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Using Your Novaris Degree in Costa Rica

Learn how a university degree obtained abroad may be submitted for recognition and academic equivalency in Costa Rica through CONARE's Office for Recognition and Equivalency of Degrees and Diplomas.

Foreign Degree Recognition CONARE ORE State University Evaluation
Coordinator CONARE / ORE
Procedure Recognition & Equivalency
Academic Review Costa Rican State University
Evaluation Individual Application
University students studying together
Foreign Degrees in Costa Rica Costa Rica has a coordinated system for evaluating university degrees and academic qualifications obtained outside the country.
FOREIGN DEGREE RECOGNITION

Recognition and Equivalency Through CONARE

Costa Rica's Consejo Nacional de Rectores (CONARE) coordinates the recognition and equivalency process through its Office for Recognition and Equivalency, known as ORE.

The procedure involves both administrative verification by ORE and an academic evaluation by a Costa Rican state university that offers the degree or academic field most closely related to the foreign credential.

Recognition cannot be guaranteed in advance. CONARE expressly states that it is not possible to determine in advance whether a particular foreign degree will ultimately be recognized and equated. The credential must go through the individual recognition and academic evaluation procedure.
STEP BY STEP

Preparing a Foreign Degree for Recognition in Costa Rica

The ORE procedure combines documentary verification with academic evaluation by one of Costa Rica's state universities.

01

Prepare Your Degree

Gather the foreign diploma and the supporting academic documents required by ORE.

02

Legalize Documents

Foreign official documents must meet the applicable legalization or apostille requirements.

03

Register with ORE

Create an account in the ORE web system and complete the recognition and equivalency application.

04

Document Review

ORE reviews the documentation and prepares the application for the academic stage.

05

University Evaluation

The file is sent to the corresponding Costa Rican state university for its final academic determination.

TWO-STAGE PROCESS

Administrative Review + Academic Evaluation

Stage 1

ORE / CONARE

The Office for Recognition and Equivalency receives the application, checks the documentation, administers the procedure, and coordinates the transfer of the file for academic evaluation.

Stage 2

State University

The academic phase is completed by a Costa Rican state university that offers the degree or academic program most closely related to the foreign qualification being evaluated.

COMPETENT SYSTEM

CONARE and Costa Rica's State Universities

CONARE's ORE coordinates the national recognition and equivalency process for university degrees obtained abroad.

Foreign University Degrees University credentials obtained outside Costa Rica may be submitted through the recognition procedure.
Graduate Degrees Postgraduate credentials may also be evaluated through the corresponding state university.
Academic Equivalency The academic evaluation may determine equivalency to a Costa Rican degree or academic qualification.
Legal Effects CONARE states that recognition and equivalency are carried out so that qualifying foreign credentials can have legal effects in Costa Rica.
IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT

The Status of the Foreign Institution Is Part of the Review

CONARE states that accreditation of the individual academic program is not necessarily required for the recognition procedure. However, documentation may be required from the competent authority showing that the institution issuing the diploma has legal authority to issue the credential and that the degree and title enjoy the applicable official validity or recognition in the country of origin.

For this reason, eligibility of any specific Novaris credential must be determined by CONARE and the corresponding Costa Rican state university through the individual application process. Novaris does not represent that its degrees have been pre-approved for recognition in Costa Rica.

DOCUMENT PREPARATION

Preparing the Recognition Application

The complete documentation requirements should always be reviewed directly on the ORE system before applying.

01

Degree or Diploma

The university diploma or academic credential issued abroad.

02

Academic Records

The corresponding transcript and other academic documentation required for evaluation.

03

Institutional Status

Documentation from the competent authority may be required to establish the foreign institution's authority and the validity of the degree.

04

Apostille / Legalization

Foreign documents must comply with Costa Rica's applicable authentication requirements.

05

Official Translation

Official foreign-language documents may require certified translation in accordance with Costa Rican requirements.

06

Identification

The applicant must provide the identification documentation required under the ORE procedure.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Foreign Degrees in Costa Rica

Costa Rica maintains a recognition and equivalency process coordinated by CONARE's ORE for university degrees obtained outside the country. Each application is evaluated individually.
After the administrative stage, the application is evaluated by a Costa Rican state university that offers the degree or program most closely related to the foreign credential.
CONARE states that accreditation of the individual program is not necessarily required. However, documentation must support the authority of the institution to issue the credential and the applicable official validity or recognition of the degree in its country of origin.
No. CONARE expressly states that it is not possible to determine in advance whether a particular foreign degree will be recognized and equated. The formal application must be evaluated.
No. Recognition and equivalency are determined independently by CONARE and the corresponding Costa Rican state university according to the requirements applicable to each application.

Important Information

This page provides general informational guidance regarding recognition and equivalency of foreign university degrees in Costa Rica. It does not state or imply that CONARE, ORE, any Costa Rican state university, or any Costa Rican government authority has accredited, endorsed, approved, recognized, or pre-approved Novaris International Christian University or its academic programs.

Recognition and equivalency are individual procedures. The status of the foreign institution, the validity of the credential in its jurisdiction of origin, academic comparability, documentation, legalization, translation, fees, and other requirements are evaluated under the rules in effect when the application is made.

STUDY FROM COSTA RICA

Study Online. Understand Your International Academic Path.

Explore Novaris online degree programs and learn about the official procedure for presenting a foreign university credential for recognition and academic equivalency in Costa Rica.