The Dichiarazione di valore, commonly abbreviated DV, is the official statement issued by the Italian diplomatic authorities, consulates or embassies, in the country where a qualification was obtained. It certifies the authenticity of the qualification, its level and its position within the local educational system, and it is the document Italian authorities most often require when a foreign qualification is used in Italy. It is not needed in every case, however, and knowing in which procedures it is required, in which it is merely useful and in which another document replaces it saves applicants time, consular fees and journeys. The cases below are those in which the statement is requested in practice.
Academic recognition and admission to higher education
The first and most frequent case is the use of a foreign degree or diploma to study in Italy: enrolment in a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral programme, admission to a specialisation school or to a vocational programme, or the recognition of the foreign degree with the award of the Italian title. Italian universities ask for the statement, or for the CIMEA statements of comparability and verification that most of them now accept in its place, to establish whether the qualification gives access to the programme requested in its own country and at which level, and to decide on the recognition of credits. For postgraduate admission the statement is almost always required, since the university must verify that the foreign first degree corresponds to the level that gives access to the master’s or doctoral programme in Italy.
School qualifications
Students who completed their secondary education abroad and wish to enrol at an Italian university need the statement for their school leaving qualification, which must certify at least twelve years of schooling and access to university in the country of issue, or the corresponding CIMEA statement. Pupils who move to Italy during their schooling, and adults who need their foreign school diploma recognised for employment or for a competition, file the request with the regional school office, which asks for the statement together with the syllabus and the certificate of the years completed.
Public competitions
Candidates who take part in an Italian public competition with a foreign qualification must have it declared equivalent to the Italian qualification required by the notice, in the procedure under article 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001 described on the page on public competitions. The Dichiarazione di valore is among the documents of that procedure, in particular for qualifications that do not concern regulated professions, because it lets the administration establish the level and the content of the qualification against the entry requirement. The Department of the Civil Service and the Ministry of University accept the CIMEA statements as well, and the competition notice usually says which documents are admitted.
Professional qualifications
For the recognition of professional qualifications obtained outside the European Union, in medicine, nursing, law, engineering, architecture, teaching and the other regulated professions, the competent ministry requires the Dichiarazione di valore, which documents the training and the professional rights attached to the qualification in its country. For qualifications obtained in a Member State of the Union the position is different: Directive 2005/36/EC provides its own documents, the certificate of conformity and the certificate of good standing issued by the home authority, and the ministries do not require the consular statement, as explained on the page on EU professional qualifications. The health professions are the strictest field: for a non-EU qualification the Ministry of Health requires the statement without exception, together with the certificate of the right to practise, and for an EU qualification it requires the certificate of conformity.
Visas, residence permits and the EU Blue Card
Non-EU nationals who apply for a visa or a residence permit as highly qualified workers must document their qualification, and the Dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statement of comparability is the document the Prefectures and the consulates accept for the purpose. The EU Blue Card, which requires a higher education qualification of at least three years or, under the 2023 reform, a defined period of professional experience, is the most frequent case, and the statement is requested at the stage of the authorisation to work (nulla osta) before the visa is issued. Study visas rely on the pre-enrolment procedure of the university, which asks for the statement or the CIMEA statement for the school or university qualification on which admission is based.
Scholarships and financial support
Applicants for scholarships, doctoral grants, regional study support and other forms of financial assistance in Italy are often asked to document the level of their foreign qualification with the Dichiarazione di valore or with the CIMEA statement, because the funding bodies must verify that the qualification corresponds to the level required by the call and, for doctoral scholarships awarded by competition, that the candidate meets the same requirement as holders of Italian degrees. The page on equivalence for scholarships describes the procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the Dichiarazione di valore to work in the private sector in Italy?
No law requires it for unregulated private employment. Employers decide for themselves how to assess a foreign qualification, and many are satisfied with a CIMEA statement of comparability or with the qualification and a sworn translation. The statement becomes necessary where the job is a regulated profession or where the employer sponsors a Blue Card.
Should I request the Dichiarazione di valore before or after choosing the university or the procedure?
Before, as soon as the need is foreseeable, because the consular verification is the slowest step and does not depend on the university. Since some representations issue the statement for a stated purpose, the request should mention the purpose or purposes for which the qualification will be used, so that one statement serves all of them.
Is the statement required for a secondary school diploma used to enrol at an Italian university?
Yes, or the corresponding CIMEA statement. For school qualifications the statement certifies the years of schooling completed, at least twelve for university access, and whether the diploma gives access to university in its country, which is the condition Italian universities verify.
Is the Dichiarazione di valore needed for an application for Italian citizenship?
No. Citizenship applications do not involve educational qualifications, except for the language certificate required for naturalisation, which is a different document. The statement is needed when the applicant later uses the foreign qualification to study, to compete for public employment or to practise a profession.
Do you know whether your procedure requires the Dichiarazione di valore?
Tell us what you need your qualification for: you receive within one working day the documents required for that procedure, with no unnecessary consular requests, and a written quote.
