The Recognition of Overseas Qualifications (Charges) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025

1. Citation, commencement and extent (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Recognition of Overseas Qualifications (Charges) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025. (2) These Regulations come into force on 28th March 2025. (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

2. Interpretation (1) In these Regulations— “database” means a collection of information including the comparison of UK qualifications with overseas qualifications; “overseas qualification” means a qualification issued by a body that is based outside the United Kingdom; “qualification” means any record, issued by a body whose ordinary activities include the issuing of such records, of having attained a particular standard following a course of study or training; “qualification reference statement” means a statement providing information about an individual’s UK qualification; “qualification reference statement bundle service” means services including, but not limited to, the provision of a specified number of qualification reference statements; “refugee” has the meaning given by the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951 and its Protocol; “refugee bundle service” means services intended for refugee organisations, including, but not limited to, the provision of a specified number of statements of comparability, with each statement processed on an expedited basis; “refugee organisation” means an organisation, including any body corporate or unincorporated association and any combination of persons, that, as part of or all of its service, provides help or information to refugees or those seeking refugee status; “standard bundle service” means services including, but not limited to, the provision of a specified number of statements of comparability, with each statement processed on an expedited basis; “statement of comparability” means a statement comparing an individual’s overseas qualification to a UK qualification or level of UK qualification; “subscriber” means a person who receives a subscription package under an agreement between the person and the provider of the subscription package; “subscription package” means the provision of a range of services for a period of 12 months including, but not limited to, access to a database; “UK qualification” means a qualification issued by a body that is based in the United Kingdom; “working day” means any day except a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday under section 1 of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. (2) For the purposes of these Regulations, a body is based— (a) where its registered office is, (b) if it does not have a registered office, where its head office is, or (c) if it does not have a registered office or a head office, where its principal place of operation is.

3. Charges relating to applications for statements Schedule 1 specifies the charges relating to applications for— (a) a statement of comparability; (b) a qualification reference statement.

4. Charges relating to applications for bundle services Schedule 2 specifies the charges relating to applications for— (a) a standard bundle service; (b) a refugee bundle service; (c) a qualification reference statement bundle service.

5. Charges relating to applications for subscription packages Schedule 3 specifies the charges relating to applications for subscription packages.

6. Charges relating to applications for ancillary services Schedule 4 specifies the charges relating to applications for ancillary services.

7. Payment of charges (1) Any charge in relation to an application for a statement, service or package payable under these Regulations is payable to— (a) the Secretary of State, or (b) an organisation providing a statement, service or package pursuant to arrangements between that organisation and the Secretary of State, and at the time that the application is submitted. (2) In paragraph (1), “statement, service or package” means— (a) a statement of comparability or a qualification reference statement; (b) a standard bundle service, a refugee bundle service or a qualification reference statement bundle service; (c) a subscription package; (d) an ancillary service as set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

8. Refunds (1) Any charge, or any part of a charge, in relation to an application for a statement, service or package paid under these Regulations may be refunded by— (a) the Secretary of State, or (b) an organisation providing a statement, service or package pursuant to arrangements between that organisation and the Secretary of State. (2) Any charge, or any part of a charge, which was paid for by a person under the Recognition of Overseas Qualifications (Charges) Regulations 2024 before 28th March 2025 may be refunded by— (a) the Secretary of State, or (b) an organisation providing a statement, service or package pursuant to arrangements between that organisation and the Secretary of State. (3) In this regulation, “statement, service or package” has the same meaning as in regulation 7(2).

9. Revocation The Recognition of Overseas Qualifications (Charges) Regulations 2024 are revoked so far as they extend to England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Schedule 1 Charges relating to applications for statements 1. Table Charges relating to applications for statements Number of charge Type of statement Amount of charge (£) 1.1 A statement of comparability 58 1.2 A statement of comparability provided under a priority service 186 1.3 A statement of comparability provided under a super priority service 237 1.4 A qualification reference statement 58 2. In this Schedule— “priority service” means an optional service including but not limited to the processing of an application within the period of 48 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day; “super priority service” means an optional service including but not limited to the processing of an application within the period of 24 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day. 3. (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), for the purposes of the definitions of “priority service” and “super priority service”, the relevant time is— (a) when the application is received by the processor of the application; or (b) when any additional documents, information or evidence necessary to process the application have been received or compiled by the processor of the application, whichever is the later. (2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)— (a) where the event mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) occurs on a working day but before 9am on that day, the event is to be treated as occurring at 9am on that working day; (b) where the event mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) occurs on a working day but after 5pm on that day, or on a day which is not a working day, the event is to be treated as occurring at 9am on the next following working day.

Schedule 2 Charges relating to applications for bundle services Table 1 Charges relating to an application for a standard bundle service Number of charge Number of statements of comparability provided Amount of charge (£) 2.1.1 5 412 2.1.2 10 773 2.1.3 20 1,442 2.1.4 30 2,009 2.1.5 40 2,472 2.1.6 50 3,091 Table 2 Charges relating to an application for a refugee bundle service Number of charge Number of statements of comparability provided Amount of charge (£) 2.2.1 5 128 2.2.2 10 256 2.2.3 15 384 2.2.4 20 513 2.2.5 25 641 2.2.6 30 769 2.2.7 40 1,025 2.2.8 50 1,281 2.2.9 60 1,538 Table 3 Charges relating to an application for a qualification reference statement bundle service Number of charge Number of qualification reference statements provided Amount of charge (£) 2.3.1 5 410 2.3.2 10 769 2.3.3 20 1,435 2.3.4 30 1,999 2.3.5 40 2,460 2.3.6 50 3,075

Schedule 3 Charges relating to applications for subscription packages

1. Table Charges relating to applications for subscription packages Number of charge Description of service Amount of charge (£) 3.1 Maximum of 5 individuals, each of whom is given access to 1 database. 953 3.2 Maximum of 5 individuals, each of whom is given access to 5 databases. 1,339 3.3 Maximum of 10 individuals, each of whom is given access to 5 databases, and support to the subscriber from the provider of the subscription package (within five working days) in relation to any queries (not exceeding 300 in number). 2,215 3.4 Maximum of 30 individuals, each of whom is given access to 5 databases, and support to the subscriber from the provider of the subscription package (within two working days) in relation to any queries (not exceeding 300 in number). 3,296 3.5 Unlimited number of individuals, each of whom is given access to 5 databases, and support to the subscriber from the provider of the subscription package (within two working days) in relation to any queries (not exceeding 300 in number). 4,944
2. In this Schedule— “within five working days” in relation to the provision of support to a subscriber means within a period of 120 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day; “within two working days” in relation to the provision of support to a subscriber means within a period of 48 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day.
3. For the purposes of the definitions of “within five working days” and “within two working days”, where the request for support is received— (a) during the hours of 9am to 5pm on a working day, the relevant time is the time that the request for support is received on that day; (b) on a working day but before 9am on that day, the relevant time is 9am on that working day; (c) on a working day but after 5pm on that day, or on a day which is not a working day, the relevant time is 9am on the next following working day.

Schedule 4 Charges relating to applications for ancillary services

1. Table Charges relating to applications for ancillary services Number of charge Type of service Amount of charge (£) Amount of charge (£) for a subscriber 4.1 The dispensation of any need for a certified translation into English of any documents that evidence an overseas qualification as part of an application for a statement of comparability. 41 41 4.2 Provision of half a day of training regarding education, qualifications and the recognition of overseas qualifications. 263 216 4.3 Provision of a full day of training regarding education, qualifications and the recognition of overseas qualifications. 366 319 4.4 Booking for an individual to attend as a delegate at a two day conference regarding education or qualifications and further to obligations deriving from a relevant international agreement. 558 per delegate 507 per delegate 4.5 Booking for an individual to attend as a delegate at a one day conference regarding education or qualifications and further to obligations deriving from a relevant international agreement. 355 per delegate 310 per delegate 4.6 Support to the subscriber from the provider of the subscription package (within five working days) for up to 300 additional queries. Not applicable 900 4.7 Support to the subscriber from the provider of the subscription package (within two working days) for up to 300 additional queries. Not applicable 2,000
2. In this Schedule— “certified translation” means a translation certified to be a correct translation; “relevant international agreement” means— (a) the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education, signed by the United Kingdom at Paris on 25 November 2019, or (b) the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, signed by the United Kingdom at Strasbourg on 7 November 1997; “within five working days” in relation to the provision of support to a subscriber means within a period of 120 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day; “within two working days” in relation to the provision of support to a subscriber means within a period of 48 hours beginning with the relevant time and disregarding any day which is not a working day.
3. For the purposes of the definitions of “within five working days” and “within two working days”, where the request for support is received— (a) during the hours of 9am to 5pm on a working day, the relevant time is the time that the request for support is received on that day; (b) on a working day but before 9am on that day, the relevant time is 9am on that working day; (c) on a working day but after 5pm on that day, or on a day which is not a working day, the relevant time is 9am on the next following working day.