Translation, authenticity and value of foreign qualifications

Check the in-depth information on the documents to be submitted in order to enrol in a first- or single-cycle degree programme, second-cycle degree programme, single learning activities or request recognition of a foreign qualification.

Translation of qualifications and other documents

Translation

Qualifications, certificates and syllabi which are in English, French or Spanish do not require translation. For the academic recognition of foreign PhD qualifications, only documents written in English do not need translation.
Documents in other languages must be supported by a translation into Italian or English.
If you are not yet in Italy, the translation must be completed according to the rules set by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
If you are in Italy you can go to a district court (tribunale) and have your documents translated by a sworn translator, who cannot be the person who holds the qualification or title (traduzione giurata). 

Verification of the authenticity of foreign qualifications

The authenticity of foreign qualifications and certificates must be confirmed in one of the following ways:

Legalization or Apostille

Qualifications and certificates must be legalized at the Italian Embassy in order to guarantee their authenticity. If the country where you obtained your qualification has joined the Hague Convention (1961), instead of requesting legalization from the Italian Embassy you must have your documents apostilled by the designated local authority. Consult the list of competent authorities for each country.

Important: legalization and Apostille must allow verifying the authenticity of qualifications and certificates. Legalization and Apostille are added to the signature of an official. The offices of the University of Bologna check not only whether the documents they receive have been legalized/apostilled, but also the signature they bear, and what the official who signed it declared in a document.

Legalizations and Apostilles are accepted for signatures of:

• a Rector, Dean, administration office manager or other representative appointed by a university/school, declaring the award of the qualification

• a public official, often from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declaring that the signature of the Rector or other representative mentioned above is authentic

• a notary, declaring that an official appointed by the university/school signed the qualification in their presence

• a notary, declaring that they have checked the authenticity of the qualification/certificate.

Important:

• Legalizations and Apostilles are not accepted for signatures of a notary or other official declaring that a copy of the qualification/certificate conforms to the original (true copy).
• The legalization of a qualification must not be confused with its official translation (see dedicated paragraph). The certificate of conformity of the translation or the declaration of conformity made by the translator, in the case of sworn translations, are not legalizations.

Authenticity/Verification certificates 

Authenticity verification certificates issued by or in collaboration with ENIC-NARIC centers or similar institutions are accepted. For instance, the following are examples of acceptable certifications: the CIMEA and Qualification Check verification certificates, and the WES Equivalency Certificate (the Document by Document Evaluation, which certifies both value and authenticity). This list is not exhaustive.

Online verification

If the qualification is verifiable through an online database made available by the institution that issued it, contact the International Desk for an evaluation of your documents. For the academic recognition of foreign PhD qualifications, online verification of the qualification is not permitted.

Exceptions and simplifications

It is not necessary to submit confirmations regarding the authenticity of qualifications issued by an institution in Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Latvia, Estonia (Brussels Convention 1987), Germany (Rome Convention 1969), Austria (Vienna Convention 1975).

If you want to enrol in a first or single cycle degree programme, on the page "Foreign qualifications or Italian qualifications obtained abroad for enrolment in first and single cycle degree programmes: special cases and information by country" you can find further information based on the country where you obtained the qualification.

Documents concerning the value of foreign qualifications

Foreign qualifications must be supported by one of the following documents concerning their value:

Declaration of value

The Declaration of value is an informative document that describes a qualification awarded to a specific person by an institution belonging to an education system other than that of Italy. It is used for the evaluation of the qualification by the competent Offices within the University, for the purpose of enrolling in degree programmes or for the recognition of foreign qualifications.
The declaration of value is issued by the Italian Embassy in the country where the qualification was awarded. It generally contains the following information:

• legal status and type of issuing institution;
• access requirements for the programme resulting in the qualification;
• legal duration of the study programme and/or overall commitment required of the student in terms of credits or hours;
• value of the qualification in the system/country where it was issued, i.e. for academic and/or professional purposes.

If the qualification is issued by a school with a system that differs from that in the candidate’s place of residence (e.g., a Swiss student studying in a British system school in Switzerland) or place of study (e.g. a Swiss student studying in Kenya in a British system school) the Declaration of Value must be requested from the Italian Embassy in the country of the system to which the qualification-issuing school adheres (in both of the above cases: the Italian General Consulate in London).

Certificates issued by ENIC-NARIC centres or similar institutions

For qualifications issued in countries adhering to the Lisbon Convention, certificates of correspondence available for free download from the ARDI database, if any, may be accepted. You can verify the list of countries and qualifications directly in the ARDI database. If your qualification is not listed in the database, you must submit alternative documentation regarding the value of the qualification, as listed on this page.

Certificates issued by ENIC-NARIC centres or similar institutions are accepted, provided they contain all necessary information for assessing a qualification, typically outlined in the declaration of value. For instance, the following are examples of acceptable certifications: the CIMEA Certificate of Comparability, the WES Equivalency Certificate (the Document by Document Evaluation, which certifies both value and authenticity) and the KMK Statement of Comparability. This list is not exhaustive.

Diploma Supplement based on the European Commission standards

Academic qualifications issued by universities and higher education institutions of countries belonging to the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process) can be accompanied by a Diploma Supplement. The Diploma Supplement must be requested to the institution that issued the academic qualification.

If the Diploma Supplement (compliant with the standards of the European Commission) is signed, in case of enrolment in a second cycle degree you do not have to deliver the transcript of records with the list of exams taken.

In the event of a Diploma Supplement or other comparable document provided by universities outside the European Higher Education Area, you can contact  for an evaluation the International Desk, or the PhD Unit if you request the academic recognition of a foreign PhD qualification.

Exceptions and simplifications

If you want to enrol in a first or single cycle degree programme:
no documents concerning the value of the qualification is required for secondary school diplomas obtained in one of the countries in the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, San Marino, United Kingdom;

on the page “Foreign qualifications for enrolment in first and single cycle degree programmes: special cases and information by country” you can find further information based on the country where you obtained the qualification.