Declaration of Value or CIMEA: Recognition of School Diplomas in Italy

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Italian universities assess foreign school certificates themselves, but they want an official document that explains what your certificate is worth in the system that issued it. There are two such documents. Which one you need is decided by the university, so check its page for international students before ordering either.

The declaration of value

The declaration of value (Dichiarazione di Valore, DoV) is issued by the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country whose system issued your diploma. It states:

• that the school is officially recognised
• how many years of schooling the certificate represents
• whether it gives access to university in that country, and to which courses
• the grading scale

To obtain it you submit the original diploma, legalised or apostilled, with an official Italian translation. Timing and cost vary by consulate, and at busy posts it can take weeks or months. Request it as soon as you hold the final certificate.

The CIMEA statements

CIMEA is the Italian centre of the European network of recognition information centres. Through its online service it issues two documents:

• a statement of verification, confirming that the certificate is authentic
• a statement of comparability, describing its level in relation to the Italian system

The procedure is online and fee-paying, with faster options at a higher price, and the statements are issued in digital form that universities can verify. Many universities accept the CIMEA statements in place of the declaration of value, and some prefer them.

Which one?

• If the university accepts both, CIMEA is usually quicker and does not depend on consular appointments.
• If you need the consulate anyway for the visa and it issues declarations promptly, the DoV may be simpler.
• A few universities and some later procedures still ask specifically for the DoV.

Neither document is a recognition decision. The university's admissions office makes that decision when it evaluates your application.

The 12-year rule

Admission to an Italian bachelor's degree requires a school-leaving certificate obtained after at least 12 years of schooling, which gives access to university in the country of origin. If your system has 10 or 11 years, you can make up the difference with one or two years of university study at home, a recognised post-secondary qualification, or a foundation course at an Italian university.

If your country requires a national university entrance exam, Italian universities ask for proof that you passed it.

Other documents

• the school transcript, translated and legalised
• for non-EU applicants, the pre-enrolment summary from Universitaly
• a language certificate. See Italian language certificates.

See apostille and legalisation for the legalisation step and sworn translations for the three ways to certify a translation for Italy.

Timeline

1. Winter: check the university's requirements; gather originals.
2. Spring: apostille, translation, and the CIMEA request or a consulate appointment if you already have your diploma.
3. Early summer: final diploma issued; complete the DoV or CIMEA with it.
4. Summer: Universitaly pre-enrolment validated; visa application. See student visa for Italy.

Where to look next

• How to get into a university in Italy
• All programmes and cities in Italy

Official sources

• CIMEA: statements of comparability and verification
• Universitaly
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.