Dichiarazione di valore: contents and requirements

The Dichiarazione di valore is an official document, drawn up in Italian by the Italian consular authority of the country where the qualification was obtained, whose purpose is to let Italian institutions understand and assess a foreign qualification. Its value lies in its content: a structured description of the qualification, of the institution that awarded it and of the system to which it belongs, written by an authority of the Italian State after verification with the local authorities. Knowing what the statement contains helps applicants to prepare the documents that allow the consulate to complete every part of it, and to read the statement they receive before filing it with a university, a ministry or a Prefecture.

The attestation of value

The core of the document is the attestation by the consular authority of the value of the qualification in the educational system of the country of issue. It states the level of the qualification in that system, upper secondary diploma, first, second or third cycle degree, or professional certificate, the official duration of the programme in years and, where the system uses them, the credits acquired, expressed in ECTS or in the local system with their correspondence. It indicates whether the qualification gives access in its own country to the next level of studies, to a university programme after a school diploma, to a master’s after a bachelor’s, to a doctorate after a master’s, which is the information Italian universities need most. The attestation is a description, not a comparison: the statement does not say to which Italian qualification the foreign one corresponds, a judgment that belongs to the Italian authority receiving it or, in a non-binding form, to the CIMEA statement of comparability.

The institution and the awarding authority

The statement identifies the authority under whose competence the qualification was issued, a ministry of education, a national accreditation body or a university with degree-awarding powers, and the institution where the studies were completed, with confirmation that it is officially recognised or accredited within the educational system of the country. This confirmation is the part of the statement that most often decides the outcome of a recognition procedure, because an Italian authority will not assess a qualification issued by an institution whose official status is uncertain. It is also the part that takes the consulate longest, since it requires a check with the local authority, and the reason for most refusals: private institutions without accreditation, foreign branch campuses not recognised in the host country and unaccredited distance programmes do not pass it.

The description of the qualification

The statement then describes the qualification itself: the field of study, the specialisation and the specific programme followed, the duration of the programme, the date of award and the registration number of the diploma, which allows the document to be traced in the records of the institution. It reports the final grade or the overall average, together with an explanation of the grading system of the country, its scale, its pass mark and its distinctions, so that the Italian authority can read a 2:1, a GPA of 3.6 or a 16 out of 20 in its own terms. Where the studies lead to a professional licence, the statement says whether the qualification confers in its country the right to practise a regulated profession, with or without a further examination or period of practice, information that the Italian ministries use in professional recognition. A short description of the national educational system closes the document and places the qualification within it.

The copy of the diploma and the translation

The statement is attached to an authenticated copy of the diploma, bearing the signature of the head of the institution or the consular authentication, which links the applicant to the qualification described. Most representations attach as well the Italian translation of the diploma and of the transcript, either made or certified by the consulate itself, so that the file reaches the Italian authority with the original, its translation and the consular description in one bundle. Where the translation is not made by the consulate, it must be a sworn translation or a translation in the form the receiving authority accepts, and it should be made after the legalisation so that the apostille is translated too. The personal data of the holder, full name and date of birth as they appear in the passport, are reported on the statement and must match the diploma: a different spelling of the name, frequent in transliterations from other alphabets, must be documented before the request or it will delay it.

A document of evidence, not of recognition

However detailed, the Dichiarazione di valore does not recognise the qualification in Italy. It is evidence, authoritative and often required, on which the competent authority bases its own decision: the university that grants or refuses equipollenza, the ministry that recognises a professional qualification, the administration that admits a candidate to a competition, the Prefecture that issues an EU Blue Card. Nor is it always mandatory, as the pages on the position of EU citizens and on the CIMEA statements explain. It remains, for qualifications obtained outside the European Union, the document that gives the Italian authority the fullest and most reliable picture of what the applicant has studied, and a well-prepared request, with complete transcripts and syllabi, produces a fuller statement and a faster recognition.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Dichiarazione di valore state the Italian qualification to which mine corresponds?

No. It describes the qualification in its own system: level, duration, credits, access rights. The correspondence with an Italian qualification is decided by the Italian authority in the recognition procedure, and indicated in a non-binding form by the CIMEA statement of comparability.

Is the Dichiarazione di valore issued in English as well as in Italian?

No. It is drafted in Italian only, since it is addressed to Italian authorities, and it therefore needs no translation when filed in Italy. Applicants who need to understand its content can ask the firm for an explanation of each section.

Does the Dichiarazione di valore have an expiry date?

No. It refers to the qualification as it was at the date of award and does not expire. An authority may nevertheless ask for a more recent statement where the educational system of the country has changed since it was issued or where the statement was issued for a different purpose.

Can one Dichiarazione di valore cover a bachelor’s and a master’s degree together?

As a rule each qualification has its own statement, since each has its own institution, duration and level. Some representations describe two qualifications from the same institution in one document. Where both degrees are needed for the procedure, both should be requested at the same time to save a second verification.