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Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

In the list below you can check if you fulfill the minimum requirements for entry into undergraduate programmes in Icelandic universities.  This will provide you with information about your opportunities before you prepare your application. Please note that further requirements may be made by the each university.

This list is not exhaustive of neither countries nor qualifications giving access to higher education in Iceland. If you have any questions regarding language requirements or specific admission requirements, please contact the university you intend to apply for.


Minimum requirements for admission to Icelandic universities

Afghanistan
Baccalauria + 1 year of higher education studies.
Albania
Dëftesë pjekurie ​
Algeria
Baccalauréat or Diplôme de Bachelier de l’enseignement secondaire général + 1 year of higher education studies.
Argentina
Titulo de Bachiller + 1 year of higher education studies.
Australia
High School Certificate + Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) or University Admission Index (UAI)
Austria
Reifeprüfung/Matura or Reife- und Diplomprüfung or Berufsreifeprüfung.
Azerbaijan
Orta Tahsil Haqquinda Attestat / Orta mekteb attestati / Svidetel'stvo/o Srednem Obrazovanii, completed after 1999 + 1 year of higher education studies.
Bangladesh
Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) + 1 years of higher education studies.
Belarus
From 1999: Atestat ab agul'naj sjarednjaj adukacii /Attestat o (Obschem) Srednem Obrazovanii or Diplom o Srednem Spetsialnom Obrazovanii  + 1 year of higher education studies. 
Before 1999: Atestat ab agul'naj sjarednjaj adukacii /Attestat o (Obschem) Srednem Obrazovanii or Diplom o Srednem Spetsialnom Obrazovanii + 2 years of higher education studies. ​
Belgium (Dutch)
​Diploma van secundair onderwijs.
Belgium (French)
Certificat d’enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (C.E.S.S.)
Belgium (German)a​
Abschlusszeugnis der Oberstufe des Sekundarunterrichts.
Bolivia
Diploma/Grado/Titulo de Bachiller  + 1 year of higher education studies.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Diploma o zavrsenoj gimnaziji or Svjedozba o maturi or Diploma o polozenom zavrsnom ispituor  Diploma/technical.
Brazil
Certificado de Ensino Médio or Certificado de Conclusão de Ensino Médio Supletivo or Diploma de Técnico de Nivel Medio + 1 year of higher education studies.
Bulgaria
Diploma za (Zavarsheno) Sredno Obrazovanie / Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie
Diploma za Sredno – Spetzialno Obrazovanie (11 years education) + 1 year of higher education studies.
​Burundi
After 1999: Diplôme des Humanités Générales + Diplôme d’Etat + 1 year of higher education studies
Before 1999: Certificat Homologué des Humanités Complètes + 1 year of higher education studies
Cambodia
Attestation de Fin d'Etudes Secondaire de l'Enseignement General/Diploma of Upper Secondary Education + 2 years of higher education studies.
​​Cameroon
Diplome de Bachelier de l’Enseignement du Second Degre / Baccalaureat de l’Enseignement Secondaire.
or
GCE Ordinary Level Examinations (at least 4 subjects passed) + Cameroon GCE Advanced Level Examinations (at least 3 subjects passed).
or
Brevet de Technicien / Diplome de Bachelier de Technicien (Admission only to same study field as in Cameroun)
​Canada
High School Diploma 
or 
Secondary School Diploma or Diplome d’Etudes Collegiales (DEC) / Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) 
or 
Complete Grade 12 Standing/Division IV Standing  passed with at least 60%.
Chile
Licencia secundaria + 1 year of higher educational studies. (Applicants with exams taken in 2000 or later may be admitted without a year of higher educational studies if the GPA is at least 6)
China
Certificate of Graduation from Upper Middle School + Chinese National University Entrance Examination (CNUEE)/Gao Kao + 1 year of higher education studies (university), or + 2 years of higher education studies (college).
or
Certificate of Graduation from Upper Middle School + NAHEEE + 3 years of higher adult education studies.
Colombia
Bachillerato / Diploma de Bachiller + 1 year of higher education studies.
Croatia
Maturalna svjedodzba 
or 
Svjedodzba o zavrsenom srednjem obrazovanju 
or 
Svjedodzba o zavrsnom ispitu-maturior Svejdozba o maturi 
or 
Svjedodzba o zavrönom ispitu 
or 
Svjedodzba o zavrsenom srednjem obrazovanju 
or
Svjedodzba o zavrsnom ispitu-maturi.
Cuba
Diploma de Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras/Título de Bachiller + 1 year of higher education studies
Técnico Medio/Maestro Primario (documented with a "Certificación de Estudios Terminados + title of the education) + 1 year of higher education studies
Cyprus
Apolytirio (απολυτήριο) from Enaiou Lykeio (Γενικό Λύκειο)
​Czech Republic
Vysvedceni o Maturitní Zkousce 
or 
Maturitní zkouška 
or  
Maturita from gymnazium.
Denmark
Studenterexamen 
or 
Höjere Forberedelses Eksamen (HF) 
or 
Höjere Teknisk Eksamen (HTX) 
or 
Höjere Handels Eksamen (HHX).
Dominican Republic
Certificación/Pruebas Nacionales de Conclusion de la Educación Media + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Diploma de Conclusión de la Educación Media + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Diploma/Título de Bachiller en ... + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Certificado Oficial de Suficiencia en los Estudios Secondarios + 1 year of higher education studies 
​or
Diploma /Título de Bachiller General + 1 year of higher education studies
Ecuador
Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller en Arte/Ciencias (before: Titulo de Bachiller en Humanidades Modernas)
or
Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller Unico Integral
or
Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller Técnico ​
Egypt
Thanaweya A’ama (General Secondary School Certificate) + 1 year of higher education studies.
El Salvador
Título de Bachiller (academic) + 1 year of higher education studies
Eritrea
Eritrean Secondary Education Certificate Examination
​Estonia
Keskkooli Loputunnistus 
or 
Gümnaasiumi Lıputunnistus 
or 
Lõputunnistus põhihariduse basil kutsekeskhariduse omandamise Kohta 
or 
Lõputunnistus keskhariduse baasil kutsekeskhariduse omandamise kohta + Riigieksamenitunnistus
Ethiopia
From 2011: University Entrance Examination Certificate (UEEC) + 1 year of higher education studies
Before 2010: Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Examination (EHEEE) + 1 year of higher education studies
European Baccalaureate
European Baccalaureate (EB)
Faroe Islands
​After 2013: Gymnasieuddannelser 
Before 2013: Studentereksamen, Højere forberedelseseksamen (HF), Højere handelseksamen (hhx), Højere teknisk eksamen (htx) or Højere eksamen inden for fiskeri​
Finland
Ylioppilastutkintotodistus/studentexamensbetyg 
or 
Tutkintotodistus/Ammatillinen perustutkinto
France
Baccalauréat général 
or 
Baccalauréat technologique 
or 
Baccalauréat professionnel.
Georgia
Sashualo Skolis Atestati/Attestat + 1 year of higher education studies.
​Germany
Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abitur) 
or 
Zeugnis der Reife
or 
Reifezeugnis 
or 
Zeugnis der Fachgebundene Hochschulreife 
or 
Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife.
Ghana
Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
West African School Certificate (WASC/O level) + West African Higher School Certificate Examination (WAHSC/A level) with a minimum of 3 A-levels and 5 O-levels
Greece
From 2007: Apolytirion Geniko Lykeiou (ΑΠΟΛΥΤΗΡΙΟ ΓΕΝΙΚΟΥ ΛΥΚΕΙΟΥ) or Apolitirio Epangelmatiko Lykio
Before 2007: Apolitírio Enaíou Lykeíou (ΑΠΟΛΥΤΗΡΙΟ ΕΝΙΑΙΟΥ ΛΥΚΕΙΟΥ) or Pthychíon Techniká kai epagelmatiká ekpedeftíria (TEE)​
Guatemala​
Diploma de/Título de Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras + 1 year of higher education studies (university) 
or 
Diploma de/Título de Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras con Orientación Técnica (Agroforestal, Computación, Diseño Gráfico, Electricidad, Mecánica Automotriz, Textiles og Turismo) + 1 year of higher education studies (university)
Honduras
Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras + 2 years of higher education studies
or
Titulo de Bachiller en ... / Titulo de Maestro en ... / Titulo de Perito ... / Título de Técnico Medio en ..... + 2 years of higher education studies​
​​Hong Kong
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
or
Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) + Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)
or
Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) + Hong Kong Advanced Supplementary Certificate (HKASC)
Hungary
Gimnazium erettsegi bizonyitvany 
or 
Szakközepiskola erettsegi bizonyitvany
India
All India Senior School Certificate (AISSC) from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
Indian School Certificate (ISC) from Council for the Indian School Certificate (CISCE) + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) + 1 year of higher education studies.
Indonesia
IJAZAH Sekolah Menengah Atas or Madrasah Aliyah (SMA / MA) + 2 years of higher education studies.
or
Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar Sekolah Menengah Umum (SMU) + 2 years of higher education studies.
International Baccalaureate
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Iran
3 years High School Diploma and Pre-University diploma+ 1 year of higher education studies 
or  
4 years High School Diploma + 1 year of higher education studies.
Iraq
Al-Edadiyah + 1 year of higher education studies
or 
Al-Idadiyah (Sixth form baccalaureat) + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Certificate of Preparatory Studies + 1 year of higher education studies
Ireland 
Leaving Certificate (Established), showing at least 6 subjects of which at least 2 Higher Level subjects 
or
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. (LCVP)
Israel
Te'udat Bagrut - תעודת בגרות
Italy
Liceo Classico or Liceo Scientifico or Liceo Linguistico or Liceo – Indirizzo science sociali
Japan
Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho + 1 year of higher education studies.
Jordan
General Secondary Education Certificate/ Tawjihi (GSEC) + 1 year of higher education studies
General Vocational Secondary Education Certificate (GVSEC) + 1 year of higher education studies
​​Kenya
​Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) + 1 year of higher education studies.
Kosovo
Diplome per kryerjen e shkolles se mesme te pergjithshme – gjimnazin 
or
Diplome per kryerjen e shkolles se mesme te larte - gjimnazit ​
Kazakhstan
Orta bilim turaly attestat /Attestat o (obschem) Srednem Obrazovanii + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Diplom o Srednem Spetsialnom Obrazovanii + 1 year of higher education studies
Kenya
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) + 1 year of higher education studies.
Kosovo
Diplome per kryerjen e shkolles se mesme te pergjithshme – gjimnazin 
or
Diplome per kryerjen e shkolles se mesme te larte - gjimnazit
Kuwait
Shahadat-al-thanawia-al-a’ama (General Secondary School Certificate) + 1 year of higher education studies
Latvia
Atestäts par visparejo vidëjo izglïtïbu or Atestäts par vidíjo izglïtïbu.
Lebanon
Baccalauréat + 1 year of higher education studies.
Libya
Secondary Education Certificate + 1 year of higher education studies.
Liechtenstein
Maturazeugnis (Type B or E)
​Lithuania
Brandos Atestatas
​Luxembourg
Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires/Diplôme de fin d'Etudes Secondaire Classiques
Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires Techniques/Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Générales ​
​Makedonia
Diploma za polozen zavrsen ispit
or
Diplome per dhenien e provimit te pjekurise
or
Svidetelstvo za zavrseno sredno obrazovanie
or
Diploma za polozen zavrsen ispit (strucna)
or
Diplome per dhenien e provimit te pjekurise (profesionale)
or
Svidetelstvo za polozen zavrsen ispit vo uciliste za sredno obrazovanie
or
Svidetelstvo za stepen na strucna podgotovka/ Dëftëse per fazen e pergatitjes profesionale
Malaysia
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM/Certificate of Education) + Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM/Malaysia Higher School Certificate)
or
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM/Certificate of Education) + Matriculation Certificate (Matrikulasi)
Malta​
Matriculation Certificate
Mexico
Certificado de Bachillerato + 1 year of higher education studies
Moldova, Republic of
After 2002: Diploma de bacalaureat
Before 2002: Diploma de bacalaureat + 1 year of higher education studies.
Mongolia​
Before 1992 students need to have completed the Dund bolovsrolyn ünemlech gerchilgee + 2 years of higher education studies or equivalent supplementary studies.
After 1992 students need to have completed Buren dund bolovsrolyn ünemlech gerchilgee + 2 years of higher education studies or equivalent supplementary studies.​
​Montenegro
Diploma o Završenoj Srednjoj Školi 
or
Svjedocanstvo o stecenom stepenu strucne spreme
or
Svjedocanstvo o stecenom stepenu strucne spreme ​
Morocco
Baccalauréat  + 1 year of higher education studies.
Mozambique
Certificado de Habilitações Literarias + 1 year of higher education studies.
Nambia
​​Higher Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC higher + ordinary level) with at least 6 subjects where at least 5 are at higher level and passed with the grade 3 or higher + 1 subject at ordinary level and a total of at least 46 points.
​Nepal
Higher Secondary Certificate + 1 year of higher education studies
Proficiency Certificate + 1 year of higher education studies
​Netherlands
Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO)
or
Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs (HAVO) + Propaedeutische Diplom/Verklaring
New Zealand
National Certificate Educational Achievement
Nicaragua
Bachiller en Ciencias y Letras (Bachillerato) + 1 year of higher education studies.
​Nigeria
Senior School Certificate + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
West African Examinations Council School Certificate (GCE O-level) and West African Examinations Council Higher School Certificate (A-level) (showing 5 subjects passed at O-level and 3 subjects passed at A-level).
or
Ordinary National Diploma + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Nigerian Certificate of Education combined with University Board Matriculation Examination (UME)
North Macedonia
Diploma za polozen zavrsen ispit (gimnazia)
or
Diplome per dhenien e provimit te pjekurise
​or
Svidetelstvo za zavrseno sredno obrazovanie
​Norway
Vitnemål
Pakistan
Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) 
or 
Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) 
or 
Intermediate Examination  
or 
Intermediate Certificate 
or 
Diploma of Faculty of Arts or Science (FA/FSc) 
or 
Certificate/Diploma/Intermediate in Commerce

PLUS:

Before 2005: + 2 years of higher education studies

From 2005: + 1 year of higher education studies
Palestine
Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) + 1 year of higher education studies
Peru
Certificado Oficial de Estudios + 1 year of higher education studies. 
or 
Certificado de Educación Secundaria Común Completa (quinto) + 1 year of higher education studies. 
or 
Bachillerato + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
Titulo de Bachiller  + 1 year of higher education studies.
Philippines
High School Diploma (kurso sa sekundarya) + 2 years of higher education studies.
Poland
Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci
Portugal
From 2007: 
Certificado/Diploma de Fim de Estudos Secundários (from Cursos científico-humanísticos) 
Certificado/Diploma de Fim de Estudos Secundários from Cursos técnologicos 
Diploma de Ensino Secundário / Certidão de Habilitacões from Cursos tecnológicos 
Diploma de estudos secundários from Cursos profissionais / Certificado de Fim de Estudos Secundários from Cursos profissionais
Before 2007: Certificado/Diploma de Ensino Secundário (from Cursos gerais de ensino superior)
Romania
​Diploma de Bacalaureat / Liceu teoretic
Russian Federation
From 1999: Attestat o Srednem + 1 year of higher education studies
Before 1999: Attestat o Srednem + 2 years of higher education studies
Rwanda
Advanced General Certificate of Secondary Education + 1 year of higher education studies
or 
Diplôme/Certificat d’Humanités Techniques - Diplôme d'Etudes Secondaires Professionelles A2/ Professional Certificate of Secondary Education Level A2 - National Advanced Certificate of Technical Education A2 + 1 year of higher education studies.
​Saudi-Arabia
Secondary Education Certificate (Shahadat al-Thanawiyyah al-'Ama or Shahadat al-Marhalat al-Thanawiyyah) + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
Secondary Vocational School Dioploma (Diplom al-Madaaris al-Thanawiyyah al-Mihaniyyah/Tijaaryyah) + 1 year of higher education studies.
​Serbia
Diploma o polozenom zavrsnom ispitu or Diploma o Završenoj Srednjoj Školi 
or Diploma o polozenom maturskom ispitu or Diploma o stečenom srednjem obrazovanju (Диплома о стеченом средњем образовању)
or
Diploma o stepenu strucne spreme
Singapore
Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level exam
Slovakia
Vysvédcenie o maturitnej skúske ​
Slovenia
​Maturitetno spriéevalo
or
Spricevalo o Poklicna matura
Somalia
Shahaadada Dugsiga Dare/Secondary School Leaving Certificate + 2 years of higher education studies
South-Africa​
National Senior Certificate (NSC)
South-Korea
​Ilbankye Kodung Hakkyo (Academic High School Diploma)
​Spain
Título de Bachiller or Bachillerato (Baccalaureate).
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (O level) with at least 6 subjects passed and Sri Lanka General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (A level) with at least 3 subjects passed on one and the same occasion with a minimum points of 135 and a mark of not less than 30% for the Common General Paper. Mathematics and English are compulsory.
Sweden
Slutbetyg
​Switzerland
Maturitatszeugnis (MAR) 
or
Certificat de Matruité (RRM)
or
Attestato di Matruitá
or
Fachmaturitätszeugnis
Syria
Al Shahada Al Thanawiya or Baccalauréat + 1 year of higher education studies.
Taiwan
Senior High School Leaving Certificate (高級中學畢業證書) meets the general entry requirements.
Tanzania​
National Form IV Examination Certificate/General Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) (O level) and National Form VI Examination Certificate/the Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education (ACSE) (A level) + 1 year of higher education studies.​
​Thailand
Matayom VI (M6) / Maw 6 + 1 year of higher education studies.
Tunisia
Baccalauréat de l'enseignement secondaire 
Baccalauréat de l'enseignement professionnel
Turkey
From 2009: Lise Diplomasi
Before 2009: Lise Diplomasi + 1 year of higher education studies
Uganda
6 subjects on Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) + 3 subjects (principal subjects) + General Paper on Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) 
1 subject on the principal subject level can be replaced with 2 subjects on the subsidiary subject level
UK
General Certificate of Education (GCE) with examination in at least 5 GCSE subjects and 3 GCE subjects at A-level. The demand of 3 subjects at A-level can be met by either 3 A-levels, 2 A-levels and 2 AS-levels or 1 A-level and 4 AS-levels. At least 1 A-level is required.
or
International IGCSE/GCE O-level and GCE A-level offered internationally by Edexcel and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) need to meet the same requirements as above.
or
Cambridge Pre-U with 3 Principle Subjects + 5 subjects at GCSE level
or
BTEC  National Certificate and National Diploma (Admission can be limited to the same study field) BTEC National Award does not meet the entry requirements.
or
Scottish Qualifications Certificate or Scottish Certificate of Secondary Education + Certificate of Sixth Year Studies or at least 5 Scottish Higher Level subjects.
Ukraine
​After 1999: Atestat pro povnu zagal’nu srednju osvitu + 1 year of higher education studies.
Before 1999: Atestat pro povnu zagal’nu srednju osvitu + 2 years of higher education studies.
USA
High School Graduation Diploma + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
High School Equivalence Diploma (General Education Development) +  1 year of higher education studies
Venezuela
Título de Educación Media General/Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Bachillerato/Titulo de Bachiller agropecuario/comercial/industrial/mercantil/salud) + 1 year of higher education studies
or
Titulo de Técnico Medio en .... + 1 year of higher education studies
Vietnam
Bang Tu Tai Hai (baccalaureat II) or Bang Tot Nghiep Pho Thong Trung Hoc  + 1 year of higher education studies.
or
Giay Chung Nhan Pho Thong Trung Hoc  + 1 year of higher education studies.

ENIC/NARIC Iceland
​Setberg - University of Iceland
​Saemundargata 2
​102 Reykjavik
​Iceland
Tel: +354 525 5452
+354 525 5256 



  • ENIC/NARIC Iceland
    • Our Services
    • About ENIC/NARIC
    • Rules and regulations
    • Icelandic Qualification Framework
    • Icelandic Qualification Framework for Higher Education
    • Accredited Universities in Iceland
    • Secondary schools
  • Recognition
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    • Automatic recogntion
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