YOK (High Education Board) Equivalency Certificate

Engineers who would like to work in Turkey must obtain YÖK Equivalency Certificate for work permit.

Issues to consider to get YÖK equivalency certificate:

a) If the documents are original or not, if there is any scrapings, erosure or any similar falsification on them

b) If the documents belong to the applicant or not

c) If the university or high education board and program in which education was given is a reputable and respected insititution and program or not

d) Education program from which degree is gotten is equivalent of what level education program given in universities in Turkey

If the kind, quality and level of the education program is uncertain, the person is required to prove between what dates he/she has been in the country where he/she received this education with passport and other documents, along with the official catalogue of the university and additional documents, despite the fact that the diploma may have been gotten from an university on international level or acknowledged by bilateral contracts.

If necessary, opinions of Turkish Educational Consultancy or Education Attache in that country are asked and if required the a higher education board examines the documents to give their opinion if required.

RESULTS OF EXAMINATIONS

If it is detected that the documents are not original, there are falsifications on them or do not belong to that person, equivalency is not made and denunciation is made to Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office about them to launch a legal action.

As a result of the examinations made:

a) Equivalency of associate degrees is determined to be either approved or rejected. Equivalency certificate is given to those approved.

b) For equivalency of bachelor’s degrees, if it is obviously determined that the institution is an international or acknowledged by bilateral contracts and the program, in which education is given, is equivalent of the similar programs in Turkey, and the education level and study field, “equivalency certificate” is given.

If there is an uncertainity about the level and content of undergraduate education, the student may be subject to a “level determination test” peculiar to determining the least level of knowledge that a student must have earned within the lessons he/she took, which is not in the character of an examination to pass the class, procedures and principles of which are determined by YÖK.

As a result of evaluating this exam and documents together, one of the provisions below are decided upon:

1. Equivalency certificate is given to those equivalency of whose bachelor’s degree is approved.

2. Equivalency of associate degree certificate is given to those who are determined to have received education at the level of associate degree. Those may go on to the program of bachelor’s degree equivalence compliance.

3. Requests of those whose education level is not equivalent of any education are rejected and they are not given any equivalence certificate.

4. Equivalency of master degrees is determined to be either approved or rejected. Equivalency certificate is given to those approved.

5. Equivalency is not given to the certificates or diplomas received for education to which attendance is not necessary; such as distance, extern or open education

HOW TO OBTAIN YÖK EQUIVALENCE CERTIFICATE

YÖK equivalence certificate may be required from the foreign engineers, even if they will not be performing their own vocation when working.

If the university from which the foreigner has graduated is not approved to be equivalent of a Turkish university on the same matter, one has to request YÖK to determine the equivalency and wait for the conclusion.

Work permit application does not continue during this process.

Even if YÖK equivalency certificate is obtained, Ministry of Public Works and TMMOB’s opinions may be required and letters may take long time to take.

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR YÖK EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE FOR THE FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE ENGINEER’S DEGREE

Documents required for the equivalency applications for associate or bachelor’s degree:

• Filling in the forms below completely

• The original or approved copy of high school diploma or graduate certificate

• For the high school diplomas abroad, the original or approved copy of the diploma and the original and copy of the high school equivalency certificate obtained from Provincial Directorate of National Education in Turkey and from Education Attaches or Education Consultancies abroad (none of the documents stated in the 10th article below is required for those who completed their secondary education abroad)

• The original or copy and Turkish translation, approved by the notary or our embassies abroad, of associate or bachelor’s degree or graduation certificate.

• The original or copy and Turkish translation, approved by the notary or our embassies abroad, of official transcript indicating the credits and grades of the classes taken during associate or undergraduate education. If one has been transferred to the higher education institution which he/she is graduated from another higher education institution, the original and copy and Turkish translation, approved by the notary or our embassies abroad of the transcript from the higher education institution to which he/she was transferred.

• Copy of the identity card

• The original of the passport of the diploma holder and legible copy on which entry-exit dates are clear or legible copy of the passport approved by the notary or our embassies and on which entry-exit dates are clear.

• For those who are graduated from the universities in TRNC, documents to show the entry-exit information obtained from the General Directorate of Security of Turkey or TRNC immigration.

• For those graduated after being placed by ÖSYM to the programs in the guide of the countries in ÖSS guide, or from the universities in TRNC, or graduated after starting higher education abroad starting from 1999, submitting ÖSS result or SAT (mimimum 1000 points), ACT (at least 21 points), Abitur, French Baccalaureate, GCE A Level Certificate (minimum 2 classes) and International Baccalaureate (IB) if they have any of those.

• The original and copy of the document indicating why the foreign national needs equivalency certificate.

• Envelope in the size of 26 x 35 cm.

• In case of an application with incomplete documents, no transactions are made and a letter is sent to the relevant address to indicate the incomplete documents and grant time to complete them. Our institution is not responsible for any possible delay or loss at the post.