Declaration of Value (DOV) for Italian Visa : For Work and Study
- UPDATED A MONTH AGO
Understanding the Italian visa requirements is a little bit complicated compared to other European countries. Declaration of Value (DOV) for Italy is one such that adds more complications to the Italian visa process. Whether you are applying for a work visa or study visa to Italy, a DOV is an important document. In this article, you will find detailed information and the process to get DOV for an Italian work and study visa.
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What Is the Declaration of Value (DOV) in India?
A declaration of value (DOV) is an official document issued by Italian diplomatic missions in India such as the embassy or consulate on your educational qualification. The document will include details such as name, birth date, issuing institution, course duration, final grade, and grading system. This helps in legitimising your Indian degree in Italy and to compare your educational qualifications and grades to that of the Italian education system.
Why Do You Need a DOV for Italy from India?
Italy does not accept educational qualifications obtained from India or any other non European country. Thus if you are planning to apply for a work visa or study visa for Italy, submitting your highest educational qualification is mandatory.
Some universities will specifically mention during the application procedure to get DOV for your educational documents. The requirement of DOV for a work visa highly depends on the type of work and employer. Some work related procedures such as blue card, Italian health department work position, and nulla osta mandatorily require a declaration of value (DOV). Thus, Italian work visa and student visa are the common situations were a DOV is required in India.
Step by Step Process to Get DOV in India
Italian DOV can be obtained from the embassy or consulate of Italy in India. Before submitting the certificate to Italian diplomatic offices, you need to get an apostille for your educational documents. We will explain each step of getting a DOV for Italy in India briefly below. We will look into the detailed explanation later in this article.
- Get apostille through HRD Attestation method
- Get Certified Italian Translation
- Submit to Italian embassy or consulate for DOV
Now let us explore each one of the steps in detail.
Apostille for Italian DOV in India
An apostille is a certificate issued by the ministry of external affairs to authenticate documents issued in India to use abroad. Apostille for Italy like any other country is obtained from MEA India. There are two methods of attestation to get an apostille in India. They are:
However, for submitting to the Italian embassy for DOV, an attestation from the state department is mandatory. Following are the steps to get an apostille for your educational documents for Italian DOV:
- Verification at the university: SAS Apostille will verify the originality of the educational document with the institution that issued it. We will start processing it, only after receiving confirmation from the institution about its authenticity.
- Submit to the HRD department of the state where the university is situated : The regional authentication center from the concerned state will check with the respective university. Depending on the state, time taken for this process will vary. Some states may even take more than a month for HRD attestation. After verification, the officials from the HRD will attest your document.
- Submit to the ministry of external affairs: Finally, SAS Apostille will submit your educational documents to the ministry of external affairs. The ministry will check the details and attest it. FInally the ministry will affix an apostille stamp on the backside of your educational document.
Now, the apostille process is finished.
Italian Embassy Approved Translation for DOV
The Italian embassy will not accept documents in English. It is mandatory to get a translation of your educational document along with the apostille stamp. However, all types of translations are not accepted by the embassy of Italy in India. You need to check for the embassy approved certified translation. Secure Apostille Services can help you with the same.
Submit Application to the Consulate / VFS
Prepare the DOV application and submit it to your respective embassy or consulate. You can either visit the respective Italian embassy or consulate by yourself or take help of service providers such as Secure Apostille Services to facilitate the entire process of applying for DOV. Since the rejection rate of Italian visa applications is higher considering how peculiar their requirements are, it is always better to hire some service providers to handle the entire process.
Documents Required for DOV Submission:
- Original apostilled degree
- Original apostilled mark sheets / transcripts
- Photocopies of all above documents
- Copy of passport (first and last page)
- Cover Letter: Mention your purpose (study/work), your university/employer in Italy, and your personal details
- Pre-enrollment summary from UNIVERSITALY portal (for study visas only)
- Proof of admission or job offer
- Data protection form (available on consulate websites)
Jurisdiction Of Italian Consulate or Embassy for DOV Application
| Italian Diplomatic Mission | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
Embassy of Italy, New Delhi | Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, UT of Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, UT of Jammu and Kashmir, UT of Ladakh |
Consulate General, Bangalore | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Puducherry. |
Consulate General, Kolkata | Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
Consulate General, Mumbai | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala |
DOV Processing Time in India
- MEA Apostille Including HRD Attestation- 30 Days. Time for getting HRD attestation may increase in some states such as Tamil Nadu.
- Italian translation- 2 to 3 days
- DOV processing- 2 to 8 weeks depending on the work loads.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Applying for DOV
- Submitting incomplete documents (e.g., missing apostille or translations)
- Attestation done by the wrong department, SDM attestation is not enough for Italy, although MEA will give an apostille with SDM attestation
- Jurisdiction mismatch—document issued in Maharashtra but submitted to Delhi consulate
- Not booking VFS appointments in time—leads to delays
Successfully navigating the Declaration of Value (DoV) process is crucial for both Italian Work and Study Visa applications from India.
Final Checklist Before Starting
- Identify issuing consulate based on certificate origin
- Authenticate degree/transcripts with state and Apostille
- Translate documents if required
- Gather supporting documents (letters, forms, pre-enrollment)
- Book VFS appointments early
- Track processing times and follow up if delayed
DOV Application form For Each Consulate/Embassy Jurisdiction
| Counsulate/Embassy | DOV Application Form |
|---|---|
Italian Embassy in Delhi | |
Consulate of Italy in Kolkata | |
Italian Consulate in Bangalore | |
Italian Consulate in Bangalore | |
Italian Consulate in Mumbai | |
Italian Consulate in Mumbai |
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Provide applicant details
Frequently asked questions
You need to get a one and the same certificate for Italian DOV stating that the person mentioned in all these certificates are one and the same. Although, an affidavit can be made stating this, Italian embassy specifically mentions that they do not accept an affidavit. Thus, you need to get a one and the same certificate and get it apsotilled. Learn more about the process of getting a one and the same certificate for Italian DOV application.
No. Italian embassy and consulates in India has specifically mentioned their jurisdiction in their website. You cannot apply for DOV application randomly to any consulate. You need to submit it to the consulate from respective area. Since Kerala comes under the jurisdiction of Consulate of Mumbai, you need to apply there only.
No. For Italian DOV application, obtaining attestation from the HRD ministry of the state where the university is situated is mandatory. Although MEA issues an apostille for your degree certificate after HRD attestation, Italy will not accept document apostille through SDM attestation method.