Equipollenza is the procedure by which an Italian university declares a foreign degree equal to one of its own first-cycle or second-cycle degrees and issues the corresponding Italian title. It is the fullest form of recognition available in Italy: once granted, the holder can use the Italian degree for every purpose, from enrolment in further studies to public employment. It is also the most exacting, because the university compares the two programmes in content, duration and level, and may grant recognition only in part. MMW Traduzioni has handled these applications since 1995, from the choice of the university to the rector’s decree.
What the procedure is and who decides
Law 148 of 2002, which ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention, entrusted academic recognition to the universities, which exercise it within their autonomy and according to their own regulations. The applicant does not apply to a ministry but to the university of their choice, and must choose one that offers, in the academic year of the application, a degree programme corresponding by nature, level and content to the foreign degree. The university’s teaching board appoints a committee that examines the documents and compares the curricula, and the outcome is formalised by a rector’s decree. The law sets a term of ninety days from receipt of the application, extended by thirty days when the university requests further documents, although in practice universities often take longer.
Requirements
The foreign degree must have been awarded by a university or another tertiary institution belonging to the official education system of its country. It must be an official final qualification of the first or second cycle, a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in the British system, giving access to the next cycle in the system of origin. It must correspond to an Italian degree in type and disciplinary field and be comparable in credits, duration, academic nature and research component. A degree from an institution that is not officially recognised in its own country cannot be recognised in Italy, whatever its reputation. Where a bilateral agreement establishes equivalence between the qualifications of the two countries, as is the case between Italy and Austria, the university verifies the documents and declares equivalence without a substantive comparison.
The documents
The application is accompanied by the degree certificate, legalised with an apostille in the country of issue; the transcript of records with the examinations passed, the grades and the credits; the syllabus or programme of each course, which is what the committee reads to compare the curricula; the Dichiarazione di valore issued by the Italian representation in the country of study or, where the university accepts it, the CIMEA statements of comparability and verification; the secondary school diploma that gave access to the degree; an identity document and proof of the right to reside in Italy. Every document in a foreign language must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Italian. The firm prepares the file in the form each university requires, since forms, fees and filing methods differ from one university to another.
The three possible outcomes
Full recognition: the university declares the foreign degree equivalent to its own and issues the Italian title by rector’s decree, with no further examinations. Partial recognition: the committee finds gaps in the curriculum and admits the applicant to the Italian programme with an abbreviation of the course, that is, with the credits already earned recognised and a number of examinations or a final dissertation still to complete before the Italian title is awarded. Refusal: the committee finds substantial differences that cannot be remedied and rejects the application, usually indicating whether admission to an Italian programme through the ordinary channels is possible. A refusal by one university does not prevent an application to another, and the firm often advises on the choice of university precisely to reduce that risk.
When equipollenza is the right choice
Academic recognition is worth its time and cost when the Italian title is itself required: for enrolment in programmes reserved to holders of a specific Italian degree, for careers in which the Italian qualification is a condition of employment, for the recognition of a doctorate obtained abroad on the basis of an Italian master’s degree. For many other purposes a lighter procedure is enough: equivalence to continue studying, recognition for public competitions, professional recognition to practise a regulated profession. The page on the four routes helps to tell them apart, and the consultation settles the choice case by case.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose any Italian university?
Any university that offers a programme corresponding to your degree in the current academic year. Universities differ in how they assess foreign curricula and in their fees and timing, and part of the firm’s work is choosing the one whose programme is closest to yours.
Is an online degree eligible?
Only if the awarding institution is officially recognised in its country and the degree is an official qualification of that system. Degrees from unaccredited providers, however they are marketed, cannot be recognised. The firm verifies the status of the institution before the application is filed.
What happens if the university asks me to take additional examinations?
You are enrolled in the Italian programme with the credits already recognised and you complete the missing examinations, in Italian unless the programme is taught in English, before receiving the Italian degree. The number of examinations depends on the gaps found and is stated in the decision.
How much does the procedure cost?
Universities charge an application fee that varies from one to another and includes a 16-euro stamp duty. To this are added the Dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statements, the apostilles, the sworn translations and the firm’s fee for advice and handling, all itemised in the written quote.
Do you want your degree recognised by an Italian university?
Send us a scan of the degree and the transcript: you receive within one working day an assessment of the requirements, the documents to obtain and a written quote.
