YÖDAK Accreditation and Recognition: What to Check

Before enrolling at a university in North Cyprus, answer two separate questions: (1) Is the university officially recognised in North Cyprus? (2) Will the degree be recognised in the country where you actually plan to use it? This guide shows where to confirm each. For international students, the second question is usually the decisive one.

What YÖDAK is

YÖDAK is the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council of North Cyprus. It is the official body responsible for planning, oversight and accreditation of higher education institutions there. It is the first place to check when you want to confirm a university is recognised within North Cyprus.

An important distinction: YÖDAK accreditation confirms recognition inside North Cyprus only. It does not, by itself, make the degree valid in your home country or anywhere else. Foreign recognition is a separate process (see below).

How to check accreditation

Instead of trusting a general web search, confirm directly from the official list.

1. Open the official YÖDAK site

   Go to the universities section of YÖDAK's website (official link at the bottom of this page). Lists on third-party sites may be out of date.

2. Find the university on the list

   Confirm the specific university appears on the official list. If you cannot find it, contact YÖDAK before making any enrolment decision.

3. Check the specific programme too

   A university appearing on the list does not necessarily mean every department or programme has the same status. Confirm the current status of the exact programme with both the university and YÖDAK.

Because the list can change over time, this guide does not embed university names. Use the official YÖDAK source linked at the bottom for the current, complete list. YÖDAK does not publish a separate, current approval list at the department/programme level; confirm your specific programme's status with both the university and YÖDAK in writing.

If you cannot find the university on the list, or want to ask YÖDAK directly:

• YÖDAK — 28 Kasım Sokak No:11, Köşklüçiftlik, Nicosia/TRNC; tel +90 (392) 228 43 46 / 228 43 47 / 228 23 48 / 228 13 49; email yodak@gov.ct.tr; university list.

Phone numbers and the email address can change; confirm the current ones on the YÖDAK contact page. Office hours could not be confirmed for this guide.

Recognition in your home country — the key check

For most international students, the decisive question is whether the degree will be recognised where you intend to use it — for employment, further study, or professional licensing. That decision belongs to the competent recognition authority of that country, not to YÖDAK and not to the university.

Practical steps: identify the recognition/qualifications authority in your home country (or the country where you plan to work), and read its rules on foreign degrees before you enrol. Requirements differ widely between countries and between professions, so do this check for your specific situation.

Recognition in Turkey (YÖK) — a Turkey-specific note

If you plan to use a North Cyprus degree in Turkey, that generally requires a separate recognition/equivalence process through YÖK, Turkey's Council of Higher Education. Applications run through Turkey's official systems (YÖK and the e-Devlet portal), and the outcome can depend on the programme. This is a Turkey-specific concern; if Turkey is not relevant to you, focus on your own country's authority instead.

YÖK's recognition application follows these steps:

1. Complete the online form

   Fill in the application form, print it and sign it.

2. Upload your documents online

   Upload the original diploma and transcript plus a Turkish translation, an identity document, a consent statement, the Diploma Supplement (for EU graduates), a language test result (ÖSYM or equivalent, minimum score 60), and colour copies of the above. The exact list can vary by programme; YÖK's official document list governs.

3. Book an appointment for physical delivery

   Book an appointment if the documents must be delivered in person.

Application fees change from year to year and are not stated in this guide; confirm current amounts on YÖK's fee announcement page. To reach YÖK's recognition unit by email: denklik@yok.gov.tr.

YÖK also offers a separate page for querying whether a higher-education institution is recognised at the institutional level, covering the USA, the Netherlands, TRNC and Ukraine: Institution Recognition Query. The query tool itself requires an e-Devlet login; the page also describes an alternative for applicants without e-Devlet access — a "school recognition petition" template submitted in person or by post.

Check before you enrol