Qualifications obtained outside the European Union

For degrees and diplomas obtained in countries outside the European Union, which since 2021 include the United Kingdom, Italian authorities apply a stricter documentary regime. The Dichiarazione di valore issued by the Italian consulate in the country of study, or where accepted the CIMEA statements, becomes a required document, the qualification must be legalised before it is translated, and the assessment of the content is more searching, because no European framework guarantees the comparability of the systems. MMW Traduzioni has prepared these files since 1995 for clients from the United States, Canada, Australia, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Iran, China and dozens of other countries, and knows the practice of the consulates and the authorities concerned.

Why the regime is stricter

Within the Union, the Bologna Process, the ECTS credit system, the Diploma Supplement and Directive 2005/36/EC give Italian authorities a reliable picture of a foreign qualification. Outside it, the authority must establish for itself whether the institution is officially recognised in its country, whether the qualification is an official one, which level it has in the system of origin and what rights it confers there. The Dichiarazione di valore answers these questions with the authority of the Italian State, because it is issued by the Italian representation after checking the documents with the local authorities. That is why universities, ministries and Prefectures ask for it for non-EU qualifications and why, where it is missing, they turn to the CIMEA statement of verification, which confirms authenticity with the awarding institution, and the statement of comparability, which indicates the corresponding Italian level.

The documents, in order

First, the original qualification and the transcript are legalised in the country of issue: with an apostille where the country is party to the Hague Convention, as the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Australia, Brazil and most of Latin America are, or by the Italian consulate where it is not, as for the Gulf States, Egypt, Pakistan and several African and Asian countries. Second, the Dichiarazione di valore is requested from the Italian representation competent for the university’s location, with the translations in the form that representation requires, or the CIMEA statements are requested online. Third, the documents are translated into Italian by sworn translation before an Italian court, apostille included. Only then is the application filed with the university, the ministry or the Prefecture. Doing these steps in the wrong order, for instance translating before legalising, means repeating them.

The assessment

With the file complete, the authority compares the foreign qualification with the Italian one for the purpose requested. For academic recognition the university examines the duration of the programme, the credits, the subjects studied and the final dissertation, and frequently grants recognition with an abbreviation of course rather than in full. For professional recognition the ministry compares the training with the Italian one and often imposes an aptitude test, particularly in the health professions. For public competitions and for the EU Blue Card the assessment is limited to the level of the qualification and is quicker. The outcome depends in large part on the quality of the file: a transcript that lists the courses with their hours and credits, a syllabus that describes their content and a Dichiarazione di valore that states the level clearly make the difference between a direct recognition and a partial one.

Typical cases

British bachelor’s and master’s degrees, for study, employment and the Blue Card; American degrees with transcripts in credit hours, for which the comparison with ECTS credits must be explained; Indian three-year bachelor’s degrees, assessed as first-cycle qualifications when followed by a master’s; Nigerian, Ghanaian and Kenyan degrees, for which the consular verification is the longest step; Latin American professional titles that are at once academic degrees and professional licences, which require both routes; Iranian and Chinese qualifications, for which the consulates require the national entrance examination results; Ukrainian and Russian specialist diplomas, assessed as master’s level qualifications. The firm has a checklist for each country and begins with the step that takes longest in that country.

Frequently asked questions

Can the CIMEA statement replace the Dichiarazione di valore for a non-EU degree?

For university enrolment and academic recognition, generally yes. For the Blue Card most Prefectures accept it. For professional recognition some ministries still require the consular statement. The firm checks the rule of the specific authority before advising which document to request, and sometimes advises obtaining both.

My university has closed or no longer answers: can I still obtain recognition?

Yes, if the qualification can be verified through the national authority of the country, the ministry of education or the accreditation body, which the consulate and CIMEA consult. The firm helps to identify the authority that holds the records and the form of certificate it issues.

Do I need to legalise the transcript as well as the degree?

In most cases yes, because the transcript is the document the authority reads to assess the content of the programme, and an unlegalised transcript is treated as a private document. Where the apostille can be applied only to the degree, the transcript is certified by the university and verified through CIMEA.

How long does the whole process take for a non-EU degree?

From three months for the simplest cases, such as a Blue Card file with a CIMEA statement, to over a year for professional recognition with an aptitude test. The Dichiarazione di valore alone takes from a few weeks to several months depending on the consulate, which is why it is the first step to start.