Frequently asked questions on the recognition of foreign qualifications

Recognition is the administrative procedure by which an Italian authority establishes the correspondence between a degree, diploma or professional qualification obtained in another State and the Italian educational and professional standards. It is required in order to use the foreign qualification in Italy for a given purpose: access to the labour market, the continuation of studies or the practice of a regulated profession. Its aim is to confirm that the foreign qualification meets the requirements of quality and competence set by Italian law, so that the holder enters the Italian educational or professional system on the same footing as holders of Italian qualifications.

Two main categories: academic qualifications and professional qualifications. Academic qualifications, which include upper secondary school diplomas, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and doctorates, are recognised for academic purposes, such as continuing studies or admission to further programmes, and for non-academic purposes, such as access to public or private employment. Professional qualifications concern the right to practise a regulated profession in Italy: their recognition ensures that the competences acquired abroad comply with Italian rules, in order to protect the quality and safety of professional services.

It depends on the qualification and on the purpose of the recognition. Italian universities are competent for the academic recognition of first, second and third cycle qualifications, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and doctorates, when the purpose is further study or the award of the equivalent Italian title.

Professional qualifications are recognised by the ministry responsible for each sector: the Ministry of Health for the health professions, the Ministry of Justice for the legal and economic professions, and the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy and other ministries for their respective fields.

In the equivalence procedures under article 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001, used for access to public employment, the competence lies with the Ministry of University and Research or the Ministry of Education and with the Department of the Civil Service of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

They differ in purpose and scope. Academic recognition, or equipollenza, gives a foreign qualification the legal value of an Italian one and allows the holder to continue studies in Italy, to obtain the corresponding Italian title or, where the conditions are met, an abbreviation of course.

Professional recognition is the authorisation to practise a regulated profession in Italy on the basis of a qualification acquired abroad. The competent ministry verifies that the applicant’s training and professional competences meet the requirements set by Italian law for that profession. In short, academic recognition concerns the equivalence of qualifications for educational purposes, professional recognition the access to and exercise of a regulated profession in Italy.

Purpose-specific recognition allows a foreign qualification to be used for one specific purpose in Italy, such as obtaining a scholarship, registering with an employment centre or redeeming years of study for pension purposes. Introduced with the ratification of the Lisbon Convention (Law 148 of 11 July 2002) and governed by Legislative Decree 165 of 30 March 2001 and Presidential Decree 189 of 30 July 2009, it assesses the qualification only in relation to the purpose declared and does not amount to general academic recognition.

Its advantage is speed and simplicity: the procedure is lighter than traditional academic recognition because the qualification is examined only for the declared purpose. Its limit is that the result serves that purpose alone and cannot be used, for instance, to enrol at a university or to obtain full equipollenza. A qualification recognised for the award of a scholarship confers the scholarship and nothing more; a qualification recognised for registration with an employment centre gives access to that centre’s services and training programmes, not to university programmes.

Academic recognition is the process by which a foreign qualification is accepted as corresponding to an Italian one, usually in order to continue studies or to gain admission to university programmes. Equipollenza is the form of academic recognition that gives the foreign qualification the same legal value as a specific Italian qualification, so that it can also be used for employment purposes in Italy. Equipollenza is taken into account in professional recognition as well, provided the foreign qualification meets the requirements set by Italian law for the specific profession.

Yes. Equipollenza is sufficient to apply for positions that do not require a regulated professional qualification, such as commercial correspondent, foreign-language secretary or similar roles. For regulated professions the qualification must also pass professional recognition. For unregulated positions it is advisable to check with the employer whether equipollenza, or a simpler document such as the Dichiarazione di valore or a CIMEA statement of comparability, satisfies the requirements of the post.

The Lisbon Recognition Convention, ratified by Italy with Law 148 of 11 July 2002, provides that higher education qualifications obtained in a signatory State must be recognised unless substantial differences from the national qualifications can be demonstrated. It promotes academic and professional mobility, guarantees the right to a fair assessment of studies, lays down transparent and consistent assessment criteria and places on the receiving State the burden of justifying any refusal based on substantial differences.

Each signatory must adopt procedures that facilitate the recognition of qualifications awarded by officially recognised institutions, on the principle of mutual recognition, and must cooperate with the others to reduce obstacles, improve transparency and foster mutual understanding of the different educational systems.

A substantial difference exists when the content, duration, level or learning outcomes of the foreign programme diverge significantly from those required for the corresponding Italian qualification. The competent authority compares the study programmes, the number of credits, the subjects covered and the overall duration of the course.

Where the differences are such as to compromise the equivalence of the qualification or the professional suitability of the applicant, recognition may be made conditional on compensatory measures: supplementary examinations in specific subjects, to demonstrate the competences required by the Italian system, or an adaptation period of further training or traineeship covering what the foreign programme did not. The purpose of these measures is to ensure that the holder has competences equivalent to those certified by the Italian qualification.

Once recognised in Italy, a foreign qualification acquires the same value and the same legal effects as the equivalent Italian one: it can be used to enter higher education, to take part in public competitions or to practise a regulated profession as if it had been obtained in the Italian system.

Recognition is the official attestation, in the name of the law, that the foreign qualification corresponds in content and competences to the Italian one. It is made through an administrative procedure that verifies whether the foreign programme meets the requirements of Italian law for the same qualification. The governing principle is substantial equipollenza: recognition is granted only where the foreign qualification is equivalent in educational and qualifying value to the national one, and once granted it is no obstacle to State examinations or to access to public employment.

The procedure is governed by Directive 2005/36/EC, as amended by Directive 2013/55/EU, implemented in Italy by Legislative Decree 206/2007, which sets a common framework for the recognition of professional qualifications in order to facilitate the free movement of professionals within the European Union. It begins with an application to the competent Italian ministry, which examines the foreign qualification against the Italian requirements: training, professional experience and compliance with the European and national standards for the profession. Depending on the outcome, the applicant may be required to complete compensatory measures, an aptitude test or an adaptation period, before being admitted to the profession.

The competent authority must decide within three months of receiving the complete file, a period that may be extended to four months where additional documents or clarifications are requested. To this must be added the time needed to collect the documents, which have to be verified, authenticated, legalised, translated and sworn, operations that take days or weeks depending on the country of origin and the complexity of the file. For qualifications obtained outside the European Union, where the Dichiarazione di valore is required, the preparatory phase is often the longest part.

Where the authority responsible for recognition, equipollenza or equivalence fails to decide within the time limit, the applicant may challenge the administration’s silence (silenzio inadempimento) under article 31 of the Code of Administrative Procedure, by an action before the competent Regional Administrative Court (TAR) seeking a declaration of the authority’s duty to decide. The action may be brought as long as the failure persists and in any case within one year of the expiry of the time limit, without prejudice to the right to file a new application where the conditions are met.

Article 117 of the Code lays down a simplified procedure for these cases. If the court finds the silence unlawful, it orders the authority to decide within a set period and, if the authority still fails to comply, may appoint a commissioner ad acta who decides in its place. The remedy protects the applicant’s right to a timely and reasoned decision under the rules on administrative procedure.

It happens often, because applicants are not always sure which administration is competent among universities, ministries and other bodies. An application filed with an authority that is not competent should, under the principles of good faith and cooperation between public administrations, be forwarded by that authority to the competent one, with notice to the applicant. The principle finds support in article 2 of Presidential Decree 1199/1971 on administrative appeals and in the case law on cooperation between public bodies, so the applicant’s mistake can be corrected by the receiving administration. In practice it is prudent to check that the forwarding has taken place and, if it has not, to file again with the competent authority, since the time limit for the decision runs from receipt by the competent office.

By filing the certificate of the qualification obtained in the country of origin, evidence of the relevant professional experience and proof that the training meets the minimum standards laid down by the European directives. In some cases the Italian authorities require an aptitude test or an adaptation period as well, to ensure that the competences are aligned with the Italian requirements for the profession.

EU citizens holding a professional qualification awarded in a Member State prove its value with a certificate of conformity issued by the competent authority of the home country. For these applications the Dichiarazioni di valore issued by Italian diplomatic representations are no longer accepted, since Legislative Decree 15 of 28 January 2016, implementing Directive 2013/55/EU, does not provide for them.

As a rule: the foreign qualification, translated into Italian and legalised according to the applicable procedure; the transcript of examinations, with the subjects studied and the marks obtained; the Dichiarazione di valore issued by the Italian diplomatic representation in the country where the qualification was obtained, or where accepted the CIMEA statements, attesting the legal value of the qualification in the educational system of origin; and the competition notice, which sets out the entry requirements against which equivalence is assessed. Further documents may be required by the specific notice or by the competent administration.

The syllabus, the detailed programme of the courses followed, is required when the recognition of a foreign qualification is requested from an Italian university, and also by the regional school office for the recognition of upper secondary school qualifications. It describes the subjects studied, the examinations passed and the content of each course, and allows the Italian authority to assess the correspondence between the foreign programme and the Italian requirements. It is issued by the awarding institution and must be translated where it is not in Italian or in a language the authority accepts.

Yes. A foreign qualification may be recognised in part for specific purposes, in particular to shorten an Italian programme of study. Where there are substantial differences between the foreign curriculum and the Italian one, the university committee may recognise only part of the studies completed abroad and require the applicant to pass supplementary examinations or to acquire the missing credits in order to obtain the Italian qualification. This procedure, known as abbreviation of course (abbreviazione di corso), lets students combine the competences acquired abroad with those required in Italy and obtain a fully recognised Italian title.

Yes, as a rule both an official translation and the legalisation of the document are required. The translation must be made by a sworn translator; the legalisation is carried out by the Italian diplomatic representation in the country of origin, unless an international agreement provides an exemption or the apostille applies.

In Italy the translation may be made by a translator registered with the court’s list of technical consultants, with the Chamber of Commerce or with a recognised professional association, and must be sworn before an Italian court registry, a Justice of the Peace where available (not in Rome), a notary or an Italian consulate. Abroad, the translation may be certified by the Italian diplomatic authorities or by the Italian Cultural Institutes, or made by an official translator accredited in the country of origin, whose stamp and signature are then legalised by the Italian consulate or apostilled where the country is party to the Hague Convention.

Some Italian universities accept documents in the main European languages without translation. For the equivalence procedures for public competitions the Italian translation is always required.

Check whether the country that issued the qualification is a party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. If it is, the apostille issued by the competent authority of that country is sufficient to attest the authenticity of the document for use in Italy. If it is not, the qualification must be legalised by the Italian diplomatic representation in the country of origin, which guarantees its validity for Italy. The list of States party to the Convention is published on the website of the Hague Conference and on that of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the competent authority of the issuing country can confirm which procedure applies.

The Dichiarazione di valore (often abbreviated DV or DoV) is a document drawn up by the Italian diplomatic representation, embassy or consulate, in the country where the qualification was obtained. It certifies officially the academic or professional value of the qualification within the educational system of that country and gives the Italian authorities the information they need to assess its correspondence with Italian qualifications.

It states the level of the qualification (upper secondary diploma, bachelor’s or master’s degree, doctorate), the official duration of the programme, its content and curriculum, including the subjects studied and the marks where relevant, and the legal nature of the awarding institution, public or private, recognised or not within the educational system of origin. It may add details on the structure of the foreign system and the position of the qualification within it.

It is required for enrolment and academic recognition at Italian universities, for public competitions, for the professional recognition of qualifications obtained outside the European Union and for other administrative purposes, such as residence permits, pension rights or mobility programmes. It describes the value of the qualification in its own country and does not by itself amount to recognition in Italy, which remains the decision of the competent Italian authority.

No. They serve different purposes. The Dichiarazione di valore, issued by the Italian consular representation in the country where the qualification was obtained, attests the legal value of the qualification in that country’s educational system. The apostille authenticates the signature and seal on the original document and makes it valid in Italy under the Hague Convention of 1961. Depending on the purpose of the recognition, both the Dichiarazione di valore and the apostille may be required, and the consulate itself normally asks for the apostilled or legalised original before issuing the statement.

The Dichiarazione di valore is issued by the Italian consulate competent for the place where the qualification was obtained. The applicant files the original qualification, legalised or apostilled, a translation into Italian in the form the consulate requires, and the other documents it asks for, such as transcripts or certificates from the awarding institution. Requirements, fees and waiting times differ from one consulate to another, and in many countries the consulate verifies the qualification with the local authorities before issuing the statement.

The document is essential because many recognition procedures in Italy, academic and professional, cannot be started without it. Given the differences between consulates, it is advisable to rely on a specialist who prepares the file in the form the specific consulate requires, which reduces the risk of delays or of rejection for incompleteness.

A sworn translation is the official translation of a document, such as a foreign qualification, made by a qualified translator who certifies under oath before the court its accuracy and fidelity to the original. It is required whenever the document is filed with Italian public bodies or institutions that need an official translation in order to verify its content.

Legalisation is the procedure that gives legal validity in Italy to a foreign document. The Italian consular authority in the country of issue authenticates the signature of the official who issued the document, confirming that it was issued in accordance with the rules of that country. In short, the sworn translation makes the content of the document understandable and verifiable by the Italian authorities, while the legalisation attests its formal validity and international authenticity. Both are usually required for the recognition of a foreign qualification in Italy.

Yes, following the procedures laid down by Legislative Decree 165/2001 and Presidential Decree 189/2009. The candidate files an application with all the documents required, including the foreign qualification translated, legalised and, where required, declared equivalent or equipollent to an Italian one. The competent authority examines the qualification to verify that it meets the educational requirements of the post; if it does, the qualification is accepted for the competition. The procedure differs according to the type of qualification and the specific notice, so the guidance issued by the administration holding the competition should always be read with care.

Yes, provided the qualification is first assessed for equivalence against the requirements set out in the competition notice. The assessment is made in accordance with Legislative Decree 165/2001 and Presidential Decree 189/2009, which govern the recognition of foreign qualifications for access to public employment, and verifies that the foreign qualification meets the standards required and corresponds to the Italian qualification requested for that type of competition. The application for equivalence is filed within the deadline set by the notice, and the candidate is admitted subject to its outcome.

Yes. Recognition can be requested for different purposes, such as access to the labour market and the redemption of years of study for pension purposes, but each purpose may require a separate procedure and separate documents, since purpose-specific recognition is limited to the purpose declared. A preliminary consultation helps to identify the procedures to combine, the documents they share and the order in which to file them.

Article 38 provides that citizens of the European Union, and family members of EU citizens who are not nationals of a Member State, may be employed by Italian public administrations provided their qualifications are recognised as equivalent or equipollent to those required by Italian law for the competition. The procedure for the equivalence of foreign qualifications is governed by Presidential Decree 189 of 30 July 2009, which specifies the documents required and the way applications are filed, so as to guarantee access to public competitions to candidates holding foreign qualifications.

Because regulated professional qualifications require a specific recognition governed by European and national rules with their own criteria and requirements. Professions such as doctor, lawyer or architect, for which the law prescribes specific training and qualifying examinations, fall under Directive 2005/36/EC and Legislative Decree 206 of 9 November 2007, which provide for a recognition procedure based on the verification of the professional training and competences acquired abroad. That procedure is distinct from the equivalence procedure for access to public competitions, which assesses the level of the qualification against the entry requirement of the notice and does not confer the right to practise a regulated profession.

Academic recognition is requested when the holder wishes to continue studies in Italy, by enrolling in a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme, or to obtain the corresponding Italian qualification. The university compares the foreign programme with the Italian one and decides whether to grant full recognition, with the award of the Italian title, or partial recognition, with admission to a year of the programme and the recognition of credits.

The documents normally required are the qualification and the transcript, legalised, the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statements of comparability and verification, the syllabus and the sworn translations. The Dichiarazione di valore is used in public competitions, in professional recognition and for other administrative purposes such as residence permits as well, but it describes the value of the qualification in its country of origin and never replaces the decision of the Italian authority, which remains free to decide whether and to what extent the foreign qualification is recognised.

A specialisation for special needs support teaching (sostegno) obtained abroad is a professional qualification for a regulated profession, and its recognition follows a specific procedure that varies with the qualification and the country of training. The qualification is assessed for conformity with the national standards for support teaching, under the European directives and the Italian rules in force, by the Ministry of Education and Merit, which may grant recognition, impose compensatory measures or refuse it where the training differs substantially from the Italian specialisation course.

It takes place in two phases: a formal review and a substantive review. In the formal review the doctoral office of the university checks that the file is complete. In the substantive review the academic board of the doctoral programme assesses the thesis, the Diploma Supplement, the curriculum vitae and the other relevant documents. Depending on the outcome, the university recognises the qualification as equivalent to an Italian doctorate or refuses recognition where it finds substantial differences, with a reasoned decision.

Since 2022 the competence has passed from the Ministry of University and Research to the individual universities. Under Law 15/2022 the universities recognise doctorates obtained abroad for academic purposes autonomously, in line with the Lisbon Convention, which simplifies the procedure and lets the institutions assess the candidates’ qualifications directly. The application is therefore filed with the Italian university chosen, following its own procedure and guidelines.

With the Italian university where recognition is sought. Each university has its own procedure, so its website should be consulted for the detailed requirements, and the coordinator of the doctoral programme concerned can be contacted for a preliminary assessment of the thesis and of the research field, which helps to choose the programme to which the application is addressed.

The Italian university where the qualification is to be used, under article 2 of Law 148/2002, which entrusts the universities with the assessment of foreign academic qualifications for access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes and for the award of the corresponding Italian title.

Each university sets its own criteria, procedures and requirements, which may include the assessment of programmes, credits and duration, and may ask for additional documents such as the Diploma Supplement or the Dichiarazione di valore. The university’s website gives the requirements and the way to apply; the international relations or foreign students office answers questions on procedure, fees and timing. This preliminary stage ensures that the application is complete and meets the university’s requirements.

The application is filed with the Ministry of Education and Merit, the authority competent for professional qualifications in teaching, with the documents proving the specific training: the original specialisation qualification, legalised or apostilled in the country of issue; its sworn translation into Italian; the Dichiarazione di valore issued by the Italian diplomatic representation in the country of training; the detailed programme of the studies and of the specific training in support teaching, with content, duration and methods; and a certificate of professional experience in support teaching, where applicable.

The Ministry assesses the conformity of the qualification with the national standards for support teaching, taking account of the competences acquired, the curriculum and the European rules on professional recognition. Where it finds significant differences, it may require compensatory measures such as additional training or an adaptation period.

Universities are directly responsible for the recognition of foreign academic qualifications when the applicant wishes to enter higher education, continue university studies or obtain an equivalent Italian qualification. They assess in detail the correspondence between the foreign and the Italian programme, considering content, duration, credits and competences, and take account of bilateral agreements between Italy and the country of origin, of the applicable European rules and of the Lisbon Convention of 1997.

They must ensure that the assessment is transparent and based on objective criteria, provide clear and accessible information on procedures, requirements and documents, and, where they find substantial differences, may require compensatory measures such as supplementary examinations or additional courses to fill the gaps in the training.

When the competent Italian authority finds significant differences between the applicant’s training and professional experience and the requirements set by Italian law for the same profession. Compensatory measures, an adaptation period or an aptitude test, fill the gaps and ensure that the competences are in line with Italian standards.

EU citizens may as a rule choose between the adaptation period, a supervised period of professional practice, and the aptitude test, which verifies the technical and theoretical knowledge of the profession, except where the Directive or national law reserves the choice to the authority. This option lets professionals pick the route that suits their situation and eases the recognition process in Italy.

Case by case, considering the duration, frequency, regularity and continuity of the service. Temporary and occasional provision of services by a professional lawfully established in another Member State does not require formal recognition of the qualification, except where the profession has implications for public health or safety, in which case the authority may check the qualification before the first provision.

The place where the qualification was obtained is decisive: under Directive 2005/36/EC a professional who has lawfully acquired a qualification in a Member State may practise temporarily in all the others, and article 5 of the Directive forbids Member States from restricting the free provision of services for reasons relating to professional qualifications. The Treaty guarantees in addition the free movement of workers and the right of establishment, so that stable practice is protected as well, subject to recognition.

They are the two regimes under which a professional qualified in another Member State may practise in Italy.

Establishment concerns professionals who intend to practise a regulated profession in Italy on a stable and continuous basis. They must obtain the recognition of their qualification from the competent Italian authority, which compares their training with the national requirements and, where it finds substantial differences, may impose compensatory measures such as an adaptation period or an aptitude test.

Free provision of services concerns professionals who practise in Italy temporarily and occasionally while remaining established in their home State. No formal recognition is required, unless the activity affects public health or safety, but the professional files a prior declaration with the competent Italian authority stating the type of service, the insurance cover and the temporary nature of the activity, which is assessed by its duration, frequency, regularity and continuity.

Automatic recognition applies to the professions for which the European Union has harmonised the minimum training conditions: doctors, nurses responsible for general care, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, veterinary surgeons and architects, whose qualifications meet the requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC as amended by Directive 2013/55/EU and are listed in its Annex V. A qualification obtained in a Member State in accordance with those conditions must be recognised in the other Member States without further verification of the professional’s competences, on production of the certificate of conformity issued by the home authority.

It does not extend to the other professions, which fall under the general system with the comparison of training. The Council Recommendation of 26 November 2018 promotes in addition the automatic mutual recognition of higher education qualifications and of periods of study abroad, with the aim of simplifying recognition and facilitating the mobility of students and professionals in Europe.

Under the establishment regime the professional moves to Italy to practise a regulated profession on a stable basis and must obtain formal recognition from the competent authority, which assesses qualifications, training and experience against the Italian standards and may impose an adaptation period or an aptitude test where it finds substantial differences.

Under the free provision of services regime the professional practises in Italy temporarily and occasionally. No prior formal recognition is required, except where the activity may affect public health or safety, but a prior declaration is filed with the competent authority indicating the nature of the service and the insurance cover, and the authority may ask for further information or checks. In short, establishment requires formal recognition, temporary provision does not, save for professions with potential risks to health and safety.

A refusal may be based on substantial differences between the foreign programme and the Italian requirements or on non-compliance with Italian rules, and must state its reasons. The applicant may contest it by an administrative or judicial appeal and ask for the case to be reviewed: an action before the Regional Administrative Court within sixty days of notification, an extraordinary appeal to the President of the Republic within one hundred and twenty days or, where the decision is not final, an administrative appeal to the authority itself.

The refusal does not prevent a new application with a more complete file or under a different procedure. In many cases the reasons given indicate which documents or which compensatory measures would lead to a favourable decision, and the consultation with the firm starts from that analysis.

The applicant may bring an action before the competent Regional Administrative Court within sixty days of notification of the refusal, seeking its annulment and a new assessment of the qualification. If the action succeeds, the court orders the administration to recognise the qualification or to reassess the case.

As an alternative, an extraordinary appeal to the President of the Republic may be lodged within one hundred and twenty days of notification: it is a non-judicial remedy that protects legal positions affected by final administrative decisions. Where the refusal is not final, an administrative appeal to the competent authority may seek the annulment, revocation or amendment of the decision without recourse to the court. The remedy depends on the nature of the decision and on the circumstances of the case; if the appeal is upheld, the recognition procedure is resumed or reviewed by the competent authority.

For general information the Italian national contact points are the first reference: CIMEA, the Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence, for academic qualifications, and the competent ministries for professional qualifications, such as the Ministry of Health for the health professions or the Ministry of Justice for the legal professions. These bodies publish the procedures and the lists of documents required.

For personal advice on your case, for the handling of the application before the competent authority and for the preparation of the documents and the sworn translations, you can write to the firm at info@mmwtraduzioni.com or on WhatsApp at +39 335 679 2461. The consultation takes place by video call or at the office in Rome, in English, French, Spanish or Italian.

Yes. The firm provides full assistance for academic recognition, including the consultation and the handling of the file, and follows the whole procedure before the Italian university chosen: the preparation of the documents, the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statements, the sworn translations, the filing and the correspondence with the university until the decision. It also advises on the university best suited to the applicant’s qualification and objectives, since criteria and practice differ from one university to another.