Documents for University Admission in Italy (2026–2027): Checklist, Apostille, CIMEA and Declaration of Value

To apply to an Italian university you need your qualification with its transcript, an apostille or legalisation, translations, a language certificate and a document comparing your qualification with the Italian system. For the last item there are two routes: a Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di valore, DoV) from the Italian embassy or consulate, or statements from CIMEA, Italy's ENIC-NARIC centre. The university decides whether your qualification gives access to the programme. The consulate, from 2026/27, requires proof of both comparability and authenticity for the visa, so a translated diploma alone is no longer enough.

Below: checklists for bachelor's and master's applicants, a comparison of DoV, CIMEA and ARDI, apostille and translation rules with examples from Russia and Kazakhstan, and a preparation calendar. Rules come from the MUR circular for 2026/27 and 2027/28, its FAQ, and consular and university pages.

Who checks what

Neither a DoV nor a CIMEA statement obliges a university to admit you: under Law 148/2002, assessing foreign qualifications for admission is the university's exclusive competence. The consulate, in turn, is not bound by the university: a validated pre-enrolment does not automatically lead to a visa appointment or a visa.

Bachelor's checklist

Master's checklist

Some master's programmes also ask for the school-leaving certificate; check your programme's list.

Apostille or legalisation

Countries that are party to the 1961 Hague Convention use an apostille; for other countries, documents are legalised by the Italian embassy. Italy, Russia and Kazakhstan are all Hague parties.

Russia. The education authority of the region where the document was issued affixes the apostille; where you live now does not matter, so a diploma from a university in Kazan is apostilled in Tatarstan even if you have moved to St Petersburg. The state fee is 2,500 roubles (about $30) per document (Tax Code, art. 333.33, para. 1, subpara. 48). The Italian Consulate General in Moscow sets the order: apostille on the original first, then translation of the document together with the apostille.

Kazakhstan. The apostille is issued by the authorised Kazakh state body; the procedure is described on the egov.kz government portal. The Italian Embassy in Astana has less strict translation rules than Moscow (see below).

Documents issued in another country. The apostille and the DoV are obtained in the country whose education system issued the document. If you live in Moscow but your school certificate is from Kazakhstan, the apostille is issued in Kazakhstan and the DoV by the Italian Embassy in Astana; the Moscow consulate states that documents from former Soviet republics are handled by Italian missions in those states. Your visa, however, depends on your country of residence (University of Pavia).

Translation: for whom and what kind

Sources: Polimi, UniBo, Moscow consulate.

Consular fees in Moscow in September 2026: certifying a translation into Italian costs $15 (€13) per page; certifying a copy costs $11 (€10) per page. Astana works differently: it also accepts translations by other translators if their signature is notarised.

If your university issues an official English version of the diploma or transcript, many Italian universities accept it without translation at the application stage. For a DoV you still need an Italian translation.

DoV, CIMEA or ARDI: which to choose

From 2026/27, for bachelor's and master's visas your qualification must be accompanied by:

• either CIMEA statements of comparability and of verification (authenticity);
• or a Declaration of Value, which covers comparability, and authenticity only if it explicitly states that authenticity was verified.

If your qualification is described in ARDI (CIMEA's database for Lisbon Recognition Convention countries), a free ARDI Statement of Correspondence replaces the comparability statement. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are Convention parties but were not in ARDI in September 2026, so their qualifications need the full CIMEA service or a DoV. The Ministry's FAQ confirms that, whatever verification system a university uses, for the visa the student presents a DoV or a CIMEA statement that also covers authenticity (FAQ).

Sources: CIMEA comparability and verification, CIMEA ARDI and verification, country list in ARDI, Moscow consulate, Italian Embassy in Astana, form M02. ECB rate of 29 Sep 2026: €1 = $1.1355.

How to decide:

• You need flexibility on timing: CIMEA or ARDI. You can start as soon as you hold the final qualification, before the university decides. A DoV in Moscow is possible only after pre-enrolment validation, usually in spring or summer, the busiest season.
• The university asks for a DoV: get a DoV. Some universities indicate on Universitaly that they need the consular declaration.
• Kazakhstan. DoVs for Kazakh qualifications are issued by the Italian Embassy in Astana (student requests: astana.studenti@esteri.it). Under its 2026 application form M02, a study DoV is free if you attach proof of pre-enrolment, enrolment or payment of the enrolment fee. You need a notarised copy of the apostilled document, a translation by a translator on the embassy list or by another translator with a notarised signature, and a passport copy, all in two sets (form M02).

Only the holder of the qualification can submit a CIMEA request; intermediaries, including agencies, cannot (CIMEA FAQ). The platform accepts a limited number of requests per day and in 2026 closed to new requests from 19 to 26 July and from 23 to 30 August; closure days do not count towards processing time.

DoV in Moscow: the admission file

According to the Italian Consulate General in Moscow, requests go through the Italian Visa Center VMS Moscow. The file for university admission:

1. A copy of the passport data page.
2. Proof of the Universitaly pre-enrolment, reviewed and validated by the university.
3. The original certificate or diploma with the apostille of the regional education authority.
4. Copies of all pages, including transcripts and apostille, without notarisation, in two sets.
5. An Italian translation of all pages, including transcripts and apostille, in two sets. Notarised translations are not accepted.

For documents from regions in the St Petersburg consular district, the DoV is issued by the Italian Consulate General in St Petersburg.

Universitaly: what to upload and how to avoid problems

Pre-enrolment (preiscrizione) is mandatory for applicants who live abroad and need a visa. Rules for 2026/27 and 2027/28:

• the portal is free and the only official channel;
• you pre-enrol for one programme at one university;
• a university may validate no more applications than its international places plus 20%;
• validation "with reservation" is allowed in only two cases: the final qualification has not yet been awarded, or you must sit exams or a language test in person in Italy. A missing DoV or CIMEA statement is no longer a reason for conditional validation.

What is usually uploaded: the qualification in English, French or Spanish or with an official Italian translation; the admission or conditional offer letter; and, if ready, the DoV, CIMEA statements or ARDI statement (University of Pavia). The University of Bologna allows you to change a pre-enrolment programme, but only by writing to the university (UniBo guide).

If your final qualification is not issued yet

• University application. Master's programmes accept a final-year enrolment certificate or provisional certificate; bachelor's programmes accept a certificate of enrolment in the final school year.
• Visa. You can apply with an official provisional certificate if your country's system provides one; self-made statements and documents from unofficial bodies are not accepted. Unless you must sit exams in Italy, the final qualification with a DoV or CIMEA statements must be presented when you collect the visa.
• CIMEA. It evaluates only awarded final qualifications; an official provisional certificate can be submitted, and CIMEA may ask for more documents.

Visa-related documents and after arrival

The full visa file is covered in our guide to the Italian student visa. Four requirements from the circular link directly to admission:

After entering on a Type D visa, apply for the residence permit at a post office within 8 working days; see our residence permit guide. If Universitaly does not show you as enrolled by 31 January of the academic year, the visa is revoked.

Preparation calendar for September 2027

Students finishing school in 2027 receive their certificates in summer, so a CIMEA verification based on them may not be ready in time for the visa. In that case a DoV requested after pre-enrolment validation is often the workable route. Agree on this with the university before spring.

Common mistakes

• Notarised translations for the consulate. The Moscow consulate does not accept them.
• Translating before the apostille. Apostille first, then translate the document together with the apostille.
• Apostille in the wrong region. It is issued where the document was issued, not where you live.
• ARDI alone for the visa. You also need CIMEA verification or a DoV.
• Counting on conditional validation without a DoV or CIMEA statement. Since 2026/27 universities may not validate "with reservation" because comparability documents are missing.
• CIMEA through an intermediary. Only the holder of the qualification can apply.
• Starting CIMEA in July. Closure weeks and the daily request cap push the date back.
• A first-year certificate without all exams passed. Covering the 12th year requires a fully passed first year.

How StudyU helps

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step. Checking the document list for your chosen programmes, planning apostilles and translations, preparing applications and supporting submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU. CIMEA requests are submitted personally by the qualification holder; decisions are made by the university, CIMEA, the consulate and the Questura. See also our overview of studying in Italy and guides to bachelor's and master's admission and Italian language certificates.

FAQ

Sources

• MUR circular 2026/27 and 2027/28, annexes and FAQ — checked 23 Sep 2026
• CIMEA DiploMe: services, timelines and prices — checked 23 Sep 2026
• ARDI automatic recognition database, CIMEA verification with ARDI, CIMEA FAQ and 2026 platform closures — checked 23 Sep 2026
• University of Pavia: pre-enrolment and visa 2026/27 — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Italian Consulate General in Moscow: DoV and translation and legalisation — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Italian Embassy in Astana: DoV application form M02 (2026) — checked 23 Sep 2026
• University of Bologna: translation, authenticity and value of foreign qualifications — checked 23 Sep 2026
• Politecnico di Milano: master's document list — checked 23 Sep 2026

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.