Recognition of a Foreign Academic Qualifications

Without prejudice to bilateral agreements on the subject (see the Study Regulations - Manifesto, section 11.1, note 10), the University of Florence can recognize cycles and study carried out abroad and foreign qualifications for the following purposes:

• continuation of university studies
• achievement of Italian university degrees

For purposes other than those listed above (such as participation to public competitions or access to board-certified professions) the application must be presented to other public. For more information please visit the CIMEA website.

The student can request the recognition of a foreign academic qualification, issued by a state-level or legally recognized university-level institution, to achieve a first cycle/bachelor’s, single cycle or second cycle/master's degree offered by the University of Florence.

Unrestricted access programmes: The application for the recognition (form RE_01 is available on the form - modulistica page) must be submitted to the International Desk (after booking through the UFirst system) or sent by certified email to internationaldesk(AT)pec.unifi.it, indicating in the subject line "application for recognition of foreign qualification".

For the a.y. 2024/2025 the application for recognition has to be submitted from 15 July to 9 September 2024. It is also possible to apply for approval from 10 September to 8 November 2024, paying an administrative charge of 100 euro, only for unrestricted access programmes.

Restricted access programmes: 

• for the admission to the first year you are required to pass the relevant admission exam. For further information, please consult national or local accesso a corsi di studio a numero programmato or on the Schools' websites.
• for the admission to the post-first year the application for recognition must be submitted according to the deadlines and procedures set out in the relevant call for applications.

The student must indicate the study programme at the University of Florence for which they require recognition of equivalence of their title. The following documents must also be attached to the application:

• Copy of a valid ID
• Receipt of the payment of 200 euro for administrative charges, and 16 euro for stamp duty, to be paid as indicated in the form
• Qualification that enabled the admission to the degree for which the recognition is requested (only if the qualification was obtained abroad): high school diploma, if the application is intended to request a recognition for a bachelor’s or a single cycle degree; bachelor’s degree if the application is intended to request a recognition for a master’s degree.
• Foreign academic title for which the recognition is requested.
• Diploma supplement in English or statement of academic record legalised or apostilled, with translation in Italian. Documents written in English, French and Spanish do not need to be translated in Italian.
• Syllabuses of all exams passed legalised or apostilled, with translation in Italian. Documents written in English, French and Spanish do not need to be translated in Italian.

The documents must be validated in one of the ways referred to on the page Study titles obtained outside of Italy.

The teaching unit of the chosen study program evaluates the student's request and decides:

• a) the total recognition of the studies carried out abroad, with consequent issuance of a Rectoral Decree of Equipollence
• b) a partial recognition of the studies carried out abroad, indicating the year of enrolment, the approved cohort and examinations, and the examinations and credits to be acquired in order to obtain the required qualification. 
  In this case, the student can enrol in the chosen course and should do what applies to their case:\r\n
  • Unrestricted-access programmes: check on the Schools' websites and in the regulations of the chosen degree programmes whether and how the students will have to take the knowledge test for incoming students.
  • First-year of study programs with restricted access: The student must pass the admission test regulated in the appropriate programme Admission Notice, and get a successful position in the ranking;
  • Second and following years of study programs with restricted access: Follow the terms and conditions provided for in the appropriate Admission Notices to the years after the first, published in Access to National Restricted Access Degree Programmes.

If the teaching unit decides the partial recognition of the studies carried out abroad, the student can enrol in the corresponding study programme in the following ways: 

• Non-European citizens residing abroad should follow the procedure indicated on the page: Admission of Non-European Union students residing abroad (Manifesto, section 4). 
• Non-European citizens residing abroad are required to submit their pre-enrollment application to the competent Italian diplomatic authority via the Universitaly portal within 30 days from the date they are notified of their application outcome. Upon their arrival in Italy, they have to refer to the competent Student Administration Office for any information on the enrollment process;
• Citizens of the European Union and non-European Union citizens treated as equivalentare required to apply for enrollment at the competent Student Administration Office within 30 days from the date they are notified of their application outcome

In the event that the students do not complete the enrolment within the above mentioned deadline, they must resubmit the application for recognition, which must be reviewed again by the competent teaching unit.

Read also Study titles obtained outside of Italy and Simultaneous enrolment in two higher education programmes.