Questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari per la fruizione dei contenuti. Per maggiori informazioni leggi l'informativa sul trattamento dei dati personali.

Privacy Policy
Governo italiano
Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy
Follow us
Search

Recognition of foreign professional qualifications: documentation

‘IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Italian Ministry of Economic Development is responsible for recognising qualifications conferring the right, already OBTAINED ABROAD, to practise a profession.

For academic title equivalence/correspondence procedures under Article 12 of Law 29/2006, please contact the Public Relations Offices of the following Administrations:

  • Ministry of Education for upper secondary school diplomas.
  • Ministry of University and Research for academic titles.

 

Documents required for the recognition of professional qualifications

 

  1. Application form
  2. List of documents to be attached
  3. What a declaration of equivalence of qualification is
  4. Documentation of professional experience
  5. How to submit documents to be attached
  6. Useful information and contacts

 


1. Application form

      New procedure for titles obtained in Non-EU countries. In accordance with the provision prohibiting public administrations from receiving paper applications from 1 January 2017, users are allowed to fill in the following forms online without downloading it. The new electronic forms have replaced the previous paper forms from 16 August 2018.

New procedure for titles obtained in EU countries. In accordance with the provision prohibiting public administrations from receiving paper applications from 1 January 2017, users are allowed to fill in the following forms online without downloading it. The new electronic form has replaced the previous paper form from 19 April 2018. Paper applications are no longer accepted from 20 April 2018.

The application form must be accompanied by a proof of payment of stamp duty of Euro 32.00 (equivalent to two revenue stamps of Euro 16.00) made by bank transfer to: ‘"State Budget Chapter VIII, Chapter 1205, art. 1" BIC: BITAITRRENT - IBAN: IT 07Y 01000 03245 348 008 1205 01 SETTING: Stamp duty - [REFERENCE]: Name Surname. Stamp duty for application for recognition of professional qualifications from the Ministry of Economic Development.

Non-residents who are required to pay the tax must indicate their personal details instead of the tax code (if they do not have one).

If no Single Contact Point for Productive Activity (SUAP) is entered, i.e. the Municipality where the activity is to be commenced if the procedure is successful – to be entered in the appropriate section of the application form – this Administration will be unable to process the application.

  

CHANGES OF ADDRESS

This Administration will send all communications regarding the procedure to the address indicated by the applicant, who is responsible to give timely notice of any change of address, via:

  • for Patent Agent activities: CERTIFIED EMAIL:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  
  • for all other activities CERTIFIED EMAIL: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Administration will not be held responsible for any lack of notification to the applicant due to relocating or incorrect indication of the address.

 

2. List of documents to be attached to the application

  

Personal details

The personal details of the person applying for recognition must be identical on all the documents submitted. In case of discrepancy, appropriate certification must be attached, issued by the competent administrative authority of the country of origin, translated and legalised by the Italian Diplomatic representation of the same country, certifying that all documentation refers to the same person.

In particular, EU or non-EU women who, following marriage, have changed their surname in their country of origin, are required to submit a marriage certificate, or other certificate of civil status, in order to prove the correspondence between the personal data resulting from the qualification or work experience and the current ones.

 

IN CASE OF EU CITIZENS with a qualification obtained in an EU country:

 

a) copy of a valid passport or identity card;

 

b) to benefit from automatic recognition of professional qualifications on the basis of professional experiences pursuant to Articles 16 to 19 of Directive 2005/36/EC (Articles 27 to 30 of Legislative Decree 206/2007) the professional title and experience must be documented by a certificate issued by the competent authority of the home Member State (*).

 

(*) please note that each Member State of the European Union has an internal Assistance Centre (formerly known as a Contact Point) in accordance with Directive 2005/36/EC, which you can contact to find out which Authority is competent for issuing certificates relating to professions and training regulated in your area of interest. The list of European Contact Points can be consulted at the following link:    http://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/services/free-movement-professionals/index_en.htm

Therefore, this Office must receive a copy of the declaration issued by the competent authority of the country that issued the title (*), attesting:

  • if the profession is regulated;
  • if the training is regulated;
  • if the title held authorises the applicant to pursue the requested profession in the home country.
  • if the applicant's title meets the conditions provided for by Directive 2005/36/EC;
  • the level of the title with respect to Article 11 of the aforementioned Directive;
  • certification of professional experience gained in the sector for which the recognition is requested.

The declaration must also certify:

  • the validity of the title;
  • the regulations provided for in the State issuing the professional title;
  • a description of the studies carried out in order to obtain the above qualification;

 

c) a copy of the training or professional title specific to the activity requested, accompanied by a list of subjects studied for each year of the course, as well as the duration of the training received and the examinations taken (documentation necessary to determine whether there are substantial differences compared to the training required in Italy)

For a hairdresser's qualification, the number of hours required for each year of the course must also be stated;

 

d) a copy of the specific qualification for the activity, if required by the country in which the title was obtained;

 

e) a copy of the enrolment in the professional register of the country in which the title was obtained, only if provided in the country itself;

 

f) a copy of certificates and references which describe in detail any work activity carried out in the country of origin or provenance, following the achievement of the qualification for which the recognition is requested (including practical training periods). For more details on the documentation to be sent regarding the professional experience carried out, please refer to point no. ‘4 - Documentation relating to the professional experience’.

 

g) Documents issued by the competent authorities of the Member State of origin or of provenance proving the existence of requirements of integrity and morality, the absence of a declaration of bankruptcy, the absence of suspension or prohibition for serious professional misconduct or criminal convictions.

In case the Legislation of the Member State of origin or of provenance does not provide for the issue of such documents, they may be replaced by a declaration on oath or, in Member States where there it is not foreseen, by a solemn declaration made by the person concerned before a competent judicial or administrative authority or, where applicable, before a notary or qualified body in the Member State of origin or of provenance.

The documents referred to under point g) must be submitted by all citizens (EU and non-EU citizens) who require recognition of their professional titles/experience for the activities of:

 

  • vehicle repair — Article 1(3) of Law No 122 of 5 February 1992; Article 7
  • intermediary broker - Law No 39 of 3 February 1989, as amended
  • commercial agent and representative - Law No 204 of 3 May 1985, as amended
  • food trade and food and beverage supply, Legislative Decree No 59/2010 Article 71(6), as amended
  • freight forwarder - Law No 1442 of 14 November 1941, as amended
  • ship-broker - Law No 478 of 12 March 1968, as amended
  • cleaning – Ministerial Decree No 274 of 7 July 1997 Article 1(c), (d), (e)
  •  

IN CASE OF NON-EU CITIZENS with a qualification obtained in an EU country:

in addition to the documents listed above, add:

 

h) a copy of valid residence permit

 

  IF THE QUALIFICATION WAS OBTAINED IN A NON EU COUNTRY:

in addition to the documents listed above, add:

i) Declaration of equivalence of qualification (instead of the Declaration by the competent authority referred to under point c)

 

IMPORTANT:

 

  • if the profession is not regulated in the Home Country, the applicant must demonstrate the possession of at least one year of professional experience (carried out during the last ten years), with appropriate documentation pursuant to point 4

3. What a declaration of equivalence of qualification is

 

To be submitted only for academic/training or professional titles obtained in non-EU Countries. 

This is a summary document certifying the authenticity and legitimacy of all documentation submitted, issued by the Italian Diplomatic Representation (Italian Embassy or Consulate) based in the country where the title was obtained and certifying, in accordance with the express provisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Circular No 5716 of 2 April 2001, the nature of academic titles and training certificates and professional qualifications possessed and their local value for professional purposes. For further information, consult the  facsimile form. 

 

In particular, the declaration of equivalence of qualification must contain the following information:

 

  • vocational training title held;
  • a description of the training system of the country that issued the title;
  • the official duration of the training;
  • the place of the training acquisition;
  • indication of whether the profession concerned is regulated or not and whether the title held by the applicant is a necessary and sufficient qualification to pursue the professional activity in the country of reference;
  • proof that the applicant fulfils all the requirements laid down by local legislation for the exercise of the profession in the country of reference;

 

the declaration of equivalence of qualification must be accompanied by the documentation submitted to the Diplomatic Mission in order to issue the declaration itself.

 

The original document of the said documentation (academic title and certificate confirming examinations or subjects covered by the course of study) must be legalised in advance by the Representation, except for cases of exemption under international agreements and conventions.

 

With regard to countries adhering to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, these original documents may be certified with an ‘Apostille’ stamp by the competent local authority instead of being legalised.

 

These documents, if dawn up in a foreign language, must be accompanied by an Italian translation certified in conformity with the original text by the Italian Diplomatic or Consular Authorities of the country in which they were drafted or by a translation made by an official translator and confirmed by the Diplomatic Representation.

 

4. Documentation of professional experience

 

As mentioned under point 2, in order to benefit from automatic recognition of professional qualifications on the basis of the professional experience referred to in Articles 16 to 19 of Directive 2005/36/EC (Articles 27 to 30 of Legislative Decree 206/2007), i.e. when the profession (or training) is regulated in the home country, the professional experience must be documented by a certificate issued by the Competent Authority of the Member State of origin (see link under point 2).

 

If the professional experience is a prerequisite for the application of Directive 2005/36/EC (i.e. when neither the profession nor the training is regulated in the country of origin), the following documents issued by public authorities in the country where it was obtained will be taken into account (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, municipality, competent public bodies, Social Security bodies, etc.)

 

If the professional experience has been acquired as the owner or manager of an independent undertaking:

With documentation from the public authority attesting:

  1. the name of the person concerned and of the undertaking;
  2. the specific sector of activity in which the undertaking operates or has operated;
  3. the position held by the interested party within the undertaking (owner, partner);
  4. the actual activity carried out by the person concerned in the undertaking;
  5. the period of time (start date and eventual end date, specifying day/month/year) in which the activity was carried out;
  6. it is preferable to attach documentation proving the payment of taxes on site; 

If the professional experience has been acquired as manager (employee) or employee

With documentation from the public authority attesting the information requested under points (a), (b) and (c) above with regard to the applicant’s employment, d) and e), to be sent together with:

  • a copy of the work book;
  • copies of payslips relating to the period of work carried out (at least two for each year declared);
  • employer’s certificates (*) 

Basically, the documentation must clearly show the identification data of the company, the position held by the person concerned within the company (skilled, qualified or generic worker, apprentice, etc.), the duration (start/end date specifying day/month/year).

(*)The employer's certificate, which must clearly state the quality and personal details of the person carrying it out (e.g. company owner), must indicate the applicant’s duties within the within the undertaking with a description, as detailed as possible, of the activities carried out, any contract applied and the exact dates of start / end of the relationship.

In order to reduce (or not provide for) any compensatory measures, any work experience carried out in Italy will also be taken into account, duly documented (through contribution statements by the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work - INAIL) in the case of a company manager, through contribution statements, copies of pay slips, employer attestation by the National Social Welfare Institution (INPS) (*), etc.).

 

5. How to submit the documents to be attached to the application:

 

Documentation issued by Italian or EU authorities/entities:

  • By means of a certified copy (or a true copy of the original) or, in the case of European Union citizens, of a simple photocopy (clearly legible), attaching a ‘declaration in lieu of affidavit’, pursuant to Articles 47 and 76 of Presidential Decree No 445/2000 (downloadable from the following link “self-declaration form”)
  • All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by translation into Italian. You shall submit:
    • simple translations accompanied by a Self Affidavit
      or
      certified translations written by a third party translator recognized by the Member State of origin or by another State of the European Union

Documentation issued by Non EU authorities/entities:

By means of a certified copy (or a true copy of the original), legalized in the forms required by law, (at the competent Italian Diplomatic Representation or, in the case of countries party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, by affixing of an Apostille by the Competent Authority of the country that issued the document) and with a translation into Italian. The translation must be certified as compliant with the original text by the Italian diplomatic or consular authorities in the country where the document was issued, or it must be translated by an official translator and confirmed by the aforementioned diplomatic authorities, or it must be sworn or certified by an Italian Court. This submission method also applies to EU citizens if their documentation has been obtained in non-EU countries.

Copies of documents can be authenticated either at the Italian Embassy (or Consular Representation) established in the country of origin of the document or in Italy at the offices of any Italian municipality, by showing the original title.

In accordance with the law, the Administration will carry out sample checks on truthfulness of self-certifications.

Each document must be submitted in a single file in pdf format.

 

6. Useful information and contacts Specific information on the file will be provided only to the person directly concerned or by a written delegation to his or her appointed representative, provided also with a valid identification document; it can be requested at the following addresses:

With reference to the activity of ‘Patent Agent’:

Directorate-General for the Fight against Counterfeiting - UIBM — Division IX Transcripts, Annotations and Registration of Industrial Property Rights and Taxes

 

         Certified email address:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

         Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

With reference to all other activities:

Directorate-General for the Market, Competition, Consumer Protection and Technical Regulation,— Division IX ‘European and international policies, European administrative cooperation and recognition of professional qualifications’

         Certified email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

         Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Your Europe

This page is part of the European Commission’s Your Europe portal.

 

Did you find what you were looking for?
Help us improve

 

Responsible office

Direzione generale consumatori e mercato

Was this page helpful?

You did not validate the "I am not a robot" check
Back to top of the page