Equivalence of a foreign secondary-school diploma

Equivalence of a foreign secondary-school diploma is the act by which a qualification obtained abroad is declared to correspond to the Italian upper-secondary-school diploma. It serves for enrolling at university, taking part in a competition or regularising one’s position for work. Competence lies with the Regional School Office and the assessment is made case by case.

When equivalence of a foreign secondary-school diploma is needed

A secondary-school diploma obtained abroad has no automatic legal value in Italy. Equivalence is needed where the qualification must produce legal effects, to enrol on a university course, to take part in a public competition requiring the Italian diploma or for administrative and employment purposes. For access to university alone, the university’s own suitability assessment is in many cases sufficient, whereas for administrative and competition purposes the equivalence decree is required.

Who to approach: the Regional School Office

Competence lies with the Regional School Office, the territorial branch of the Ministry of Education and Merit, while for lower-secondary school the application is submitted to the provincial school office. There are no automatic equivalence tables, because the office assesses case by case the correspondence of the foreign course with the Italian one as to level, duration of studies, subjects and content. The reference is Article 379 of Legislative Decree 297 of 1994.

The documents to submit

The file normally comprises the original diploma legalised or bearing an Apostille under the Hague Convention, the official translation certified as conforming or sworn, the Declaration of Value issued by the Italian consular mission in the country where the qualification was obtained and the certificate detailing the subjects and examinations. The Declaration of Value describes the qualification and its value in the system of origin, but does not in itself constitute recognition.

Supplementary examinations

Where the foreign course does not fully correspond to the Italian one, the administration may make equivalence subject to passing supplementary examinations, that is tests on specific subjects considered essential in the Italian system. The subjects and arrangements are laid down by ministerial rules, starting with the Ministerial Decree of 1 February 1975. Once any tests have been passed, the office issues the decree declaring the diploma equivalent for all legal purposes.

Timeframes

The timeframes depend on the office and the completeness of the file. Well-ordered documentation from the outset avoids requests for additions, which suspend the time limits and are the most frequent cause of delay. Where supplementary examinations are required, the time needed to sit them is added to the duration of the assessment.

IB, British and French diplomas: the specific cases

Some qualifications have rules of their own. The International Baccalaureate is recognised in Italy by Law 738 of 1986, which equates the IB diploma issued under the authority of the Geneva Organisation to a secondary-school qualification valid for access to university, but only where it is obtained at an institution included in the dedicated ministerial list, as provided for by Presidential Decree 164 of 2010. If the school is not on the list, or if the qualification is needed for administrative and competition purposes, the equivalence route before the Regional School Office is followed. For British diplomas, such as the A-Levels, and for French diplomas the assessment follows the same principle, with attention to the overall years of schooling and to the course actually followed.

After equivalence

Once the decree has been obtained, the foreign diploma acquires full legal value in Italy, with the mark converted to the Italian hundred-point scale. From that point it may be used for enrolment at university, for public competitions requiring the Italian diploma, for access to the higher technical institutes and for any other administrative purpose.

Legal references: Article 379 of Legislative Decree 297 of 1994, Ministerial Decree of 1 February 1975, Law 738 of 1986 and Presidential Decree 164 of 2010 for the International Baccalaureate.