Step-by-step route · For candidates
Describe your qualification as it was awarded.
A name alone tells an employer very little. Say what was awarded, where, under which system, and keep the proof close.
Sources read 17 October 2026. Rules and windows change: check the authority named.
In short
- Keep the title as awarded.
- Check the institution before asking what it equals.
- Add a comparison only if one exists, with who and when.
Ask first
These bodies decide. Check with them before you rely on any step.
Nuffic (official source, opens another site)Nuffic (official source, opens another site)
Six things that make a qualification readable
| Field | Example (fictional) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Credential, as awarded | Diploma Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs (HAVO) | The exact title on the certificate. Do not translate it into another system's name. |
| Awarded by | A school or university | Name the institution. Recognition and accreditation belong to it, not to the country. |
| System and country | Aruba, secondary education (HAVO) | Where you studied and the system the diploma belongs to can be different. |
| Field and year | Economics profile, 2024 | What you specialised in and when you finished. |
| Comparison or credential evaluation, only if verified | Nuffic diploma comparison: compared with HAVO, with its date | Name the published Nuffic diploma comparison, or the credential evaluation you hold, and its date. It gives information about how the diploma compares with Dutch qualifications; it does not decide admission or hiring. If you have neither, leave it blank. |
| Evidence you can show | Certificate and transcript | What a reader can ask to see. |
The example is a fictional record to show the shape. Fill yours in with what is on your certificate.
What to do
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Keep the original title
Write the credential exactly as awarded. Add a comparison next to it, never in its place.
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Check the institution
Recognition and accreditation belong to the institution and programme, not to the country. Nuffic says a US high school should be regionally accredited or recognised by its state, and that a US college should be accredited. An American-curriculum school outside the US is often, but not always, regionally accredited; it may instead be accredited by CIS or NCPSA, which Nuffic says are accepted in the US and usually in the Netherlands.
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Use a Nuffic diploma comparison only when one exists
Nuffic publishes diploma comparisons: for example a US bachelor's degree is generally compared with an HBO or WO bachelor's degree, and a US high school diploma is usually compared with HAVO but can range from VMBO-T to VWO. A transfer associate's degree needs an individual credential evaluation.
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An American diploma earned in Aruba is still an American-system credential
Do not assume it equals HAVO or VWO. Nuffic says that for an American-curriculum diploma earned abroad, careful attention to accreditation is particularly important. Show the curriculum, the transcript and which accreditor covers the school, and ask the receiving programme or employer what they need.
Nuffic (official source, opens another site)Nuffic (official source, opens another site)
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Put it where it will be read
On your profile and CV: title, institution, country and system, field, year. Add the evidence you can show.
How it can read on a CV
The first line is a real diploma name with its Nuffic diploma comparison. Use your own facts.
“Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Aruba, 2023. Nuffic compares this degree with an HBO bachelor's degree.”
Original title first; comparison named, sourced and dated.
“[Degree title as awarded], [university], [country], [year]. Credential evaluation: not yet requested.”
Honest when there is no comparison or evaluation. An employer can ask for one.
Sources and checks 2 sources · checked 16 October 2026 · next review 14 April 2027
- 1 Nuffic · US institutions and accreditation (opens another site) Official · Verified · Read in full.
- 2 Nuffic · US diplomas compared with Dutch ones (opens another site) Official · Verified · Read in full.
Planning guidance only. The authority named on each point decides; rules, fees and deadlines change.
Where to go next
- Career Guide Coming home to Aruba after your studies: the 35% Arubalening rule and a job plan Studying abroad with an Arubalening? Come back and work in Aruba within three years of graduating and 35% of your study debt can be forgiven. The conditions, and how to line up work before you land.
- Step-by-step route Plan the study move, before the move. Education · Aruba to the Netherlands
- Step-by-step route Different system, same four questions. Education · The US and elsewhere
- Step-by-step route From classroom to workplace. Internship / Stage