Recognising a foreign professional qualification in Italy: documents, Apostille and translation
There is no single authority for every profession. Health, MIMIT, other bodies: which documents usually go in and when you translate.
October 12, 2026 · 2 min
You want to practise in Italy a profession you trained or qualified for abroad. This is not a public competition and it is not academic recognition. It is recognition of the professional qualification, governed in Italy mainly by Legislative Decree 206/2007 (Directive 2005/36/EC).
Authority
There is no single counter for every profession. Healthcare, teaching, architecture, MIMIT trades, sport: different authorities. A “universal” guide would be false.
Who is competent (examples, not a closed list)
| Area (example) | Official starting point |
|---|---|
| Healthcare professions | Ministry of Health — applications portal |
| Professions and trades under MIMIT / Region competence | MIMIT — foreign professional qualifications |
| Other sectors | Legislative Decree 206/2007 allocates the authorities (education, labour, public service, etc.) |
MIMIT notes that, for many activities in the sector annex, competence lies with the Region, which must identify the authority; until that identification, the Ministry acts. Check the Region in which you intend to practise.
Documents that usually come in
- qualification / professional diploma;
- transcript or detailed academic certificate;
- licence to practise, professional-register membership, certificate of conformity or good standing;
- proof of experience, if the rules allow it;
- identity and, for extra-EU qualifications, legalisation or Apostille;
- translation into Italian.
The exact set is in the authority’s form, not on this page. CIMEA places this route in the table of recognitions aimed at professional practice.
Apostille and translation
Extra-EU qualifications usually arrive with an Apostille or legalisation from the issuing country. EU qualifications follow the directive: do not copy an Apostille “out of habit”. When Italian is required, sworn translation of academic and professional documents.
Have you been asked to translate a degree, licence or transcript? Request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does professional recognition let me sit a public competition?
They are separate procedures. For a competition, read Article 38 / the notice, not the MIMIT or Health Ministry decree.
How long does it take?
MIMIT indicates, for procedures within its competence, a four-month time limit from a complete file. Other authorities have their own time limits.
