Enrolling at an Italian university with a foreign qualification: dichiarazione di valore, CIMEA and sworn translation

In short

• To enrol at an Italian university with a school diploma or a degree obtained abroad, you almost always need three things: the qualification legalised (apostille or consular legalisation), its sworn translation into Italian and a document that describes what it is worth, namely the dichiarazione di valore (declaration of value) from the Consulate or the attestato di comparabilità CIMEA (CIMEA statement of comparability).
• The order of the steps matters: first the apostille on the original, then the translation, then the dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statement.
• With Giuradoc the sworn translation costs 30 € per page and reaches you as a signed and stamped PDF by email within 24 to 48 working hours. The paper copy by post is an option.
• Many universities waive the translation for qualifications issued in English, French or Spanish: always check your course website before you order.

Every year thousands of students holding a foreign qualification apply for a bachelor's, master's or doctoral programme in Italy. The long part of the process is not the application itself: it is the documents that go with it, because they pass through different authorities and in a precise order. This guide puts the steps in sequence, with the documents to translate, realistic timings and the costs, updated for the 2026/2027 procedures.

Who has to do what

• EU students, and non-EU students already legally resident in Italy: they apply directly to the university, with the qualification legalised, translated and accompanied by a dichiarazione di valore or a CIMEA statement.
• Non-EU students living abroad: first the pre-application on the Universitaly portal (the Italian ministry's portal for international students), usually between spring and summer, then the study visa and finally enrolment. Each university can set its own deadlines, tighter than the ministerial ones.
• For admission to a master's degree or a doctorate: besides the qualification you almost always need the record of examinations, that is the transcript of records with the study plan and, where one exists, the diploma supplement.

If you are not yet sure which kind of translation you need, start from the which translation to choose page or from the guide on the differences between sworn, asseverata, certified and legalised translations.

The documents, one by one

1. The legalised qualification

Secondary school diploma for three-year and single-cycle degrees, degree certificate for master's programmes and doctorates, as an original or a certified copy. If the country that issued it is a party to the Hague Convention you need the apostille; otherwise you need legalisation at the Italian diplomatic mission. The University of Bologna, for example, asks for authenticity to be attested “through legalisation at the Italian diplomatic mission or, for countries party to the Hague Convention, through an Apostille”.

The apostille goes on the original document before the translation, because it is part of the document and is translated as well. If you are unsure where to request it and in what order, the dedicated guide to apostille and sworn translation sets out the route country by country.

2. The sworn translation into Italian

The translation has to be done by a translator other than the holder of the qualification: you cannot translate your own diploma, not even if you know both languages perfectly. Universities ask for an official translation, signed and stamped, attesting that it is faithful to the document received.

Our translators are sworn translators registered with the competent courts of appeal, and the translation arrives as a signed and stamped PDF by email within 24 to 48 working hours, at 30 € per page. If your university or the Consulate expressly asks for an asseverazione (a translation sworn before an Italian court), we can arrange it on quote: write to us before you order, so we can check together exactly what your receiving office requires.

The documents to have translated, with prices and timings:

• sworn translation of a degree certificate or a school leaving diploma;
• sworn translation of the record of examinations, that is the transcript;
• sworn translation of a passport, when the Consulate asks for one for the visa;
• sworn translation of a bank statement, to show your means of support;
• any other document the university asks for, a language certificate or a declaration from your own institution, for instance.

If the qualification already carries an apostille, upload the apostille page too: it is part of the document and is translated. For the paper version, to be handed in at the registrar's office, add the paper copy by post.

3. Dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statement

These are two alternative ways of telling the university what your qualification is worth in the system that issued it.

• Dichiarazione di valore: an informative document, in Italian, issued by the Italian Consulate or Embassy in the country where you obtained the qualification. It states the length of the studies, the final mark and the rights the qualification gives in the country of origin. You request it from the Consulate by presenting the legalised qualification and, as a rule, its translation; it takes anything from a few days to several weeks.
• Attestato di comparabilità CIMEA: issued online by the Italian centre of the ENIC-NARIC network, it states the level of the qualification against the Bologna Process cycles and the European qualifications framework. Many universities accept it in place of the dichiarazione di valore. You apply through the CIMEA platform, uploading the qualification, the translation and an identity document, and the cost depends on the service and the timings you choose.

For countries party to the Lisbon Convention, some universities also accept the statement of correspondence prepared on the ARDI platform with CIMEA verification. Before you spend anything, ask the admissions office which of the three documents it prefers: they are not interchangeable everywhere.

In what order to proceed

1. Apostille or legalisation on the qualification and the transcript, in the country that issued them.
2. Sworn translation into Italian of the qualification, the transcript and the apostille.
3. Dichiarazione di valore from the Consulate or CIMEA statement online, attaching the legalised qualification and the translation.
4. Pre-application on Universitaly for non-EU students living abroad, or an application made directly to the university.
5. Enrolment, handing in the original documents at the registrar's office.

The order is not a bureaucratic detail: the apostille has to go on before the translation because it is translated as well, and both the dichiarazione di valore and the CIMEA statement call for a qualification that is already legalised and, as a rule, already translated. Taking the steps in the wrong order almost always means redoing and paying for something twice. The full route is also described on the how it works page.

Deadlines and realistic timings

The windows change every year. For the 2026/2027 academic year the pre-application on Universitaly opens in spring and closes in summer, with each university setting its own deadlines for restricted-access courses such as medicine, architecture and the health professions.

Lining up the timings of each step: apostille from a few days to a few weeks depending on the country, sworn translation within 24 to 48 working hours for a standard document, dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statement from one to six weeks, study visa a few weeks. So, if you want to start your course in September, it is worth getting moving between January and March. In August, consulates and offices slow down.

If you have a deadline coming up, write to us: we will tell you straight away what is possible, with no promises we cannot keep.

Special cases

• Qualification in English, French or Spanish: a number of universities do not ask for a translation for degree programmes, and for doctorates the exemption often covers English only. The rule changes from one university to another and from one course to another: check the course regulations. And if you later have to present the qualification to other bodies as well, for professional recognition or a public competition, you will need the sworn translation anyway.
• Regulated professions such as doctor, nurse, pharmacist, engineer or teacher: beyond enrolling at the university, recognition of the qualification goes through the relevant Ministry, with a sworn translation of the qualification, of the course syllabuses and often of the casellario giudiziale certificate (criminal record certificate).
• Refugees and holders of protection: CIMEA runs a dedicated procedure, the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees, for people who cannot obtain documents from their country of origin.
• Erasmus and exchanges: as a rule no sworn translation is needed, the transcript in English from your home university is enough.
• Chinese, Russian or Arabic qualifications: check the rules for transliterating your name and the notarisation required in that country before the apostille. In China, for example, the apostille goes on the notarised copy and not on the diploma itself.
• Civil status documents requested along with the qualification: some universities, and the Consulate, also ask for a translated birth certificate or certificate of residence.

How much it costs

Item	Cost
Apostille or legalisation in the issuing country	varies from country to country
Sworn translation of the diploma	30 € per page
Sworn translation of the transcript	30 € per page
Paper copy by post	15 €
Dichiarazione di valore	according to the Consulate's fee
Attestato di comparabilità CIMEA	according to the service chosen

A one-page diploma and a three-page transcript therefore come to 120 € of translation: the quantity to enter in the order is the number of pages. All the prices are on the prices page, and the guide to how much a sworn translation costs explains the cost items that get added in any procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Can I translate my own diploma myself?

No. Universities ask for a translation done by a translator other than the holder of the qualification. A translation you have done yourself, however good, is not accepted.

Which comes first, the dichiarazione di valore or the translation?

The translation. To issue the dichiarazione di valore, the Consulate normally asks for the qualification legalised and already translated, and the same goes for a CIMEA application.

My transcript runs to twenty pages: do I have to translate all of it?

As a rule yes, because the university assesses every examination. The price is 30 € per page: upload it and we will confirm the page count and the total before we start.

Is the PDF enough or do I need the translation on paper?

It depends on the office. Many registrars accept the signed and stamped PDF, others want the paper copy at the time of enrolment. The guide to when the PDF is enough and when you need the paper original helps you decide, and the paper copy can be added to the order at any point.

How long before enrolment should I order?

At least a month, to leave room for the dichiarazione di valore or the CIMEA statement, which are the slowest steps. The translation itself takes 24 to 48 working hours.

I am arriving in Italy with a foreign driving licence: do I need to do anything?

If you are staying longer than a year, yes, and the route is explained in the guide to converting a foreign driving licence. For the student residence permit, the list of documents is in residence permit: which documents to translate.

Which languages do you translate?

Italian from and into English, Spanish, French, German, Romanian and Arabic, and these six languages between themselves. For any other language, write to us for a quote. Every document we handle is listed on the our services page, and there are more answers in the frequently asked questions.

Sources: University of Bologna, translation, authenticity and value of foreign qualifications; CIMEA, statements of comparability and verification of qualifications; Universitaly, portal for international students; Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dichiarazione di valore.