Education Document Translation for Italy

Without a Dichiarazione di valore the file usually goes nowhere

What sets an application to Italy for study apart from other countries is the step of obtaining a “declaration of value”, the Dichiarazione di valore, from the Italian consulate. This document states, in the consulate’s own words, where the diploma you obtained in Türkiye sits within its education system, what level it is at and what rights it opens the door to. A translation on its own, in other words, will not do; the Italian side wants to hear what the document is from the mouth of its own diplomatic mission. Some universities may accept a comparability report prepared by CIMEA instead, but that has to be asked of the institution itself.

This step also sets the timetable for Italian applications. For the declaration of value the translated version of the document is expected to be put before the consulate; the translation, that is, must be finished before the consular step. In many other countries the translation stands at the end of the process, whereas in Italy it stands in the middle.

The information the documents carry

The diploma shows the degree; the academic transcript gives the breakdown of courses and credits that Italian universities need in order to match credits. In bachelor’s applications the secondary school diploma and the university entrance examination result are asked for together, because Italy looks for the right to enter university to exist in the country of origin. Course descriptions are decisive in transfer and exemption requests. A language proficiency certificate stands as a separate threshold on programmes taught in Italian.

Step	Where it is done
Certification of the document	The competent authority in Türkiye
Translation	After certification, before the consular step
Declaration of value	The Italian consulate
Academic assessment	The university applied to

What holds applications up most

The difficulty met with most often in Italy is that the declaration of value step is never reckoned with at all. The candidate has the documents translated, sends them to the university, and learns only at the last moment that the file is incomplete; the consular appointment and the application closing date then collide. The second frequent problem is a translation not prepared to meet the expectation of court certification in Italy (asseverazione). The third is leaving out the entrance examination result document in bachelor’s applications; without it, the right of entry cannot be shown.

The order of translation and approval

The order recommended for Italy is this: the original of the document is obtained, the certification step is completed, the translation is made, and only then is the consular step taken. Completing the translation early is compulsory here, because it is the translated text that the consulate reads. Once the declaration of value is in hand, the file goes to the university. You can see the levels of approval document by document in our document guide, and the order of steps in different countries in our country list.

Building the timetable around the consular step

The consular step stands at the centre of planning in Italian files, and it has to be reckoned backwards. The university’s application closing date is known; the declaration of value must be in hand before that date; the translation must be finished before you go to the consulate for the declaration; and before the translation, the original of the document and its certification must be ready. Building the chain in that order shows of itself when each piece of work has to begin. Most candidates find themselves squeezed in the final month because they never built the chain at the outset.

A second detail is which documents the consulate issues a declaration for. Generally drawn up for the diploma and the documents attached to it, this statement may not be required for every paper. Finding out in advance which documents fall within its scope removes the burden of translation you do not need and appointments you do not need. Asking whether the university accepts the CIMEA report may open an alternative route as well.

• Build the chain backwards from the application closing date.
• Ask in advance which documents need a declaration.
• Find out whether the university accepts an alternative report.
• Finish the translation before the consular step.

There is a further layer for those applying to medical and health programmes in Italy: entrance examinations and quota rules run separately on those programmes, so the document file has to fit the examination timetable too. Documents may be expected to be ready at the time of the examination application, which pulls the declaration of value step forward still further. Asking the university’s international office which order applies on a given programme is the safest course.

Planning your copies matters particularly in Italy as well. Documents put before the consulate for the declaration of value are sometimes kept on the file; a separate set is needed for the university. Having more than one original and more than one copy of the translation prepared from the start is both quicker and cheaper than taking a second appointment. Keeping scans of the documents too makes it easier to rebuild the process if anything goes astray.

Finally, candidates on the point of graduating can begin the process early with a provisional graduation letter from the university; the file is completed once the diploma is printed.

On the budget side, Italian files consist of two items: the translation and the consular step. The volume of translation depends largely on the number of documents and can be worked out beforehand; the consular step, tied as it is to the appointment calendar, carries a risk on timing. Planning these two items separately reduces surprise delays. Writing to the university’s international office in advance to confirm which documents are really needed also prevents pages being translated for nothing. A number of Italian universities publish detailed guides for international candidates; reading those guides from beginning to end is the quickest way to see the details that vary from institution to institution, and the answer to most questions is written there already.

Since the consular appointment can be a bottleneck, starting your preparation early is what decides matters. You can take a look at our pricing page and upload your documents to request a quote.

The information here is general in nature; the admission conditions and the certification chain of the target country can change from time to time. It is worth looking at the institution’s own publication before you decide.