Document preparation guidance tells you exactly which academic documents you need for pre-enrolment and the visa, which route applies to your qualification (CIMEA statements or a Dichiarazione di Valore), which body issues each document, and in what order to request them. It suits any student whose qualification was issued outside Italy. The outcome is a personalised, sequenced checklist and fewer surprises at the consulate. We explain the routes; CIMEA, the consulate and the translators do the issuing.
In this guide
Who this service is for
- First-cycle applicants (laurea or single-cycle degrees) who must present a final secondary-school qualification obtained after at least 12 years of schooling, with proof of comparability and authenticity.
- Second-cycle and third-cycle applicants (laurea magistrale, master, PhD) who must present a foreign degree at Bologna first or second cycle level (EQF 6 or 7) with transcripts and subject programmes.
- Students whose diploma has not yet been physically issued and who need to know what an acceptable official provisional certificate looks like.
- Students who are confused about the difference between apostille, legalisation, sworn translation, CIMEA statements and the Dichiarazione di Valore.
- Students from countries where obtaining these documents takes months and who need to start in the right order.
CIMEA statements or Dichiarazione di Valore?
For the 2026/27 intake your qualification must be accompanied either by a CIMEA Statement of Comparability together with a Statement of Verification, or by a Dichiarazione di Valore (DoV). CIMEA is the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre, the national body for the recognition of foreign qualifications; it issues the Statement of Comparability (what your qualification corresponds to in Italy) and the Statement of Verification (confirmation that the document is authentic). The Dichiarazione di Valore (“declaration of value”) is a document issued by the Italian consulate competent for the country where the qualification was awarded; it describes the qualification and, in some cases, confirms its authenticity. Where the DoV does not confirm authenticity, it serves for comparability only and the consulate or university may verify authenticity by other means. For countries that are party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, a comparability statement may be downloadable from CIMEA’s ARDI database.
| Route | Issued by | What it covers | Points to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIMEA Statement of Comparability + Statement of Verification | CIMEA (online application) | Comparability of the qualification with the Italian system, and authenticity of the document | Current fees, processing time and whether your consulate and university accept this route (check cimea.it and the consulate’s list) |
| Dichiarazione di Valore (DoV) | Italian consulate competent for the country of award | Description of the qualification; authenticity only if the consulate confirms it | The consulate’s own process, prior legalisation or apostille requirements, timelines |
What is included
- A document map for your cycle: qualification, transcripts and subject programmes (or Diploma Supplement), any national academic-aptitude test certificate required in your country, Italian translations where required, B2 language certificate covering all four skills for courses not taught in Italian, and the validated pre-enrolment summary.
- A clear recommendation on which route (CIMEA or DoV) is practical for your country and qualification, and how to check which your consulate and institution accept.
- Explanation of apostille versus legalisation, and when a sworn translation is required, with instructions on where to confirm this for your country.
- A sequenced checklist showing which document depends on which, so you request them in the right order.
- Guidance on the provisional certificate accepted when a diploma has not yet been issued (an official certificate from the awarding authority; self-certifications are not accepted).
- A consistency check: names, dates and grades must match across all documents, translations and the Universitaly form.
What is not included
- We do not issue, apply for or collect any document for you. CIMEA applications are made in your own account; DoV requests are made by you to the consulate.
- We do not translate documents or certify translations. We can explain what a sworn translation is and where to look for a recognised translator.
- We do not guarantee that CIMEA, the consulate or the university will accept a document, or that verification will succeed. Institutions and consulates verify authenticity independently.
- Official fees are not included: CIMEA fees, consulate charges, apostille and legalisation fees, translation costs and courier costs are paid by you to those bodies.
- We never prepare or alter documents. If a document is not genuine, we end the engagement.
What you will need to share
To start, tell us the name and type of your qualification, the country and year of award, the awarding institution, the degree level you are applying for, and whether the course is taught in Italian or another language. No scans are needed at enquiry stage; please do not send passport, diploma or transcript images over chat. Our privacy policy applies.
How it works
- Qualification review. You describe your qualification; we identify your cycle and the documents required for it.
- Route decision. We explain the CIMEA and DoV routes for your country and show you where to confirm what your consulate and institution accept.
- Sequenced checklist. You receive a written checklist in dependency order, with the website for each step and a note on what to confirm there, such as the current fee and processing time.
- Progress check. As documents arrive, we review copies for consistency and completeness and flag anything a consulate officer would question.
- Handover. The final set is ready for pre-enrolment and the visa file. If you also want a full file review before the appointment, see application review.
Related guides
- Student visa documents checklist
- Visa requirements overview
- The admission and pre-enrolment process
- Language certificates accepted for admission
- Common mistakes in student visa applications
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both CIMEA statements and a Dichiarazione di Valore?
They are alternatives: CIMEA comparability plus verification, or a DoV. In practice some consulates or institutions express a preference, and a DoV that does not confirm authenticity may need to be supplemented by other verification. We help you find out what your consulate and institution actually ask for before you pay for anything.
How long do CIMEA statements take and what do they cost?
CIMEA sets its own fees and processing times and updates them from time to time, so check the current figures on cimea.it when you apply. Our advice is to start the document process as early as possible, because it is often the slowest part of the whole application.
My diploma has not been issued yet. Can I still apply?
Yes, in a defined way. Italian rules accept an official provisional certificate issued by the awarding authority when the final diploma has not yet been physically issued; a self-declaration is not accepted. Your pre-enrolment may then be validated with reservation and the visa issued with a 100-day conventional validity. We explain how that affects your timeline.
Is the Dichiarazione di Valore still needed for the residence permit?
No. The DoV has not been compulsory for the residence permit since a Council of State ruling in 2007. It may still be required for admission or the visa, depending on the route you use, which is why we focus on the pre-enrolment and visa stages.
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