Scholarships, research grants, doctoral fellowships and other benefits awarded by Italian public bodies are often reserved to holders of a given qualification, and the notice may require that a foreign qualification be declared equivalent before the benefit is paid. For this purpose Presidential Decree 189 of 2009 provides a non-academic equivalence decided by the Ministry of University and Research after the opinion of the National University Council, without issuing an Italian title and without the course-by-course comparison of academic recognition. The decision is valid for the benefit for which it was requested.
Who may apply
The procedure is open to Italian citizens and to citizens of the European Union, for qualifications obtained in any country, including countries that are not party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention. Third-country nationals apply where the notice of the scholarship or grant admits them, under the same conditions on residence that apply to public employment. The application is filed with the body that awards the benefit, which forwards it to the Ministry, or directly with the Ministry where the notice so provides.
Documents
The application is accompanied by the qualification, legalised with an apostille or by the Italian consulate and accompanied by a sworn translation; the transcript of records with the examinations passed and the grades; a document showing the purpose of the request, that is the notice of the scholarship or grant and the application made to the awarding body; and the Dichiarazione di valore where the notice or the Ministry requires it, or the CIMEA statements where accepted. Incomplete files are the main cause of delay, because the Ministry suspends the term while it waits for the missing documents.
Timing and review
Once the file is complete the Ministry issues the decision of equivalence within ninety days and notifies it to the awarding body and to the applicant. If the assessment is negative, because the qualification does not correspond to the level or the field required by the notice, the applicant may ask for a review within thirty days of the notification, producing additional documents, for instance a more detailed transcript, the syllabus of the programme or a statement from the awarding institution on the level of the qualification. The thirty-day term is mandatory and no review is possible after it.
When to start
Scholarship notices have short deadlines and the ninety days run from a complete file, so the documents should be prepared before the notice is published. Candidates who plan to apply for doctoral fellowships, research grants or regional scholarships in a given year obtain the apostilles, the translations and the Dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statements in advance and attach the notice when it comes out. The firm prepares the file, files the application with the awarding body and the Ministry, follows the procedure and prepares the request for review if needed. For doctoral fellowships the firm also checks whether the university requires, in addition, the equivalence for admission to the doctoral programme, which is a separate decision taken by the university itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is this decision useful for anything other than the scholarship?
No. It is issued for the benefit indicated in the application and has no effect for public competitions, further study or professional practice, each of which has its own procedure. The documents prepared for it are however reused in any later application.
Can the scholarship be paid while the decision is pending?
That depends on the awarding body. Many universities admit the candidate with reservation and pay the first instalments against a declaration, suspending payment only if the Ministry’s decision is negative. The notice states the rule, and the firm checks it before the application.
My degree was obtained in a country outside the Lisbon Convention: does the procedure apply?
Yes. The Ministry assesses qualifications from any country, provided the awarding institution is officially recognised in its system. Documents from countries that are not party to the Hague Convention are legalised by the Italian consulate instead of being apostilled.
What can I add to a request for review?
Anything that clarifies the level and content of the qualification: the syllabus, a statement from the institution on the cycle to which the qualification belongs and the access it gives, the CIMEA statement of comparability, evidence of the duration of the programme. The request must be filed within thirty days of the notification of the negative decision.
Are you applying for a scholarship or grant with a foreign qualification?
Send us the notice and a scan of your degree: you receive within one working day the documents required, the timing and a written quote.
