Following Canada’s ratification of the Hague Convention, as of January 11 2024, a new authentication procedure known as the Apostille will apply to public documents issued in Canada (such as educational documents) for use in Italy. The Apostille will replace the legalization currently issued by the Italian consular network in Canada.
In order to facilitate the transition to the Apostille Convention, starting December 18, 2023 it will not be possible to accept documents without an Apostille.
For further information: https://consvancouver.esteri.it/en/news/dal_consolato/2023/12/il-canada-adotta-lapostille/
GENERAL INFORMATION
- The Consulate General in Vancouver is the authority in charge of issuing Declarations of Value and legalizations of education institutions reports or documents only for qualifications obtained at Canadian schools or universities located in its jurisdiction of Western Canada, which includes the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory.
- For a complete list of the Italian consular network in Canada, please click here.
- Our Consulate General does not issue equivalences of educational qualifications.
DECLARATION OF VALUE (DV) OR CONSULAR DECLARATION (CD)?
The Declaration of Value (DV) can be issued only for documents that have a “legal value” in Italy (e.g. high school Diploma or Bachelor’s degree etc.). The DV is a document that provides information about the qualification obtained in Canada, such as the legal duration of the course of study, admission requirements, etc.
For the procedure and the list of documents see point A below. |
A Consular Declaration (CD) may be requested for school report cards and official/academic transcripts in order to guarantee their authenticity.The DC does not define the “legal value” of such documents, since they do not hold any.
For the procedure and the list of necessary documents see point B below. |
A. HOW TO APPLY FOR A DECLARATION OF VALUE (DV) OF A DIPLOMA/DEGREE
(e.g., Grade 12 Diploma, Bachelor, Master, PhD, etc.)
The following list includes all items that need to be sent by mail (we recommend using certified mail with tracking number) to the Education Office of our Consulate General:
1. Application form EDUC01 (available in the forms page, click here) signed in original by the applicant (if 18 or older) or by a parent (if she/he is a minor). This form also contains the release form necessary to allow the Consulate General to request written and detailed information from the school or university regarding the studies carried out by the student.
2. Photocopy of the passport (or other valid government-issued ID indicating the nationality) of the student and of the parent/legal guardian if the student is a minor.
3. Original Diploma/Degree and Transcripts* bearing the Apostille issued by the competent federal or provincial government:
- For documents issued in British Columbia click here;
- For documents issued in Alberta click here;
- For documents issued in Saskatchewan click here;
- For documents issued in Yukon click here.
In NO CASE will photocopies or certified copies of educational qualifications be accepted. The Apostille must be attached to an original document.
For high school diplomas it is necessary to submit an attendance letter issued by the school confirming the student’s exact dates of enrollment. The letter can be submitted via mail or e-mail.
* For College/University Degrees check with the Italian university or employer to find out if they require that the transcripts be included in the Declaration of Value.
4. If the name that appears on the applicant’s passport (or other valid government-issued ID) doesn’t match exactly the name that appears on the official document(s), the applicant must submit an official letter from the university or school confirming:
- Full name (as it appears on the passport or other valid government-issued ID), student number, date and place of birth of the applicant;
- Details of the document(s) issued to the applicant (i. e., type of document, identification number, date of issue, etc.).
5. Check with the Italian school/university or employer to find out if they require the translation of the Diploma/Degree and transcript. If that is the case, translations (of the document(s) and of the Apostille) must be done by one of the certified translators included in the list available in the forms page (click here).
6. Pre-paid, self-addressed express mail envelope (“Xpress Post Envelope” or similar). The envelope will be used to return the DV and any other documentation to the applicant once the application has been processed. If a postal/courier service is used, the applicant will also need to fill out and sign the form GEN02B (available in the forms page, click here) to authorize the Consulate to send the documents by mail.
This latter point 6 is not needed for applicants who will come to our offices to pick up the documents in person. Applicants who would like to authorize a third person to pick up documents on their behalf can do so by using the form GEN01 (available in the forms page, click here).
Note on fees: The Declaration of Value is free of charge if the applicants need it to continue their studies (please specify, in the application form, which studies you intend to undertake and where). In all other cases, it is subject to the payment of consular fees, article 66N (the amount of which varies every quarter, depending on the Euro/Canadian dollar exchange rate). For current rates check the Table of Consular Fees (available in the forms page, click here).
B. HOW TO APPLY FOR A CONSULAR DECLARATION (CD) FOR ACADEMIC REPORT CARDS OR TRANSCRIPTS
The following list includes all items that need to be sent by mail (we recommend using certified mail with tracking number) to the Education Office of our Consulate General:
1. Application form EDUC01 (available in the forms page, click here) signed in original by the applicant (if 18 or older) or by a parent (if she/he is a minor). This form also contains the release form necessary to allow the Consulate General to request written and detailed information from the school or university regarding the studies carried out by the student.
2. Photocopy of the passport (or other valid government-issued ID indicating the nationality) of the student and of the parent/legal guardian if the student is a minor.
3. Original Report Card or Official Transcript bearing the Apostille issued by the competent federal or provincial government:
- For documents issued in British Columbia click here;
- For documents issued in Alberta click here;
- For documents issued in Saskatchewan click here;
- For documents issued in Yukon click here.
In NO CASE will photocopies or certified copies of educational qualifications be accepted. The Apostille must be attached to an original document.
For high school Report Cards and Transcripts it is necessary to submit an attendance letter issued by the school confirming the student’s exact dates of enrollment. The letter can be submitted via mail or e-mail.
4. Check with the Italian school/university or employer to find out if they require the translation of the Report Card/Transcript. If that is the case, translations must be done by one of the certified translators included in the list available in the forms page (click here).
5. Pre-paid, self-addressed express mail envelope (“Xpress Post Envelope” or similar). The envelope will be used to return the legalization and any other documentation to the applicant once the application has been processed. If a postal/courier service is used, the applicant will also need to fill out and sign the form GEN02B (available in the forms page, click here) to authorize the Consulate to send the documents by mail.
This latter point 5 is not needed for applicants who will come to our offices to pick up the documents in person. Applicants who would like to authorize a third person to pick up documents on their behalf can do so by using the form GEN01 (available in the forms page, click here).
Note on fees: The legalization is free of charge if the applicants need it to continue their studies (please specify, in the application form, which studies you intend to undertake and where). In all other cases, it is subject to the payment of consular fees, article 66N (the amount of which varies every quarter, depending on the Euro/Canadian dollar exchange rate). For current rates check the Table of Consular Fees (available in the forms page, click here).
Last update: 08 Oct, 2024