Legalization of documents a.y. 2026-27
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Pursuant to article 33 of Italian law No. 445 of 28 December 2000, signatures affixed to deeds and documents issued by foreign authorities and intended to have legal effect within the Italian State must be legalized by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular representations abroad. Such deeds and documents, when drafted in a foreign language, must be accompanied by an Italian translation. This translation must also be certified as conforming to the original foreign text either by the competent Italian diplomatic or consular representation or by a duly authorized official translator.
The legalization and the translation are essential requirements for deeds and documents issued by foreign authorities to be deemed valid and effective within the Italian legal system. These formalities ensure compliance with the regulations established by the national legal framework.
Consequently, Bocconi University does not possess the authority to modify or override regulations established by the national government. The same principle applies to Italian citizens who choose to submit documents issued by Italian authorities for use abroad: such documents must comply with the relevant legal and procedural requirements set forth by the receiving foreign jurisdiction.
Alternatively, the 127 countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention may utilize the apostille procedure. This process is generally faster and simpler than legalization and must be initiated through the competent local authorities in the country where the document was issued.
In most cases—although this may vary depending on the administrative regulations established at the national level—the competent authority is typically the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In any event, we strongly recommend that you consult directly with your local advisor to ensure full compliance with the regulations in force in your country.
As a general rule, only documents issued by public authorities are subject to legalization or apostille procedures. Consequently, it is not necessary to undertake this process for documents issued by private entities such as banks or companies.
In such cases, it is sufficient to provide a translation carried out by an officially recognized translator.
The legalization of documents differs from country to country and falls into 3 main areas, listed below. If your country is classified under Group B or Group C, please refer to the information provided here.
Legalization is not required for documents issued by countries that are signatories and have ratified the Brussels Convention of 25 May 1987, (Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland and Latvia), as well as for the countries that have signed bilateral agreements with the Italian government (Germany and Hungary).
Group A
Documents that are issued by local authorities of one of these countries, based on the 1961 Hague Convention, are exempted from legalization at the Italian Embassy (even in that kind of legalization is still possible) but must be stamped with the "Apostille' as provided for in Article 6 of the aforementioned Convention.
Group B
All other countries that do not fall under groups A or B require legalization through the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country of origin. All students belonging to countries not listed in the previous points must have the documents issued in their country of origin and legalized through the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their country of origin.