The three terms compared
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| Licensing | Accreditation | Recognition | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Legal permission to operate or award degrees | An independent quality review against standards | Acceptance of an accreditor, institution or qualification for specific purposes |
| Who decides | A government or regulator | An accrediting body | A government, regulator or professional network |
| Mandatory? | Usually, by law | Usually voluntary | Depends on the purpose and country |
| Typical question | May this institution operate here? | Does this institution or programme meet the standard? | Will this credential count for visas, jobs, funding or further study? |
| Scope | National or regional | Set by the accreditor | Defined by the recognising body |
Licensing
A licence (or authorisation) is issued by the competent authority in the country where an institution operates. It is a legal prerequisite. Accreditation never substitutes for it, which is why SAC asks applicants to hold a valid licence or authorisation from the competent authority in their country.
Accreditation
Accreditation is about quality. An accrediting body publishes standards, collects evidence, sends trained reviewers and reaches a decision. It tells you that an institution or programme has been examined against a defined standard, not that it is legally approved or ranked above others.
Recognition
Recognition answers a practical question: will an authority or network accept this credential or accreditor for a particular purpose, such as government employment, scholarships, credit transfer or visas? Rules vary widely between countries and can change. Some authorities maintain lists of accreditors they accept; others review foreign or private accreditation case by case, and some do not consider it at all.
What this means if you are considering SAC
A practical checklist before you choose an accreditor
- Confirm your own licence or authorisation is valid and current.
- Ask your national or regional authority how it treats foreign or private accreditation.
- Ask the accreditor to explain its standards, review model and independence in writing.
- Check who decides: the reviewers, or a separate decision body (SAC uses a separate committee).
- Ask how conflicts of interest are handled and whether appeals are available.
- Compare timelines, fees and what ongoing monitoring involves.
Continue with what accreditation is, the SAC process, or ask us a question.