How to apply for recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas in Italy

The Italian state or academic training bodies may request the recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas for those wishing to continue their studies or work in Italy.

Recognition of a diploma, degree or professional qualification is usually necessary in the following cases:

  • to continue studies started abroad in Italy. In this case the certificate received abroad must be converted in order to access a higher level of education
  • to access public recruitment examinations for civil service positions in Italy
  • to exercise a profession regulated by professional associations or state examinations in Italy.

In Italy academic qualifications are recognised by the universities, while professional qualifications are recognised by the government ministries.

Translation of the foreign diploma

The foreign certificate that needs to be recognised must be authenticated, translated into Italian and certified. Document authentication must be requested in the country of origin by the person concerned. At this stage it is best to obtain a certified copy of the certificate, before or after authentication, as this is the only way for the person concerned to keep their original certificate for themselves. Otherwise it would need to be attached to the translation and delivered to the institution responsible for its recognition. Once an authenticated copy has been obtained, the certificate may be translated and certified. The translation may be requested in Italy or in the applicant’s country of origin. The procedure is simpler in Italy, because in another country the translated and certified document will need to be re-authenticated.

The Declaration of Value

The declaration of value is a document prepared by the Italian embassy or Italian consulate in the country in which the qualification was obtained. It is neither a translation or an authentication of the certificate. It is an independent document in Italian. The diplomatic mission or consular office will analyse the original document and prepare a declaration that analyses various elements: the level of the institution that awarded the qualification, the duration of the course, the initial requisites for access, the exams taken, the grades and the value of the qualification in the country of origin. The declaration of value serves to make the educational pathway official from an Italian point of view.

The document is not required for the recognition of Italian academic qualifications abroad.

The Diploma Supplement

A declaration of value is often not necessary between European countries, because all the academic institutions in the countries participating in the Bologna Process can issue a Diploma Supplement on request. These are countries have aligned their higher education systems. They are EU Member States as well as other countries. The Diploma Supplement is a document in a standard format for all participating countries, in at least two languages (at least the language of the country of origin and English), which contains sections to fill in that provide details of the course and facilitate recognition of the academic qualification.

If the document languages do not include Italian, it is often necessary to provide a certified translation of the Diploma Supplement.

The application for recognition

Once these documents have been obtained, the next step is to contact the Italian institution responsible for recognising the foreign qualification:

  • School qualifications are recognised by the local education office in the relevant area.
  • Academic or art and music higher education qualifications are recognised by the relevant universities, conservatories and academies; while PhDs fall within the remit of the Ministry of University.
  • Non-academic qualifications fall within the remit of the relevant ministry. It is important to remember that recognition of a foreign qualification is only necessary for regulated professions, i.e. those that can only be accessed after a traineeship and/or state examination or qualification.

The application must indicate the purpose for which recognition of the qualification is being requested. CIMEA is the Information Centre in Italy that provides detailed advice about the procedures.

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