Recognition split three ways: the UGC's new equivalence portal for foreign degrees, AIU for school-level certificates, and statutory councils — NMC's FMGE for doctors, BCI for lawyers — guarding the professions.
Overview
India has no ENIC-NARIC member body; recognition is split between academic equivalence and professional licensure, and the academic side was overhauled in 2025. The UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations 2025, notified in April 2025, created a dedicated online portal (equivalence.ugc.ac.in) through which foreign school-board and higher-education qualifications are granted equivalence for admission and employment purposes — taking over the foreign-degree role historically played by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), whose Evaluation Division continues to operate its own portal (evaluation.aiu.ac.in). Professional qualifications regulated by statutory councils sit outside this system: foreign medical graduates must pass the FMGE screening test run by NBEMS (the NExT exam that will eventually replace it remains unimplemented), foreign lawyers register under the Bar Council of India's 2022 Rules as amended in May 2025, and councils govern dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, architecture and accountancy. Engineering, by contrast, is not a licensed profession in India. Verified against ugc.gov.in, aiu.ac.in, nmc.org.in, natboard.edu.in and barcouncilofindia.org as of June 2026.
Who Recognises What
| Qualification | Authority | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign university degrees (academic/employment equivalence) | University Grants Commission (UGC) | Online application on equivalence.ugc.ac.in under the 2025 Regulations; equivalence certificate issued after Standing Committee review |
| Foreign school-level certificates | UGC portal / AIU Evaluation Division | Equivalence certificate for board qualifications; AIU applications online-only at evaluation.aiu.ac.in |
| Medicine (foreign medical graduates) | National Medical Commission / NBEMS | FMGE screening test (June + December, pass mark 150/300), then internship/registration under the FMG Licentiate Regulations 2021 |
| Law | Bar Council of India | Foreign law degrees assessed by BCI for enrolment; foreign lawyers register under the 2022 Rules (amended May 2025) to advise on foreign/international law only |
| Dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, architecture, accountancy | DCI, PCI, Indian Nursing Council, Council of Architecture, ICAI | Statutory registration with each council; council-specific exams/assessments for foreign credentials |
| Engineering, IT, management, most private-sector roles | No licensing authority | Unregulated — employers assess credentials directly; equivalence certificate needed only where an employer or government recruiter demands one |
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my foreign degree formally recognised to work in India?
Usually not. India has no general requirement that foreign degrees be validated for employment — the Employment Visa process checks your qualifications documentarily via the sponsoring employer, and unregulated fields (engineering, IT, management, finance outside statutory audit) leave credential assessment entirely to employers. Formal equivalence becomes necessary in three situations: admission to further study at an Indian university, recruitment by government bodies or PSUs that demand an equivalence certificate, and entry into a statutory profession (medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, architecture), where the relevant council's process — not academic equivalence — is what counts. Check the actual demand before paying for certificates you may not need.
How do I get an equivalence certificate for my foreign degree in 2026?
Through the UGC's online equivalence portal (equivalence.ugc.ac.in), established under the UGC Recognition and Grant of Equivalence Regulations 2025 notified in April 2025. You upload your degree, transcripts and supporting documents (with authenticated English translations where needed), pay the prescribed fee, and a Standing Committee reviews the application against recognition of the institution in its home country and correspondence of entry requirements and duration. The 2025 Regulations moved this role from the Association of Indian Universities, whose Evaluation Division portal (evaluation.aiu.ac.in) still operates — particularly for school-level certificates — so confirm with the university or recruiter demanding the certificate which body's document they require.
I have a foreign medical degree — what stands between me and practising in India?
The FMGE. Under the Screening Test Regulations 2002 you must pass the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination conducted by NBEMS twice a year (June and December) — 300 marks, pass at 150, unlimited attempts but historically low pass rates. Your degree must also satisfy the NMC's FMG Licentiate Regulations 2021 (course duration, medium of instruction), and after passing you complete a supervised internship in India before registering with the State Medical Council. The NExT exam that the NMC Act 2019 envisages as FMGE's replacement has been repeatedly deferred and was not in force as of June 2026 — verify the current position on nmc.org.in before believing any rollout date.
Can I practise as a foreign-qualified lawyer in India now?
In a defined lane, yes. Since the BCI notified its amended Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in May 2025, foreign lawyers and firms can register with the Bar Council of India — subject to reciprocity with your home jurisdiction and no-objection clearances from the Ministry of Law & Justice and the MEA — to advise on foreign law, international law and international arbitration. The boundaries are hard: no Indian law practice, no litigation, no appearing before Indian courts, tribunals or statutory authorities. Registration costs US$15,000 for an individual (US$25,000 for a firm) or your home-jurisdiction fee if higher. Full enrolment as an Indian advocate remains a separate, far narrower path under the Advocates Act.
Is engineering regulated in India? What about accountancy and architecture?
Engineering is not — India has no licensure statute for engineers, no PE-licence equivalent, and no registration requirement to design, build or sign off as an engineer in most contexts, so foreign engineering qualifications go straight to employer assessment. Architecture is the opposite: the Architects Act 1972 reserves the title 'architect' to those on the Council of Architecture's register, and foreign-qualified architects must satisfy the COA's requirements. Accountancy splits: statutory audit is reserved to ICAI Chartered Accountants (ICAI maintains mutual recognition agreements with specified foreign bodies), while industry accounting and finance roles are unregulated. Always distinguish a profession's club-like member bodies from actual statutory licensing — only the latter can stop you working.
My foreign qualification documents are not in English — what do Indian authorities require?
Authenticated English translations alongside authenticated originals. The UGC's 2025 equivalence regulations expressly require non-English documents to be submitted with authenticated translations, and councils such as the NMC and BCI expect the same. Authentication means the document chain is verifiable: degrees and transcripts should be apostilled in the issuing country (India accepts foreign apostilles without further legalisation as a Hague Convention member) or, from non-Hague countries, legalised via the local Indian Mission. Translation certification standards are set by each receiving body rather than a national sworn-translator register, so check the specific portal's checklist — and complete the authentication before leaving the issuing country, since India cannot apostille foreign documents.