Declaration of value

Student office
12424 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1400; Los Angeles, CA 90025
email: losangeles.studi@esteri.it 

WARNING:  In compliance with the recognition criteria and rules of the USA as well as the criteria adopted at international level, the Consulate General of Italy only evaluates qualifications issued by higher education institutions accredited (and not yet in the application phase) by one of the REGIONAL ACCREDITATIONS AGENCIES in the United States, as listed on the CHEA – Council for Higher Education Accreditation website.

You should submit the documents listed below along with one set of photocopies of all documents via Post Mail or FedEx  (there’s no need to make an appointment) 

1) Official Letter of the School/University – The Principal of the School or the Registrar of the University must provide a signed declaration on letterhead to confirm the authenticity of your diploma and transcripts.  Both diploma and transcripts must be attached to the letter.  If the courses were online, the Registrar must also declare how many online hours you attended to earn the degree.

Please bear in mind that:

• All documents must be original (not copies or duplicates)
• The signature of the Principal/Registrar must be notarized by a Notary Public (not the signature of the applicant)
  Apostille – The notarized documents must have the Apostille issued by the Secretary of State of the State in which the school is located – Secretary of State – Consolato Generale d’Italia a Los Angeles (esteri.it). Please do NOT detach the apostille from the original documents, as this will invalidate them.

2)   Form to request the declaration of value

3)    Translations* of the following documents:

• Letter signed by the Principal/Registrar of the School/University
• Diploma
• Transcripts

*There is no need to translate the Apostille or the Notary papers.

4)    AP records or transcripts of the college (when requesting the Declaration of Value for a High School Diploma) – please note that a United States High School Diploma is NOT enough to enroll in an Italian University therefore you should also include the official AP records or transcripts of college you attended. The Advancement Placement (AP) courses should be also mentioned  in the cover letter signed by the Principal of the School.

5)      A copy of your passport

6)      Cover letter listing the following information:

1. contact information (email and phone number)
2. personal information – please specify the city where you were born, your DOB and your citizenship
3. US School/University information:

• Is it a public institution or a private one?
• Specify by which commission it is accredited
• Specify the degree admission requirements
• When applying for DV for Master or PhD, please list where and when you obtained your previous degrees the like bachelors/masters or Italian University degrees
• Specify how long it takes to get the degree
• If applicable, please specify the title of the thesis (for PHD programs)

7) Enrollment letter – If applying to an Italian School/University, please include a copy of the enrollment letter or other document supporting your enrollment

8) FEES if applicable. The Declaration of Value is issued free of charge if you are completing enrollment at an Italian higher education institution that has already accepted you. Proof of admission is required.

For job purposes, Declarations of Value are issued upon payment of a fee. You can find the pertaining fees on the Consular Fee Table, under art. 66N (primary document) and art. 72 (certification of true translation, per document). Thus, a Declaration of Value that lists one diploma and one set of transcripts will pay art.66N+ 2 x art. 72. The fee must be paid in the form of money order or cashier’s check made payable to the Consulate of Italy in Los Angeles.  Personal checks or cash are NOT accepted.

9) A pre-paid and self-addressed Fed-Ex envelope (NO UPS, please) is required for us to return your documents (on the pre-paid envelope, the sender and recipient MUST BE the same person, the consulate’s name and address cannot appear on the envelope).  The above mentioned documents must be sent to:

Student Office
Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles
12424 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1400
Los Angeles CA 90025

For further information regarding the issuance of a Declaration of Value, please write to losangeles.studi@esteri.it

Please note:

• Incomplete applications or ineligible documents will result in the application being returned
• We reserve the right to ask any additional supporting documents whenever we see fit.

Useful link:
Translators 
Secretary of State Offices