How professional qualification recognition works

You have submitted, or are about to submit, the application for recognition of your foreign professional qualification and want to know how it works, step by step. The procedure is an administrative process, governed by national and European rules, that establishes the substantial equivalence of the training and experience against Italian standards. It rests on Legislative Decree 206 of 2007, implementing Directive 2005/36/EC, and concludes with a decree of the competent Ministry.

The preliminary check of the documents

Before lodging the application it is advisable to check that the documentation is complete and in order. A well-ordered file from the outset avoids requests for further material and the suspension of time limits, which are the most frequent cause of delay in the issue of the decree.

Where and how the application is submitted

The application is submitted to the Ministry competent for the profession, in the manner indicated by each administration. The procedure is governed by Legislative Decree 206 of 2007, which transposes Directive 2005/36/EC, supplemented by Legislative Decree 15 of 2016. For some professions the Ministry seeks the opinion of the national councils or the competent orders.

The assessment and compensation measures

The administration compares the training and professional experience with those required in Italy. Recognition may be immediate or made subject to a compensation measure, where substantial differences emerge. The measures, provided for by Article 14 of Directive 2005/36/EC, consist of an aptitude test, that is an examination on specific curricular subjects, or an adaptation period, according to the profession and the administration’s assessment.

How long the procedure takes

From receipt of the complete application the average duration is four to six months, to which the compensation-measure stage may be added. Within thirty days the administration confirms that it has received the documentation and points out any additions required. Within ninety or one hundred and twenty days it concludes the assessment with an express and reasoned decision.

The Italian language requirement

Knowledge of the Italian language is an indispensable requirement for practising a regulated profession, provided for by Article 53 of Directive 2005/36/EC, and may be subject to formal verification, in particular for citizens of third countries. The verification falls to the professional order, at the time of registration. It should be borne in mind, however, that compensation measures are carried out in Italian, so insufficient knowledge emerges even before the decree.

The documents required

The documents must be submitted in the original or a certified copy, translated into Italian by an official translator and legalised with an Apostille under the Hague Convention of 1961 or through the competent Italian consulate. Generally required are the qualification giving access to the profession, the transcript of examinations, the certificates of experience, the declaration of professional good standing, the identity document and, for third-country qualifications only, the Declaration of Value. For European Union qualifications the certificate of conformity under Directive 2005/36/EC is required.

The outcomes of the procedure

The procedure may conclude in three ways, according to the degree of correspondence between the foreign training and the Italian.

Full recognition

Where the foreign qualification is fully compliant with the Italian requirements, the decree authorises practice on the same conditions as those laid down for Italian nationals and is a valid title for registration on the competent register, order or list.

Conditional recognition

Where limited differences in the course of training emerge, the qualification is obtained by passing a compensation measure. The decree sets out its type, its duration and the body responsible for the test.

Rejection

Where no adequate correspondence can be established, the administration issues a reasoned refusal, with an indication of the means of appeal. Where the compensation measure is failed, the test may as a rule be retaken after six months.

Legal references: Legislative Decree 206 of 2007, Directive 2005/36/EC Articles 14 and 53, Legislative Decree 15 of 2016, Hague Convention of 1961.