Public competitions

Public competitions

In Italy, the access to public competitions for positions in the Civil Service is open to Italian or European citizens holding a foreign qualification at any level (secondary school or Higher Education diploma). The qualification must be officially recognized as provided by art. 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001.

The purpose of the procedure is to determine the equivalence of the foreign degree to the Italian one required for admission to the public competition, without requesting the award of an Italian academic title (equipollenza).

The authority in charge of the evaluation of foreign titles is:
Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
Dipartimento della Funzione Pubblica
Ufficio P.P.A. – Servizio Reclutamento

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 116 – 00186 Roma
tel. +39 06-68997453-7470
e-mail: servizioreclutamento@funzionepubblica.it

It is also possible to download the on-line form for the recognition of foreign degrees for the participation to public competitions for positions in the Civil Service, here

The form is published by the Department of Public Administration (Dipartimento della Funzione Pubblica) and it lists all documents required for admission to the public competition.

What to do:
- submit the application form for the public competition to the Public Administration office that has published the competition announcement (bando di concorso). It is necessary to quote the degree title in the original language and to submit a formal request to be allowed to take part in the competition, as provided by Art. 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001 (admission under special conditions - ammissione sotto condizione);
- send the application for recognition of the foreign degree to the Department of Public Administration (Dipartimento della Funzione Pubblica), in compliance with art. 38 of Legislative Decree 165/2001.

The outcome of the evaluation can be either:
- positive: the foreign title is considered equivalent to the Italian one. The admission is not subject to any condition;
- negative: the foreign title is not considered equivalent to the Italian one. The participation at the public competition will not be considered valid, even if the candidate has taken the full examination.

It is possible to find further information about:
- foreign Higher Education qualifications:
Ministry of Education, University and Research - IX Office - tel. +39 06-97727450;
- foreign primary and secondary school qualifications:
Ministry of Education, University and Research - VI Office - tel. +39 06-58493632.