Guides for students applying to university

Applying to universities in different countries

Many IB students apply for university in a country other than where they completed their secondary school studies. The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, more commonly referred to as the "Lisbon Recognition Convention", is an international agreement that facilitates the recognition of qualifications and promotes academic mobility among signatory countries. This Convention requires that each signatory country must recognize foreign qualifications unless it can show that there are substantial differences between the foreign qualification for which recognition is sought and the corresponding qualification of the host country.

The Convention committee adopted a recommendation on International Qualifications, which include IB qualifications per the European Recognition Manual for Higher Education Institutions. For IB graduates, this means that they can apply and that their IB qualification will be considered for admission to higher education institutions in signatory countries other than their own. Access the list of more than 50 countries.

Application requirements vary by country. Our country-specific guides provide brief introductions to the higher education systems in each country, as well as information to support your or your student’s applications.