’s own page before paying for a statement.

Germany: anabin and the ZAB

Germany has one of the most useful free tools: anabin. Run by the ZAB, the central German authority for assessing foreign qualifications, anabin publishes information on foreign qualifications and institutions so you can check comparability yourself (ZAB).

If you need a formal document, the ZAB issues a Statement of Comparability certifying that your foreign degree is comparable to a German bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate. It can be used for visa or EU Blue Card applications and for job applications.

For university admission, many German universities use uni-assist to check international documents. See the timings in our application timeline.

United States: credential evaluations and NACES

The US has no single national recognition office for degrees. Instead, universities and employers often ask for a credential evaluation from a private organisation. Most accept evaluations from members of NACES, the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Its June 2026 member list has 18 members, including World Education Services (WES) and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) (NACES).

There are two main types of report:

• Document-by-document (general): confirms what your degree is and its US equivalent.
• Course-by-course: lists each course with US credits and grades, often with a GPA. It is usually needed for graduate admission, transfer credit or professional licensing.

Requirements differ by university. The University of Memphis, for example, asks transfer applicants for a course-by-course evaluation and first-year applicants for a general evaluation with GPA (University of Memphis). The University of Louisville says official evaluations must be sent directly by the evaluation company, together with the transcripts used (University of Louisville).

Tip: before you pay for any evaluation, check which company and report type each university accepts. Some universities do not need one at all and evaluate your transcript themselves.

Canada: ECA is for immigration, not study

Canada’s Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) confirms that a foreign credential is valid and equal to a Canadian one, for immigration purposes, such as Express Entry. It must be less than five years old, and it must come from a designated organisation, such as WES, ICAS, IQAS, Comparative Education Service at the University of Toronto, or ICES (IRCC).

The ECA page does not cover university admission. Canadian universities set their own requirements, so check each one.

Your checklist

1. Check each university’s international entry requirements for your country. This alone answers most recognition questions.
2. For Germany, look up your university and degree in anabin.
3. Only order an evaluation when a university, employer or authority asks for one, and order the exact type they name.
4. Keep certified copies and translations of your diploma and transcripts ready. Most recognition bodies and universities ask for them.
5. Allow time. Evaluations are not instant, so start early in your application timeline.

Frequently asked questions

Is WES accepted everywhere?

No. WES is widely used in the US and Canada, but each university or authority decides which evaluations it accepts. In Europe, national ENIC-NARIC centres are the official route.

Will my GPA be converted?

A course-by-course evaluation in the US often includes a converted GPA. The UK ENIC Statement of Comparability does not comment on grades. For Germany, see our guide on getting into university with a low GPA, which includes a German grade converter.

Do I need recognition for a scholarship?

Usually the scholarship relies on the university’s admission decision. Some programmes ask for specific documents, so read their rules.

Next steps

Once your documents are ready, find programmes in our Scholarships listings and check how much money you must show for a visa in student visa proof of funds by country.