The Declaration of Value (DoV) is a required document for those who plan to study or work abroad in Italy in certain professions, to authenticate the validity of your qualifications gained in the UK or another country.
MSC Notaries share advice on how to obtain this document, when it is required and how we can help you with the process.
What is the Declaration of Value?
The Declaration of Value (DoV) is an official document issued by the Italian diplomatic authorities in the country where your educational certificate was acquired. Educational certificates earned outside of Italy are not automatically recognised as valid in the country. The DoV is therefore a declaration from the Consulate that confirms the validity of your qualifications gained in Britain or anywhere outside of Italy, which allows you to study or work in the country.
What does the document contain?
The document is written in Italian and contains information about the academic qualification, the specific person it’s awarded to and the non-Italian institution it has been awarded by. The document is printed on the Italian authorities’ headed paper and must be stamped and signed.
The DoV usually contains the following information:
- Legal status, name and type of awarding institution
- Requirements for admission to the programme for the qualification
- Length of programme
- The workload of the programme in hours or credits
- Overall average grade awarded
- Academic validity of qualification in the awarding country
When is the Declaration of Value required?
The DoV document is required if you plan to study or work in Italy, and need your qualifications obtained in another country to be recognised to allow you to do this. A DoV allows you to have your British qualifications, or qualifications gained in another country, recognised in Italy.
Some examples include:
- Enrolling at universities for undergraduate, master or doctorate studies
- Applying to work in certain regulated professions
The DoV is not required if you have graduated from an academic institution in Italy, it is only for those who have graduated and gained a qualification in another country outside of the European Union.
Do you need a Declaration of Value or a Statement of Comparability?
In some instances, you may be able to provide a Statement of Comparability in place of a DoV. This is not the case for instances where the DoV is a required document to apply for an Italian Visa.
A Statement of Comparability is a document that states information about your foreign university qualification, including information about the foreign institution studied at, and the level of the qualification in comparison to the Bologna Process and European Qualifications Framework. This document is centred around comparing the foreign qualification level to Italy’s Bologna Process and the levels of the European Qualifications Framework.
The Statement of Comparability is not on par with the DoV as it is not a formal recognition or binding between the institutions and can only be used in its place for official university qualifications from foreign official institutions.
How to obtain the Declaration of Value
The process of obtaining a DoV involves the following steps:
- Complete your academic studies and obtain your educational certificate. In some instances, you will need the certificate before you can apply for a study visa in Italy, so you should start the process of obtaining a DoV as soon as you are accepted onto a study programme or for employment.
- Contact the Italian Embassy, Consulate or Cultural Institute in the area of the country and city where you have gained the qualification you are obtaining a DoV for. You may need to write to them or make an appointment to discuss the process.
- From there, you will need to follow their instructions regarding the documentation you will need to provide and the process involved, as this differs depending on where you are from and where you have graduated.
If the country you gained your qualification is part of the Hague Convention, you will also need to have an apostille stamp attached to a copy of your qualification certificate. Your certificate(s) will also need to be notarised by a licensed notary public before they are submitted to the Italian Consulate. In addition, you will also need to provide a translation of your certificate.
In the UK, DoV’s can only be issued by sending the required documents and apostille stamp where required to the appropriate Italian consulate depending on where your certificate was obtained:
- The Italian consulate in Edinburgh for certificates obtained in Scotland and Northern England
- The Italian consulate in Manchester for certificates obtained in the Midlands
- The Italian consulate in London for certificates obtained in London and Southern England
- Once you have obtained your DoV, keep all your documents as they are. You will usually need to send a scanned copy as soon as possible and provide the original documents when applying for study or work, which will be returned once you are accepted.
How long does it take to acquire a Declaration of Value?
The timeframe for acquiring a Declaration of Value can vary depending on the consulate issuing your document, the process involved, and how long it takes to prepare your documents. Generally, it can take as little as two weeks or up to four months from the start to the end of the process.
What are the documents required to obtain the Declaration of Value?
There is a range of compulsory as well as ad-hoc documents required to obtain a DoV and these differ between countries. For obtaining a DoV for British qualifications, you will need:
- Forms completed and signed
- Copy of a valid identity document including a passport or an ID card and a photocopy
- Various additional documents depending on the type of educational qualification you are gaining a DoV for, such as secondary education or higher education, including:
- Authenticated and apostilled qualification certificate
- Italian translation of the qualification certificate
- Photocopies of the original qualification certificate
How can MSC Notaries help with obtaining a DoV?
To apply for and obtain a Declaration of Value, you will need support from a notary public to notarise the certificates, as well as attach an apostille stamp if you are applying from a country that is part of the Hague Convention.
MSC Notaries can help you with the entire process of notarising and legalising your documents with an apostille stamp to obtain a DoV. We can also assist with professional translation.
We can also assist with managing the DoV application for applications being made to the Edinburgh and London consulates.
We can adapt to suit your required timeframes where possible and offer mobile services to suit your busy schedule. Speak to our team today with any queries about the documents you need for the DoV or our services and we can provide you with advice and a free quote.
