A PhD obtained abroad can be recognised in Italy as a dottorato di ricerca, the Italian third-cycle title, with the legal effects of the Italian qualification, including for public competitions. Since Law 15 of 25 February 2022 the decision no longer belongs to the Ministry of University but to the individual universities, which assess the foreign doctorate against their own accredited doctoral programmes. For researchers who only need the doctorate to sit a specific public competition, a lighter route exists through the Department of the Civil Service. MMW Traduzioni advises on the choice between the two and handles the application from the documents to the decree.
The 2022 reform
Law 15/2022 amended article 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001 and gave Italian universities the power to issue declarations of equivalence for foreign research doctorates, following the criteria of Law 148/2002 and extending them to qualifications from countries that are not party to the Lisbon Convention. The academic recognition so granted produces the legal effects of the corresponding Italian title, including for the purpose of public competitions. Before the reform the decree was issued by the Ministry and published in its online archive; today each university decides within its autonomy and according to its own regulations, which is why procedures, fees and timing vary from one to another.
Requirements
The foreign doctorate must have been awarded by a university or another tertiary institution that officially belongs to the education system of its country; it must be an official, accredited qualification of that system; it must be a final qualification comparable to the third cycle of the Bologna Process, a PhD or an equivalent research doctorate; and the university chosen must have, in the last cycle accredited by the Ministry at the time of the application, a doctoral programme corresponding to the field of the foreign doctorate. Each university sets the periods in which applications are accepted and communicates admission or rejection of the application within thirty days of filing, requesting any documents needed to open the assessment.
The assessment and the decree
The assessment is made by the academic board of the doctoral programme for which equivalence is requested and approved by the doctoral school council and, depending on the university, by the academic senate or the board of governors, followed by a rector’s decree. Universities generally reserve up to one hundred and fifty days from payment of the fee to complete the assessment. The outcome is either direct recognition, with a decree declaring the foreign doctorate equivalent to the Italian dottorato di ricerca and a certificate issued by the university, or refusal where the committee finds a substantial difference from the Italian programme. The abbreviation of course that exists for bachelor’s and master’s degrees is rarely applied to doctorates. The fee is set by each university, includes the 16-euro stamp duty paid virtually and is not refundable.
The alternative for public competitions
A researcher who needs the doctorate only to take part in a public competition, for instance for a position as a researcher or an official in a public body, can ask for equivalence under article 38, paragraph 3, of Legislative Decree 165/2001 instead of academic recognition. The decision is taken by the Department of the Civil Service with the opinion of the Ministry of University, no Italian title is issued, the candidate is admitted to the competition with reservation and the procedure is concluded only for the winners. It is faster and cheaper than the university route, but it is valid only for that competition. The page on foreign qualifications and public competitions describes it in detail.
Documents and how the firm helps
The file includes the doctoral certificate with an apostille, the transcript or record of the doctoral programme, the thesis abstract and often the thesis itself, a description of the research activity and publications, the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statements, the previous degrees, an identity document and sworn translations of everything not in Italian. The firm identifies the university with the closest doctoral programme, checks the status of the awarding institution, prepares the translations and the application, files it and follows it until the decree, representing the applicant in the correspondence with the university.
Frequently asked questions
Does the thesis have to be translated into Italian?
Rarely in full. Universities normally require the abstract and the table of contents translated, and accept the thesis in English or in the original language for the committee’s reading. The firm checks the requirement of the specific university before translating.
Can a professional doctorate be recognised?
Only if in its system it is a third-cycle research qualification. Professional doctorates that are first-cycle or second-cycle degrees in substance, as some medical or legal doctorates are, are assessed as such and may be recognised as a master’s degree rather than as a dottorato di ricerca.
Does the recognised doctorate count for academic recruitment in Italy?
Yes. Once recognised it has the legal effects of the Italian title, including as a requirement for researcher positions and for the national scientific qualification, which have their own rules on the evaluation of publications and experience.
I obtained my PhD in a country outside the Lisbon Convention: can it still be recognised?
Yes. The 2022 law extended the universities’ power to doctorates from countries that are not party to the Convention, provided the awarding institution and the qualification are official in their system. The documents must be legalised by the Italian consulate where no apostille is available.
Do you want your doctorate recognised in Italy?
Send us the doctoral certificate and a short description of your research: you receive within one working day the universities with a corresponding programme, the documents required and a written quote.
