Diplomas, certificates, school-leaving certificates and other educational documents issued in Kyrgyzstan have official legal validity abroad, albeit subject to certain qualifications. However, to have them recognised and use them in most other countries, they must first be legalised.
If you intend to use a Kyrgyz diploma in a country that is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, you can legalise it for university admission through a simplified procedure known as apostille certification.
Why is an apostille required and when do you need one?
An apostille is a special certificate that confirms the authenticity of a public document. It can be issued for documents produced by government authorities, local self-government bodies, educational institutions and other organisations authorised by the state.
Commercial documents cannot be apostilled. Therefore, if you have received a certificate for completing a training course offered by a private company that does not hold an educational licence, it cannot be apostilled. The apostille procedure applies only to documents issued by officially recognised educational institutions holding the relevant state licence.
It is important to note that an apostille confirms the origin of a document and the authenticity of the signature of the authorised official who signed it. However, it does not automatically grant access to regulated professions, such as medicine or law, nor does it replace the recognition of higher education qualifications (nostrification).
An apostille can only be issued in the country where the document was issued. It cannot be obtained through diplomatic missions or consular offices.
When is an apostille not required?
Most commercial organisations do not require employees applying for positions that do not involve special access to information to have their diplomas or other educational documents legalised by means of an apostille. In addition, a diploma may not need to be apostilled if a special arrangement for the mutual recognition of diplomas and academic degrees exists between Kyrgyzstan and another country. Such arrangements can affect eligibility for university admission or employment in a profession corresponding to the qualification.
For example, Kyrgyzstan is a party to the 1993 Minsk Convention and the 2002 Chisinau Convention. Therefore, diplomas obtained in Kyrgyzstan generally do not require an apostille for use in most CIS countries. A notarised translation of the diploma into the official language of the country where it will be used is usually sufficient.
However, Ukraine withdrew from the Minsk Convention in December 2022, and Moldova made a similar decision in 2026. Consequently, diplomas and school-leaving certificates from Kazakhstan must be apostilled for use in those countries.
Before using an educational document issued in Kyrgyzstan, it is advisable to check with the destination country whether an apostille is required.
Educational documents issued in Kyrgyzstan
Educational documents in Kyrgyzstan are issued upon completion of programmes at higher education institutions, vocational and technical schools, general education schools, training courses and other educational establishments.
The main types of educational documents issued in Kyrgyzstan include:
- Certificate of Basic General Education;
- Certificate of Secondary General Education (school-leaving certificate);
- Diploma of Secondary Vocational Education;
- Certificate of Vocational Training;
- Vocational Training Certificate;
- Diploma of Incomplete Higher Education;
- Higher Education Diploma conferring a qualification in a specific field;
- Bachelor’s Degree Diploma (Diploma of Basic Higher Education in a field of study, Bachelor’s degree);
- Master’s Degree Diploma (Diploma of Full Higher Education in a field of study, Master’s degree);
- Certificate or diploma confirming additional professional education (certificate, statement of completion, professional certificate or diploma).
In addition, Kyrgyzstan has officially approved the forms of certificates for postgraduate medical training, certificates conferring academic titles, and diplomas conferring academic degrees.
In certain cases, students may also receive official statements or certificates.
Procedure for apostilling diplomas and school-leaving certificates in Kyrgyzstan
The Ministry of Justice is responsible for apostilling educational documents in Kyrgyzstan.
There are two main ways to obtain an apostille for documents in Kyrgyzstan:
- Electronic apostille;
- Standard apostille certification of a paper document.
Electronic apostille certification was introduced in Kyrgyzstan in 2025. It is available on a pilot basis through an online service. Authentication through the government services system is required to use the service.
To obtain a traditional apostille for a paper document, you must contact the Ministry of Justice.
Apostille certification in Kyrgyzstan is governed by the government resolution “On Measures to Implement the Provisions of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents”, the resolution “On Approval of the Instructions on the Procedure and Conditions for Affixing an Apostille”, and other regulatory legal acts.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Consular legalisation of diplomas and school-leaving certificates from Kyrgyzstan
If the country in which an educational document issued in Kyrgyzstan is to be used is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates, the document must undergo the more complex and costly procedure of consular legalisation before it can be used there.
Consular legalisation is a multi-stage procedure for verifying the authenticity of a document, used for countries that are not parties to the 1961 Hague Convention.
To have a diploma or school-leaving certificate from Kyrgyzstan consularly legalised, follow these steps:
- Obtain the document;
- Have a notarised copy of the document made;
- Have the notary’s signature certified by the competent justice authority;
- Have the document legalised by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan;
- Have the document translated and the translation notarised;
- Have the document legalised by the consulate or consular section of the embassy of the destination country.
Due to the number of steps involved, this procedure can be lengthy and expensive. Some countries do not have consulates in Kyrgyzstan, so the final stage of legalisation may need to be completed in another country where the relevant consulate is located.
What is consular legalization?
In our video we are explaining what consular legalization is and where to apply for it.
Schmidt & Schmidt will assist you in all issues concerning the legalization.
Schmidt & Schmidt offers legalization in more than 80 countries all over the world.
Translation of educational documents
When using an educational document issued in Kyrgyzstan in a foreign country, you must arrange an official translation (notarised, sworn, court-certified or certified, as applicable) in accordance with the legal requirements of that country.
The translation must undergo a mandatory verification process. During this process, the completed translation is sent to the graduate for review to ensure that their first and last names, the subjects studied and the titles of academic papers have been rendered correctly, as inaccuracies may arise during translation.
Depending on the requirements of national law, the official translation may be attached to a notarised copy of the document bearing an apostille.
Shipping documents from Kyrgyzstan
Despite the challenging international situation, documents can still be shipped from Kyrgyzstan. However, shipments to certain destinations may need to be arranged in several stages.
What happens next?
Once you have obtained a legalised diploma and a copy with a notarised translation attached, the documents can generally be considered ready for official use abroad.
In countries with which Kyrgyzstan has no agreements on legal assistance and the recognition of foreign documents, a diploma will generally need to undergo a recognition procedure (nostrification) after apostille certification or consular legalisation and official translation.
How can we help?
If you are outside Kyrgyzstan, we will be happy to assist you with apostille certification and legalisation of your documents for use abroad.
You can always contact Schmidt & Schmidt. We have extensive experience in legalising a wide range of documents and provide all the services required in this area, including obtaining notarised copies, translation, preparing the necessary powers of attorney, legalising documents with government authorities and foreign consulates, and delivering completed documents to most countries worldwide.
You can read more about the legalisation and apostille procedures on our website.
