Information About Equivalency Letter

What is Equivalency Letter and How to Obtain It?

Equivalency Letter is a document that indicates the equivalence of your high school diploma/graduation certificate/exam results/certificate with Turkish high schools and is legally mandatory for studying at a university in Turkey.

All individuals who have completed their high school education abroad are required to obtain a High School Equivalency Letter. Applications for equivalency letters are made to provincial/district education directorates in Turkey, and from education consultancy and/or education attachés abroad, along with the necessary documents for application. You can reach the relevant overseas representatives here.

The equivalency letter applications must be made in person by the students. Below, you can find information about the steps to be followed before the equivalency letter application and the stages of the equivalency letter application process. If you need assistance, ÖzÜ International Office will support you on how to obtain the Equivalency Letter from Turkey.

Important Steps to be Completed Before the Equivalency Letter Application

You can access the checklist of the necessary documents for application from here.

• Apostille Procedures: Your high school graduation documents must have an apostille. Apostille is a document authentication system that verifies the authenticity of a document for its legal use in another country. You can access the countries that issue apostilles from You must complete the apostille procedures for your high school graduation certificates in your own country before coming to Turkey. Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Ministry of National Education or Apostille Endorsement is mandatory for internationally recognized documents (Cambridge, IB Diploma, Matura, Baccalaureate, etc.)
  
  
• Residence Permit: If you are in Turkey without a Student Visa, it is mandatory to obtain your residence permit from Turkey before applying for the Equivalency Letter. Students who come to Turkey with a Student Visa can apply for the Equivalency Letter with their passports.
  
  
• For students who took Cambridge GCE A Level exams as Private Candidates: Students who have completed the A Level examinations as "private candidates" are required to obtain a document stating that they are eligible to continue to their university education from their own country in order to receive the Equivalency Letter in Turkey. We would like to remind you that you cannot obtain an Equivalency Leter in Turkey without this document, and your university enrollment may be terminated if you cannot obtain an Equivalency Letter.
  
  
• For all Cambridge GCE A Level exam result documents: Candidates who have completed A Level exams and have been accepted to our University are required to have document authentication (apostille) procedures carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the British Council. We remind you that you can only complete this apostille procedure in your own country.
  
  
• For Lebanese international high school graduates: Students who have graduated from an international school implementing the international curriculum in Lebanon are required to obtain a document from the Lebanese Ministry of Education stating that they can continue their university education.

Application Steps for Equivalency Letter

1. Required documents for the Equivalency Letter application are completed in full.
2. You can schedule an appointment by uploading your documents through the website.
3. After submitting your e-Equivalence application, prepare your original documents and their photocopies (in a transparent folder) for the appointed day.
4. On the day of your appointment, you need to go to the district directorate of national education where you scheduled the appointment, with your application documents.
5. Applications are made in person by the applicant or their legal representative to the Higher Education and Overseas Education Department (Office 1) for the Equivalency Letter request. After the files are examined, they are submitted to the "Document Registration" unit along with their special file (in a transparent folder) for the necessary procedures.
6. Equivalency Letter is prepared for those deemed eligible after the necessary examinations by the relevant experts. (If all your documents are complete, the Equivalency Letter will be ready within approximately 14 days. However, the process may take 1-2 months for students whose documents are incomplete or have incomplete apostilles, depending on the completion of the necessary apostille procedures.)
7. After the original documents submitted during the application stage are stamped with the "Evaluated" seal by the Office 2 personnel, they are delivered to the applicant or their legal representative, along with the Equivalency Letter, in a special file (in a transparent folder) upon signature.

After Receiving the Equivalence Certificate

1. Once your Equivalency Letter is approved, you can download the relevant document in PDF format via e-Equivalence or e-government platforms.
2. After obtaining the Equivalency Letter, you are responsible for submitting your Equivalency Letter and the original copies of all your high school documents to Özyeğin University Student Services Office.

Who Does Not Need the Equivalency Letter?

• Turkish Republic high school graduates
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) high school graduates (excluding Cambridge curriculum)
• Turkish Maarif Schools graduates
• Graduates from schools opened abroad under the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, with the Ministry of National Education (M.E.B.) seal on their diplomas

Which Documents Are Not Eligible for Equivalency Letter?

Graduation certificates and diplomas obtained through electronic platforms and/or distance education are not eligible for equivalency letter procedures. (Current Legislation - Official Gazette Date: 05.04.2023 Official Gazette Number: 32154)