The Macao SAR Government Executive Council says bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees and professional qualifications awarded by Portuguese institutions of higher education will soon be recognised automatically in Macao.

The council issued a written announcement saying it has finished considering draft legislation that puts the holders of such degrees on a par with the holders of equivalent degrees awarded by Macao institutions.

The announcement says holders of Portuguese academic qualifications need only show the appropriate documents to have the qualifications recognised in Macao.

The legislation will take effect the day after it is published on the Macao Official Gazette, the Wednesday announcement says.

The legislation is a result of a Sino-Portuguese agreement struck last year on automatic mutual recognition of academic qualifications that results of the bilateral cooperation on higher education between Portugal and Macao, the Macao Executive Council says.