Declaration of Value for Beneficiaries of International Protection in Italy

A Declaration of Value (‘Dichiarazione di Valore in loco’) of a degree or of a professional qualification awarded abroad is a document issued by the Italian diplomatic and consular representations describing its value in the issuing country. A Declaration of Value does not constitute a recognition of the degree, but it is an informative document that can be used by the Italian educational institutions and administrations responsible for the recognition of degrees, for the purpose of the continuation of studies, professional recognition, and so forth.

The Declaration of Value provides information about: the nature and level of the foreign institution that issued the degree; the course duration and entry requirements; any grade obtained, with reference to the local evaluation system; value of the degree in the issuing country, for the purpose of the continuation of studies or professional recognition in addition to any other information considered useful for the foreign degree evaluation process in Italy.

The Office IV of the Directorate General for Public and Cultural Diplomacy (DGDP), through the Italian diplomatic and consular network abroad, provides assistance exclusively to foreign nationals who are beneficiaries of international protection in Italy (asylum, subsidiary protection, special cases), for because of their status they cannot approach their country of origin’s authorities or travel there to obtain a Declaration of Value. Assistance is free of charge. The Office IV of the DGDP sends the original documentation submitted by the concerned person to the relevant Italian consular office. Where the prerequisites and general conditions are met, the Italian consular office issues the Declaration of Value and sends it, together with the original documentation submitted, to Office IV of the DGDP. For confidentiality reasons related to the applicant’s status and because of the diplomatic courier’s shipping time, the procedure may take up to several months.

PLEASE NOTE:
Degrees obtained in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Yemen cannot be processed at the moment, as the Declaration of Value service provided by the Italian Embassies in those countries is suspended due to the local situation.We suggest to contact CIMEA – Italian Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence in order to request a Statement of Comparability for free through the specific procedure for refugees.

The application process for a Declaration of Value for beneficiaries of international protection involves the following steps:

1. Preliminary step.

Firstly, applicants should email dgdp-04@esteri.it to identify themselves and send scanned documentation.
The concerned person must specify:

• • full name;
  • place and date of birth;
  • postal address in Italy;
  • telephone number;
  • purpose of the Declaration of Value requested (admission to a course or furthering of studies in Italy; professional recognition by the Ministry which supervises a regulated profession – in this case, the applicant should indicate the profession and the Ministry concerned; other).

  Moreover, the following scanned documents (front/back and in color) must be attached:

  • • title(s) or qualification(s) for which the Declaration of Value is requested (diploma, professional qualification, and any relevant additional documentation: exam transcript, translation in Italian, etc.);
    • a valid residence permit, attesting the international protection status in Italy;
    • valid ID or ‘documento di viaggio’ issued by the Questura

    If the applicant intends to use a delegate (e.g. a legal representative of a refugee assistance center) to handle and follow the procedure on their behalf, it is mandatory to attach a proxy to the appointed representative containing the delegate’s particulars and contacts, together with their ID.

    2. Transmission of the original documents to the Office IV of the DGDP.
    

    Once the documentation sent via e-mail has been reviewed and the applicant’s entitlement to assistance has been established, Office IV gives instructions on what original documents need to be sent for the Declaration of Value application.
    Normally, these documents are::

    • • original degree(s) or professional certificate(s);
      • any relevant additional documentation (original exam transcript, translation in Italian, etc.);
      • double-sided copy of residence permit and ID/‘documento di viaggio’;
      • completed application form (downloadable here); please read the data protection notice here.

      The applicant can choose between two delivery options:

      a) Registered mail with return receipt (‘posta raccomandata con ricevuta di ritorno’) or express delivery (‘corriere espresso’) to the following address:

      Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale
      Direzione Generale per la diplomazia pubblica e culturale (DGDP) – Ufficio IV
      Piazzale della Farnesina, 1
      00135 Roma

      b) Hand delivery, to the same address. An appointment must be made with the Office IV of the DGDP.

      3. Return the documents to the applicant (or their representative)

      When the relevant Embassy or Consulate has sent the documents back to Office IV of the DGDP, the office will return it to the applicant, who may choose between registered mail and hand delivery. If the applicant changes their domicile, they should promptly notify us of the the new address by email to dgdp-04@esteri.it.