The procedure to be followed to request the authentication of documents at the Holy See:

• Requesting the documents you wish to endorse from the General Secretariat (more information is available at Requesting certificates and diplomas).
• Request for endorsement of documents at:

– The Department for Culture and Education – P.zza Pio XII n. 3 – tel. 06.69.884.167 – fax 06.69.884.172. For the degree to be recognised, it must at least be endorsed (as mentioned, this varies from state to state) and bear:

1. 1. the original copy of the Diploma on parchment and a photocopy;
   2. the Certificate of Qualification (containing the examinations taken).

 – The Vatican Secretariat of State – (Vatican Apostolic Palace). Vatican City – tel. 06.6988.3438 – fax 06.6988.5088, providing the original Diploma and certificate of examinations to have the signatures authenticated

Documents that can be endorsed at the Holy See are only those related to obtaining the academic Baccalaureates, Degrees and Doctorates.

The University offers an endorsement service for its students upon request.

According to Presidential Decree no. 63 of 27 May 2019 (OJ.pdf), to date the Italian state ensures the civil recognition of the pontifical academic Baccalaureates and Degrees, respectively as Laurea and Laurea magistrale, in the following disciplines: Theology, Sacred Scripture, Canon Law, Liturgy, Spirituality, Missiology and Religious Sciences.

The aforementioned decree updates Article 10.2 of Law no. 121 of 25 March 1985 and the Decree of the President of the Republic, 2 February 1994, no. 175.

To proceed with civil recognition in Italy, the interested party must first request the following certificates from the General Secretariat:

• Diploma and Certificate of Achievement with declaration of the 13 years of teaching and 180 ECTS* for recognition of the Baccalaureate as a ‘Laurea’.
• Diploma and Certificate of Achievement with declaration of 20 years of teaching and 120 ECTS* for recognition of the Degree as a ‘Laura Magistrale’.

* For those who obtained their academic qualifications before the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) came into force at the University, upon request it will be possible to obtain a declaration of equivalence as an attachment to the certificate stating that the five-year curriculum has fulfilled the 180 credits required for the Baccalaureate and the subsequent two-year specialisation (Degree) has fulfilled the 120 credits for the Degree.

For legalisation by the Italian state, instructions on this page must be followed:

https://ambsantasedevaticano.esteri.it/it/informazioni_e_servizi/servizi_consolari/legalizzazione-documenti 

Below is the process for legalisation by the Italian state currently known to us:

• See the CIMEA website: https://www.cimea.it/EN/pagina-procedure-riconoscimento-titoli

• Book the legalisation service at https://prenotami.esteri.it on behalf of the title holder.
  • Reservation by proxy:
    • If you intend to delegate a third person for the process, the appointment must always be made in the name of the title holder.
    • The proxy shall be responsible for submitting the original copy of the proxy on plain paper and a photocopy of the delegating party’s ID.
    • If the proxy represents several people, they will have to make an appointment for each delegating party. The service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis at the embassy.
• At the same time as the legalisation of the qualification, if requested by other Italian public administrations, the corresponding Declaration of Value may also be issued. In this case, in addition to the original title, it will be necessary to present the Diploma Supplement certificate, which has also already been legalised by the two Vatican bodies (Holy See)
• On the day of the appointment, the person must attend with an identification document and an original copy of their qualification. The Italian Embassy at the Holy See is located in Viale delle Belle Arti. Rome – tel. 06.3264881
• For the costs and payment method of legalisation and declaration of value services, see https://ambsantasedevaticano.esteri.it/ambasciata_santasedevaticano/it/informazioni_e_servizi/servizi_consolari/legalizzazione-documenti.html

Finally, an application must be submitted on plain paper, together with all the documents and endorsements indicated above, to the Ministry of Education, University and Research – Equivalence Office – Via Michele Carcani, 61. Rome – Tel. 06 9772.6090.

The Master’s Diploma in Religious Sciences (four-year degree) is not among the degrees subject to recognition by the Italian State. However, it is valid for carrying out teaching activities according to the decree by the President of the Republic on 20 August 2012 (no. 175)

After obtaining the endorsement at the Vatican Secretariat of State, it is necessary to go to your country’s embassy at the Holy See, or to the Apostolic Nunciature in that country, for the corresponding endorsements. Finally, you must follow the instructions of the ministerial educational body from which you wish to apply for recognition of your qualification.

The person responsible for initiating and continuing the process of civil recognition of titles is the person who obtained the title. Therefore, the person concerned must proceed in accordance with the rules issued by the entity where they wish to recognise their title (for example, for Italy this body is the Ministry of Universities and Research; for Mexico it is the Secretaría de Educación Pública).

During this process, the University limits itself to the issuing of certificates and parchment diplomas relating to the courses of study it offers. Information on the certificates and diplomas awarded can be found on this page: Request for certificates and diplomas.