How to obtain the Dichiarazione di valore

Obtaining the Dichiarazione di valore is, for many applicants, the most laborious step in the recognition of a foreign qualification in Italy. The document is issued by the Italian diplomatic representation in the country where the qualification was obtained, each representation follows its own procedure, and the official guidance is often brief. Files are delayed or rejected because a document is missing, a translation is in the wrong form or the legalisation was done after the translation instead of before. This page describes the procedure as it works in practice and the points at which it most often goes wrong. MMW Traduzioni has prepared these requests since 1995 for consulates in every continent and handles them for clients wherever they live.

Which representation is competent

The Dichiarazione di valore is requested from the Italian embassy or consulate whose district includes the seat of the institution that awarded the qualification, not from the representation nearest to the applicant’s current home and not from a consulate in Italy, which does not exist for this purpose. A degree from a university in Boston is dealt with by the Italian representation in Boston, a degree from Los Angeles by the representation in Los Angeles, a degree from Lagos by the representation in Lagos rather than by the embassy in the capital. Where a university has several campuses, the competent representation is the one for the registered seat that issued the diploma. For qualifications obtained by distance learning the representation looks at the seat of the institution and at whether distance learning is accredited in that country for that qualification. The first task is therefore to identify the right office, since a request sent elsewhere is returned without action.

The documents to prepare

Every representation publishes its own list, but the core is constant. It comprises the original diploma or certificate, or a certified copy issued by the institution, the transcript of records with subjects, grades and credits, for school qualifications the certificate of the years of schooling completed, a copy of the applicant’s passport, the application form of the representation and the fee, paid in the way the representation accepts. The form usually asks for the purpose of the request, since some representations issue the statement for a stated purpose such as university enrolment or professional recognition. Many representations ask in addition for a letter from the institution confirming the award, for the syllabus of the programme or for the professional licence where the qualification gives access to a regulated profession. Unlike Italian qualifications, foreign qualifications cannot be self-certified in Italy, so copies made by the applicant are not accepted: every document must be an original, a certified copy or a copy authenticated by the issuing institution.

Legalisation first, translation second

Before the request is filed the diploma and the transcript must be legalised in the country of issue: with an apostille where the country is party to the Hague Convention, otherwise by the Italian representation itself after authentication by the local foreign ministry. The translation into Italian comes after the legalisation, so that the apostille or the legalisation stamp is translated too. The form of the translation is the point on which representations differ most. Some accept only translations made by translators on their own list, some certify translations made by any professional translator for a fee, some produce the translation themselves, and some accept a sworn translation made in Italy. Preparing the translation in the wrong form is the most frequent cause of rejection, and it is avoidable by checking the rule of the specific representation before any translation is commissioned. The firm keeps these rules up to date for the representations it works with and prepares the translation in the form each one requires.

Filing, verification and timing

Depending on the representation, the request is filed in person by appointment, by post, through an online portal or through a representative with a written authorisation. Once the file is complete, the representation verifies the qualification with the awarding institution or with the national education authority, then drafts the statement in Italian and returns it with the documents. The verification is what takes time: from two or three weeks where the institution answers promptly to several months in countries where the national authority must confirm the award, or where the representation handles a large volume of requests. The statement is issued in Italian, free of charge in some representations and against a consular fee in others, and does not expire, although an authority in Italy may ask for a recent one where the system of origin has changed. Requests should be started as soon as the need for the document is known, since university enrolment deadlines, competition notices and Prefecture appointments do not wait for the consulate.

Requesting it from Italy

Applicants who already live in Italy, or who cannot travel to the country of study, can in most cases obtain the Dichiarazione di valore without appearing in person: by post, through the online portal where one exists, or through a representative authorised in writing, which may be a relative in the country of study or the firm itself. Where the representation insists on the applicant’s presence, the alternative is the CIMEA statement of comparability and verification, which is requested online from Italy and which many Italian authorities accept in place of the consular statement. The page on the CIMEA statements explains when that is possible. MMW Traduzioni identifies the competent representation, checks its current requirements, prepares the legalisations and the translations in the form it accepts, files the request and follows it until the statement is issued, for clients from any country and for any purpose: enrolment, professional recognition, public competitions, the EU Blue Card or a work visa.

Frequently asked questions

Can I request the Dichiarazione di valore from Italy without travelling to the country where I studied?

In most cases yes. Many representations accept requests by post, through an online portal or through a representative with a written authorisation. A few require the applicant in person. For those, the CIMEA statements requested online from Italy are the practical alternative where the receiving authority accepts them.

Which representation is competent if my university has several campuses or the programme was online?

The one for the district where the institution that issued the diploma has its registered seat. For online programmes the representation also checks whether distance learning is officially accredited in that country for that qualification, since unaccredited distance qualifications are not covered by the statement.

Does the consulate translate the documents itself?

Some representations do, against a fee, and some certify a translation made by a professional translator. Most require a translation made by a translator they accept, in the country of study or in Italy. The statement itself is always drafted in Italian, so it needs no translation when filed in Italy.

What happens if the representation refuses to issue the Dichiarazione di valore?

A refusal usually means that the institution is not recognised in its country, that the qualification could not be verified or that the programme is not an official one. The firm examines the reasons given, obtains where possible the confirmation of the national authority or of the institution, and where the refusal stands advises on the alternatives, from the CIMEA statement of verification to a different procedure.