Foreign qualifications and public competitions

Since 14 May 2025, taking part in a public competition with a qualification obtained abroad has become simpler. Recognition no longer has to be obtained before the selection, because the candidate is admitted provisionally and recognition is applied for only in the event of success. It remains decisive, however, to understand which procedure is needed, which authority to approach and which documents to prepare.

A recognition tied to the purpose

In the Italian legal system there is no recognition of a foreign qualification valid for every purpose. Since the ratification of the Lisbon Convention by Law 148 of 2002, the type of recognition depends on the purpose for which the qualification is presented, whether enrolment on a university course, academic equivalence (equipollenza), access to a regulated profession or participation in a public competition. Each purpose has its own rules, requirements and competent authority. Identifying the purpose is therefore the first step in choosing the correct route.

Equivalence for competition purposes and academic equipollenza

For public competitions the route is equivalence for competition purposes, provided for by Article 38 of Legislative Decree 165 of 2001 and by Article 2 of Presidential Decree 189 of 2009. It is the assessment by which the foreign qualification is declared suitable as an admission requirement for a given selection procedure, as if the candidate held the corresponding Italian qualification. It is limited in nature, because it is valid only for that competition and confers no general legal value on the qualification. It is not to be confused with academic equivalence (equipollenza), governed by Article 2 of Law 148 of 2002 and issued by the universities, which instead declares the foreign qualification legally equivalent to the Italian one for every use and is definitive, without expiry. Equivalence for competition purposes opens the door of a single competition; equipollenza recognises the qualification generally and permanently.

What changed with the 2025 reform

Article 38, paragraph 3, was rewritten by Article 3, paragraph 1, letter f) of Decree-Law No. 25 of 14 March 2025, converted with amendments by Law No. 69 of 9 May 2025, in force since 14 May 2025. The reform introduced a two-stage model that appreciably lightens the burden on the candidate.

Before the reform, equivalence had to be obtained in advance, within timeframes often incompatible with the deadlines of the notices. Today the burden is shifted to the final stage and falls on the successful candidate alone, a concrete advantage for those trained abroad who wish to take part without losing the opportunity.

The competent authority

The assessment of equivalence falls to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Public Function Department, after the concordant opinion of the Ministry competent for the nature of the qualification, that is the Ministry of University and Research for academic qualifications and the Ministry of Education and Merit for school qualifications. The application is submitted on the forms drawn up by the Public Function Department.

The documents to prepare

The application must be accompanied by the Declaration of Value, which documents the qualification and its place within the system of origin and is required even for qualifications obtained in the European Union. Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be accompanied by a translation into Italian, certified as conforming by the Italian diplomatic or consular mission in the country of origin, or sworn before an Italian judicial office by an official translator, such as a court-appointed technical expert or an expert enrolled with the Chamber of Commerce. Correct terminology and complete documentation are the condition for a smooth assessment, because translation errors or documentary gaps lead to requests for additions and to delays.

The twin-track strategy

The two routes are not incompatible. Nothing prevents a candidate from taking part in the competition straight away by relying on provisional admission and, in parallel, beginning the academic-equivalence procedure at a university. The first seizes the immediate work opportunity, the second consolidates over time the full usability of the qualification, in a stable manner and without expiry. For many candidates this combination proves the most effective choice.

Legal references: Article 38 of Legislative Decree 165 of 2001, as amended by Decree-Law 25 of 2025 converted by Law 69 of 2025, Articles 2 and 3 of Presidential Decree 189 of 2009, Law 148 of 2002, Law 15 of 2022 Article 1 paragraph 28-quinquies.