CIMEA statements for the recognition of foreign qualifications

CIMEA issues technical statements that help to place a foreign qualification within the Italian system. They do not replace formal recognition, but accompany it.

The role of CIMEA

CIMEA, the Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence, is the Italian node of the ENIC-NARIC network, established under the Lisbon Convention. It does not carry out formal recognition, which remains within the competence of universities, ministries and professional orders, but provides qualified technical assessments, often required or welcomed by the competent authorities.

Comparability statement

It places the foreign qualification within the Italian study cycles, by reference to the European frameworks EQF and QF-EHEA. It serves for submitting academic recognition applications, documenting the level of the qualification in competitions and selections and supplementing professional recognition applications.

Verification statement

It certifies the authenticity and existence of the qualification, by direct checks with the issuing institution or through official sources. It is required where a formal confirmation of the regularity of the course is needed.

Combined statement

It brings comparability and verification together in a single file, useful where a complete dossier must be submitted to a university or public authority.

ARDI, the open-access database

ARDI, the Automatic Recognition Database – Italia, is not a tailored statement but a free CIMEA database, devoted to the qualifications of the countries that have signed the Lisbon Convention. It automatically and free of charge generates a correspondence statement, a non-binding technical opinion comparing the qualification with the Italian system. It is useful for initial orientation or as a preliminary opinion to enclose with an application.

What they are for

The statements do not replace the administrative acts of recognition, but are elements of assessment accepted by many institutions, including:

• the universities, for the admission of students with a foreign qualification
• the regional school offices, for access to schools or State examinations
• ministries and professional orders, for regulated qualifications
• public and private bodies, for competitions, notices and rankings
• employers, as confirmation of the course of training