Diploma Translation for Italy

Dichiarazione di valore and CIMEA

The Dichiarazione di valore is a document issued by the Italian consulate explaining which education system your Turkish diploma belongs to and what level it corresponds to; many Italian universities and authorities ask for it. CIMEA, for its part, can produce a comparability statement (attestato di comparabilità) against the European framework. The diploma translation feeds into both of these processes: it conveys the name of the degree as it stands and assigns no Italian counterpart – that decision belongs to the consulate and to CIMEA. Learning from the application guide which authority wants which document avoids unnecessary expense; some universities will accept a CIMEA statement in place of a Dichiarazione di valore, while others want both.

Traduzione giurata (asseverazione)

Italy operates a sworn translator system: a translation submitted in an official procedure takes the form of a sworn translation made before a court in Italy (traduzione giurata / asseverazione). A translation produced in Türkiye follows a different chain – a sworn translator signs it, a notary notarises it and an apostille is added. The safest step is to confirm with the authority you will be submitting to whether your diploma should be prepared by asseverazione within Italy or through the chain in Türkiye. The names of the institution and faculty are kept in their original spelling; CIMEA recognises the institution by its name.

University pre-enrolment and the integrity of the document

Higher education applications to Italy usually pass through a pre-enrolment stage (pre-iscrizione), and the diploma is scanned and uploaded into that file together with the transcript. Since the translation and the apostille are submitted together when the Dichiarazione di valore is obtained from the consulate, having the document fully ready before the consular appointment speeds the process up. If the diploma runs to several pages or has annexes, the page order is preserved and the translation is presented in the same arrangement as the source document; a translation delivered in pieces opens the integrity of the document to question at the declaration-of-value stage. Where the same document is going both to a university and to the consulate, a separate certified copy and set of translations may be needed for each recipient.

The class of degree on the diploma, and any grade information it carries, are conveyed as they stand; wordings such as “pekiyi” or “onur” are not converted into the Italian voto scale – 110 e lode, for instance – because CIMEA and the university make that conversion by their own criteria. The institutional seal, the coat of arms and the wet signature are marked in the translation not by their text but by their presence, in square brackets; a seal that cannot be read is shown with an [illegible] note, and no reading is invented. On QR-coded e-diplomas the presence of the QR code and of the electronic verification wording is marked with [QR code] and [e-signature verification] notes; the content of the code is not decoded, and whatever stands on the document is what is conveyed. Because the Dichiarazione di valore is drawn up on the basis of the translated and apostilled document, having the translation and the apostille complete before going to the consulate saves having to book a second appointment. Where there is explanatory wording on the reverse of the document, that part is included in the translation too; an explanation left out opens the integrity of the document to question at the declaration-of-value stage. The translation must also show in its statement which source it is bound to, the original or a certified copy; if the Italian authority cannot see the source of the document clearly, it may ask for further documents at the asseverazione stage and the process will drag on, which is why keeping the source copy to hand alongside the translation allows any request for confirmation to be met without delay.

The Questura, the apostille and the order of approval

Where the diploma forms part of a residence file (permesso di soggiorno), the Questura also plays a part in the process, and the spelling of the name must be consistent with the passport on every copy of the document. Check the following points before delivery:

• Find out from the authority whether a Dichiarazione di valore and/or a CIMEA statement is required.
• Confirm whether the translation is to be prepared by asseverazione or through the chain in Türkiye.
• Obtain the apostille before the translation.

Italy is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can see the level of approval required for other documents on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document to request a quotation. Translations are handled from our single office in Ankara Kızılay. This account is offered as guidance; the binding requirement is set by the institution handling your case.