Frequently Asked Questions About SAC Accreditation

SAC is an independent accreditor headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and founded in 2026. It reviews higher education institutions and programmes against published quality domains, using trained independent assessors, a site visit and a separate decision committee. Higher Education is open for applications; K-12 and Vocational & Technical frameworks are coming soon.

SAC is a new accreditor and makes no claim of recognition by any government, ministry or regulator. Whether a foreign or private accreditation is recognised is decided by each country's competent authorities and differs from country to country. Please check the requirements that apply to you before applying.

Licensing is permission from a government authority to operate. Accreditation is a voluntary quality review by an external body against published standards. Recognition is a government or network decision to accept a particular accreditor or qualification for defined purposes. Accreditation does not replace a licence.

SAC targets 3–6 months from application to final certificate for all tracks. The actual duration depends on the scope of the accreditation and on how quickly your team completes the self-evaluation and submits evidence.

There are seven steps: eligibility and account registration; self-evaluation; evidence submission and an administrative completeness check; independent expert review; site visit and validation; accreditation committee decision; and certificate issuance with annual monitoring.

A site visit is always required for first-time accreditation and normally lasts two to three days. Virtual or hybrid visits are used only in exceptional cases, with a documented justification. Low-risk renewals may be virtual or waived based on a documented risk assessment.

A panel of three independent, trained assessors (up to five for complex cases) reviews each application. Each assessor scores independently, and the panel then agrees a documented consensus. Assessors only recommend; a separate SAC Accreditation Decision Committee makes the final decision. Assessors and committee members declare conflicts of interest.

SAC uses three final outcomes: Accredited, Conditionally Accredited, Not Accredited. Institutions may reapply once they have had sufficient time to implement the requested changes.

Institutions must hold a valid licence or authorisation from the competent authority in their country, have been operating for at least two academic years, name a focal contact point, and have adequate governance, learner records and evidence. SAC accepts applications from any country. At launch, applications are open for Higher Education only.

Yes. Institutional and programme accreditation are separate applications, each with its own review, decision, certificate and renewal date.

Not yet. The K-12 and Vocational & Technical (TVET) frameworks are being developed and will open once their standards are formally approved. You can register your interest through the contact page.

Fees depend on the type and scope of accreditation. Please contact us for current fee information.

4-year accreditation with annual monitoring. Annual monitoring is a proportionate progress review rather than a re-accreditation. Renewal at the end of the period is risk-based and focuses on changes since the last cycle, monitoring history and any open conditions.

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