New Zealand and other countries have formal arrangements that make it easier for people to use their qualifications overseas.
Why we need qualification recognition arrangements
Different countries have different education systems. Qualifications in the same field can vary depending on where they're from.
When people want to use their qualifications overseas, we need ways to compare these to local qualifications.
Recognition arrangements help immigration officials, employers, and education providers make decisions.
Recognition agreements don't mean that another country will recognise a qualification, but they can make the process easier.
On this page
What is qualification recognition?
Qualification recognition is when a qualification from one country is accepted as comparable to a qualification from another country.
There are several ways to recognise international qualifications:
- regional recognition agreements
- country-to-country recognition arrangements
- individual assessments.
Recognition can apply to:
- specific qualifications, for example, NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance
- a qualification type, for example, Bachelor’s degrees
- a group of qualifications, for example, higher education qualifications
- parts of qualifications frameworks, whole frameworks or regional frameworks.
Framework recognition is called referencing. It involves comparing frameworks to find out where a qualification from one framework fits into another.
People can also ask a country's credentialing agency to recognise their qualifications. In New Zealand, NZQA is the credentialing agency.
New Zealand's recognition arrangements and agreements
New Zealand is part of the Lisbon Convention and the Tokyo Convention. These are major qualification recognition treaties.
International qualification recognition treaties
We also have formal arrangements with other countries. These arrangements can include Free Trade Agreements with clauses about qualification recognition.