How to apply for British academic qualification certification NARIC/ENIC? Don’t confuse visa and job hunting

Last week, a reader sent a screenshot of the payment and asked us: "I spent more than 60 pounds to complete the academic qualification certification. Why does the lawyer say that I have to pay more than 200 pounds for a visa?"

The copy she bought, Home Office didn’t read at all.

This is not an isolated case. When domestic academic qualifications came to the UK, the certification was split into two completely independent systems with similar names. If you make a wrong purchase once, you will not be able to get your money back, nor will you be able to get it back in time. Today I will explain these two paths thoroughly.

There are two sets of academic qualification certification: ENIC and Ecctis. Which one is correct?

Let’s straighten out the names first. The original UK NARIC has long been renamed UK ENIC, and the operator is Ecctis Limited. So NARIC, ENIC, and Ecctis are talking about the same organization - but it sells two different products .

📌 job hunting, study, professional registration → UK ENIC’s Statement of Comparability
📌 British visa, permanent residence, naturalization → Ecctis’ Qualification and Language Service (QLS)

The former is for employers and schools to see "what level is your degree equivalent to in the UK?"; the latter is the official channel provided by Ecctis and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and will give you a reference number (reference number) to fill in the visa application form. The two cannot be interchanged. If the Statement of Comparability is used to submit a visa, the material will be directly judged as unqualified.

Academic certification for job hunting: ENIC Statement of Comparability

The scenario is very specific: when submitting a resume, HR asks "Is your degree equivalent to a British Bachelor's?", when applying for a master's degree, the school requires it, or when applying for certain industry licenses.

The standard service price on the official website is £49.50 (excluding VAT) , plus VAT and electronic version delivery fee, the actual payment is usually around £70. The official processing time is 15 working days. It may take longer if you encounter unpopular colleges. Urgent shipments have 48-hour and 24-hour access, and prices jump to two or three hundred pounds.

Things to prepare: degree certificate, graduation certificate, complete transcripts. Chinese materials need to be translated to meet the requirements. It is recommended that domestic "double certificates" (graduation certificate + degree certificate) be submitted together, and only one copy is often required.

A point that is often overlooked: Many professional institutions in do not use ENIC. Nurses go to the NMC, doctors to the GMC, accountants have their own exemption assessments from ACCA/ICAEW, engineers go to the Engineering Council. First go to the official website of the target organization to check which system it recognizes, so don’t spend money in vain.

British visa academic qualification certification: only Ecctis QLS is accepted

Starting from May 1, 2025, Ecctis has integrated the original Visas & Nationality service into Qualification and Language Service (QLS) . The "Knowledge of English" page of the Skilled Worker visa on GOV.UK clearly states: If you use a non-UK degree to prove your English proficiency, you must apply for an assessment from Ecctis.

There are two options below QLS:

① Qualification Comparison——Only compares academic level. It is applicable to those whose degree comes from "countries where English is the main language" (the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, etc.). The Ministry of Home Affairs defaults that this type of degree is taught in English, and only needs to confirm that the level is British undergraduate or above.

② English Proficiency and Qualification Comparison——Double assessment of academic level + English teaching level. If you take this route if your degree is from a non-English speaking country (such as China), Ecctis will judge the extent to which your course actually uses English according to CEFR standards.

Price is the key point: both are £210 + VAT, which means the actual payment is about £252. This will be increased in May 2025. It was previously £140 + VAT, a one-time increase of 50%. The processing time is officially said to be up to 20 working days.

To pour cold water on you again: If your Chinese undergraduate degree is taught entirely in Chinese, even if you get the QLS report, you won't be able to pass the English column. At this time, it is faster and cheaper to take the SELT exam (IELTS for UKVI and other Home Office designated exams). QLS is only meaningful for projects where is actually taught in English or research on , and usually requires the school to issue a teaching language certificate (MOI letter).

Is academic qualification certification still needed when settling in the UK for permanent residence and naturalization?

It is useful, but many people spend money repeatedly.

Applying for ILR requires B1 English + Life in the UK Test. English-taught degrees can replace the B1 exam - but overseas degrees still need to be certified by an evaluation from Ecctis. The good news is: there is no validity limit for this report . The one issued when applying for a work permit that year can usually still be used for permanent residence and naturalization. After rummaging through boxes and cabinets, I could save more than two hundred pounds.

There is a more economical situation: If you have an undergraduate degree or above from a British university, you don’t need to touch Ecctis at all. UK degree itself automatically meets the English requirement, just submit the degree certificate directly. Readers of study-abroad-to-work visas should not be fooled by agencies into getting certified.

Another reminder: There will be discussions on raising the English threshold for the permanent residence stage in the future. The specifics are subject to the current announcement of GOV.UK. Don’t listen to the screenshots in the forwarding group.

4 details that are most likely to overturn academic qualification certification

1｜The name doesn’t match. If the pinyin of in the passport, the name on the degree certificate, and the surname changed after marriage are inconsistent, you must attach a name change certificate or marriage certificate, otherwise the report will not be used.

2｜Not enough time. 15 to 20 working days "under normal circumstances". Starting to apply for a visa only one month before it expires is basically a gamble. It is recommended to start at least 8 weeks in advance.

3｜I realized I bought the wrong item after paying. Ecctis is non-refundable once the review has started. Before placing an order, save a screenshot of the requirements page for your visa route on GOV.UK and check them one by one.

4｜The translation is not compliant. cannot translate it on its own, so it needs a translation with a statement from a professional translator.

If you are really not sure which one you should buy, spending £5 on justiscript.com to get a written reply from a practicing British lawyer is much more cost-effective than gambling more than two hundred pounds. As for how many days are left before permanent residence and which period of departure will affect continuous residence, you can use the 永居计算器 APP to calculate the number of days.

⚖️ This article is for reference only. The fees and procedures are subject to the latest announcements on the official websites of GOV.UK and Ecctis. Please consult a licensed attorney for specific questions.

[Data source] gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english; enic.org.uk/individuals/statement-of-comparability/cost; qls.ecctis.com

💬 What pitfalls have you encountered when applying for academic qualification certification - did you wait too long, materials were returned, or did you buy the wrong service? Please tell us your school and processing time in the comment area, so that people behind you will have peace of mind.

If you find it useful, collect this article . When you need to do something, turn it out and read it correctly, which will save you a lot of money.

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