By Avv. Caterina Luzzi Conti · Immigration Lawyer at MoveWise · Last updated: 14 November 2026

💡 The short answer: No, you do not need both a degree and 5 years' experience for the Italy Digital Nomad Visa: they are alternative ways to prove highly qualified work. If you use a non-EU degree, validate it with a Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore) from the Italian consulate of the country where you studied, or with a CIMEA statement requested online (€300, 60 working days as standard in 2026). Without a degree, document 5 years of comparable experience.

Key facts for 2026

• Legal basis: the Interministerial Decree of 29 February 2024 requires "highly qualified" work as defined by article 27-quater of the Consolidated Immigration Act (Legislative Decree 286/1998).
• Four alternative routes: a degree from a programme of at least 3 years (EQF level 6); a regulated profession recognised in Italy (Legislative Decree 206/2007); 5 years of experience at a comparable level; or 3 years within the last 7 for ICT managers and specialists (ISCO-08 groups 133 and 25).
• Separate requirement: at least 6 months of prior experience in the field you will work in remotely, whatever route you use.
• Declaration of Value: issued by the Italian consulate or embassy competent for the place where the degree was obtained; it is an informative document, not a recognition of the degree.
• CIMEA statement: issued online by the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre through the DiploMe platform, in Italian only, as a non-binding opinion on the qualification's level.
• CIMEA cost and time: €300 (VAT included) for the comparability and verification service, 60 working days as standard; an urgent comparability procedure costs €100 more (30 working days).
• Consular acceptance: 2026 checklists from Tbilisi, Wellington and Sydney, and the US consulates' pages, accept a CIMEA statement in place of the Declaration of Value.
• Experience evidence: consular checklists ask for contracts and at least two payslips per year, employer letters, or (for self-employed) a business licence and tax assessments covering the period.

This guide is for non-EU remote workers and freelancers preparing an Italy Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) file. After reading it you will know which of the three practical options fits you (Declaration of Value, CIMEA statement or work experience), what each costs, how long it takes and which evidence consulates accept.

It is written by MoveWise's Legal Managers for Italy, who prepare these files for consulates in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Fees and times come from CIMEA and the consulates' own pages; where something is our experience rather than published guidance, we say so.

The full list of DNV requirements (income, lease, insurance, family) is in our Italy Digital Nomad Visa requirements checklist. Here we cover only the qualification. The pitfall this guide helps you avoid: starting the slowest document in the file last, or proving a degree when your experience would have been enough.

In this guide:

• What changed recently
• Which route fits you?
• What the decree actually requires
• The Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore)
• The CIMEA statement
• Declaration of Value vs CIMEA, point by point
• Qualifying through work experience
• When a consulate asks for the Declaration of Value anyway
• Apostilles and translations for this requirement
• How to prepare your qualification evidence, step by step
• Timeline and costs
• Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed recently

The decree has not changed since April 2024. What changed is the documentation around it.

• CIMEA accepted in writing. Checklists published in 2026 by the Embassy of Italy in Tbilisi, the Embassy in Wellington and the Consulate General in Sydney state that a CIMEA statement can replace the Declaration of Value.
• CIMEA's published prices and times. CIMEA's DiploMe platform lists €300 and 60 working days for its standard comparability and verification service, which makes it slower than many applicants expect.
• Consular practice on the experience route. In our files, at least one consulate (Detroit) has asked for the Declaration of Value from applicants qualifying through experience. We explain your options below.

Which route fits you?

Choose the route that you can prove fastest with documents from third parties. If you want a second opinion, our Italy Digital Nomad Visa service starts with an eligibility check that includes this choice.

✅ Degree with a Declaration of Value, if:

• Your degree comes from a programme of at least 3 years and the issuing Italian consulate is easy to reach (often the one where you live).
• Your consulate prefers the Declaration of Value, or you want the document every Italian office knows.

✅ Degree with a CIMEA statement, if:

• The consulate that would issue your Declaration of Value is far away, slow, or does not take appointments easily.
• You studied in a country other than the one where you apply, and want to handle the process online.

✅ Work experience, if:

• You have no degree, or your degree is from a programme shorter than 3 years.
• You can prove 5 years at a comparable level (3 within the last 7 for ICT roles) with contracts, payslips, tax records or official records.

❌ None of the routes fits if you have neither a qualifying degree nor documented experience at that level. Spain's remote-work visa accepts 3 years of experience instead of a degree: compare it in our Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements guide and our guide to the three ways employees qualify in Spain. Portugal uses different rules again: see the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa checklist. If you will not work at all, the Elective Residence Visa checklist has no qualification requirement.

👉 Check your eligibility with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us your degree, where you studied and your work history, and we will tell you honestly which route your consulate is most likely to accept.

What the decree actually requires

The decree requires highly qualified work, and article 27-quater of the Consolidated Immigration Act defines it through four alternative routes. You need one of them, not all.

• Degree: a higher-education qualification from a programme lasting at least 3 years, or a post-secondary qualification at EQF level 6. The Tbilisi checklist describes it as a third-level qualification certifying a course of at least three years.
• Regulated profession: a qualification for a profession regulated in Italy, recognised by the competent Italian authority under Legislative Decree 206/2007 before you apply.
• Five years of experience: a higher professional qualification attested by at least 5 years of experience at a level comparable to a degree.
• ICT: at least 3 years of relevant experience within the previous 7 years for ICT service managers (ISCO-08 group 133) and ICT professionals (group 25).

On top of the route you choose, the decree asks for at least 6 months of prior experience in the field you will work in remotely. A degree alone does not cover this: you still need a contract, employer letter or client evidence for the recent period.

💡 Pro tip: A 4-year US bachelor's or a 3-year UK bachelor's qualifies. A 2-year associate degree or a short diploma usually does not, so check the length of the programme before you spend money on validating it.

The Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore)

The Declaration of Value is a document issued by an Italian consulate or embassy that describes a foreign qualification: the nature and level of the institution, the legal length of the course, access requirements and the value of the degree in its home country. The Embassy of Italy in Nairobi describes it as "not a form of recognition of the degree, but a document of an informative nature".

Who issues it

Only the Italian office competent for the place where the degree was obtained. The New York consulate issues it for qualifications "obtained exclusively in this Consular Constituency". This matters when you studied in one country (or US state) and live in another: the consulate that issues your visa is not necessarily the one that issues your Declaration of Value.

What you usually need

• The degree certificate and transcript, as originals or certified copies, with an apostille (or consular legalisation in countries outside the Hague Convention).
• An Italian translation; consulates set different rules on who may translate it, so read the issuing office's page.
• A passport copy, the consulate's application form and, at many offices, a prepaid return envelope.
• At some offices, an authenticated signature on the application: New York states this is mandatory for non-EU citizens not resident in Italy.

Time and cost

• Time: set by each office. Nairobi states 20 days; the Chicago consulate states that rush processing is not available. In our files one degree has typically taken about a month.
• Cost: a consular fee set by each office, often charged per degree and translated page; some consulates waive it only for university enrolment. Pay the amount shown by the issuing office.

⚠️ Common mistake: Requesting the Declaration of Value from the consulate where you live when you studied elsewhere. It will be refused or redirected, and you lose weeks.

The CIMEA statement

The CIMEA statement is issued online by CIMEA, the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre, and is accepted by many consulates in place of the Declaration of Value. You request it yourself on the DiploMe platform.

What it says

According to CIMEA, a statement of comparability records whether the issuing institution is recognised in its national system, the qualification's level under the Bologna Process and the European Qualifications Framework, and its comparability with an Italian qualification. It is a "non-binding opinion", it is issued only in Italian for foreign qualifications, and it is stored digitally (with blockchain) in the DiploMe wallet; CIMEA does not send paper copies.

Which service you need

For most countries the service is comparability and verification: CIMEA also checks with the institution, databases or national authorities that the degree was actually awarded. The comparability and verification service costs €300 (VAT included) per qualification. A comparability-only service (€150) exists, but CIMEA limits it to the few countries where authenticity cannot be verified.

Time

The CIMEA FAQ gives 60 working days, Monday to Friday, as the basic timeline for all statements, counted from payment and complete documents. An urgent procedure for comparability costs €100 more and reduces this to 30 working days; it can only be chosen when you apply. CIMEA warns that verification depends on third parties abroad and can take longer.

Practical rules

• Only the qualification holder can apply: CIMEA states that no assessment is processed through intermediaries. Your adviser can guide you, but the account must be yours.
• The request covers the qualification as a whole (diploma, transcript, Diploma Supplement together).
• CIMEA may ask for originals to be sent by your institution, or for official certification from the authorities of your country.

💡 Pro tip: In our files an apostilled degree has been enough for the CIMEA route, because the statement itself is in Italian. Upload clear scans of the apostilled degree and the transcript from the start: incomplete files restart the clock.

Declaration of Value vs CIMEA, point by point

Both prove the same thing to the consulate; they differ in who issues them, cost, time and convenience.

Who issues it

• Declaration of Value: the Italian consulate competent for where you studied.
• CIMEA: an Italian centre, online, for any country.

Time

• Declaration of Value: set by the issuing office (Nairobi states 20 days; about a month per degree in our files).
• CIMEA: 60 working days as standard, 30 with the urgent comparability procedure.

Cost

• Declaration of Value: a consular fee that varies by office and number of pages.
• CIMEA: €300 for comparability and verification, plus €100 for urgency.

Documents

• Declaration of Value: apostilled degree and transcript, Italian translation, often by post.
• CIMEA: uploads on DiploMe; in our files an apostilled degree has been sufficient.

Accepted by

• Declaration of Value: every Italian consulate.
• CIMEA: the consulates whose checklists say so (Tbilisi, Wellington, Sydney, the US consulates and others); check yours.

Best when

• Declaration of Value: the issuing consulate is your own or easy to reach, and it works quickly.
• CIMEA: you studied far from where you live, or the issuing consulate is slow or hard to book.

Qualifying through work experience

You can qualify without a degree with 5 years of experience at a level comparable to a degree, or 3 years within the last 7 for ICT managers and specialists. The test is what an officer can verify from documents issued by someone other than you.

What consulates publish

• Employees: previous contracts and payslips, at least two for each year declared, plus a stamped letter on company letterhead describing your roles (Wellington and Sydney checklists).
• Self-employed: a trade or business licence and tax assessments for the last five financial years (Wellington and Sydney).
• Official certificates: Tbilisi and the VFS checklist for India ask for documents issued by the public authority of the country where you gained the experience.

What holds up in our files

• Proper contracts for each period, ideally signed by both parties. London, in our experience, relies heavily on them.
• Employer letters signed by HR or a senior manager with dates, role and duties.
• Tax documents issued by employers: a US W-2 or UK P60, or a Form 1099 from a US client for freelance years.
• UK applicants: the National Insurance record (6 to 7 years) together with the HMRC employment history.
• Freelance years: client contracts and reference letters. Invoices you issued are not used as proof unless the client instructed the work in writing, and monthly reports count only if the client countersigned them.

⚠️ Common mistake: Building five years from self-made documents (your own CV, invoices, a self-declaration). They support the file, but they do not prove the experience.

💡 Pro tip: Draft a one-page timeline of your career that cross-references each document by period. Officers check continuity; a gap you explain in advance is rarely the problem, a gap you leave unexplained often is.

👉 Want a MoveWise Client Manager to check your qualification evidence? — send us your degree details or your work history, and we will tell you whether it is likely to meet your consulate's reading of the requirement.

When a consulate asks for the Declaration of Value anyway

The decree treats a degree and experience as alternatives, yet some consulates ask for the Declaration of Value even when you qualify through experience. In our files Detroit has done so repeatedly.

You have two options:

• Obtain the Declaration of Value for one degree. In our experience it takes about a month and ends the discussion. It is usually the faster path if you hold any qualifying degree.
• Answer in writing. Cite the decree's alternative routes and the consulate's own published guidelines, and file your experience evidence in full. This is the right path when you have no qualifying degree, but it can add time.

💡 Pro tip: If you hold a degree but plan to rely on experience, start the Declaration of Value or CIMEA anyway, in parallel. If the consulate never asks, you lose little; if it does, you are weeks ahead.

Apostilles and translations for this requirement

Each route has its own document chain. Check your consulate's checklist for its translation rules: some, such as Tbilisi, require translations certified as conforming to the original, and the VFS checklist for India asks for translations attested by Italian authorities.

Apostille + Italian translation

• Degree and transcript for the Declaration of Value.
• Certified copies, where the consulate accepts copies, apostilled by the competent authority.

Apostille, no translation (in our files)

• Degree uploaded for the CIMEA statement.

Standard translation into Italian (usually)

• Employment contracts, employer letters, payslips and tax documents used for the experience route.
• Your CV, which must match the contracts and letters.

Documents from countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention need consular legalisation instead of an apostille.

How to prepare your qualification evidence, step by step

1. Read your consulate's checklist and note whether it mentions the Declaration of Value, CIMEA or both, and its translation rules.
2. Choose your route: degree (3+ years) or experience (5 years, or 3 in 7 for ICT). If you have a degree, validate it even if you lean on experience.
3. Apostille the degree with the competent authority of the country where it was issued.
4. Start the validation first: request the Declaration of Value from the consulate where you studied, or open your DiploMe account and apply to CIMEA (choose urgency at the start if you need it).
5. Collect experience evidence for the recent 6 months in your field and, on the experience route, for the full 5 years.
6. Translate what the consulate requires, and align your CV with every date in the documents.
7. Book your visa appointment so that the validation arrives before the date, and build the rest of the file around it. The other requirements are covered in our requirements checklist.

Timeline and costs

Typical ranges, from official pages and our files, not guarantees.

• Apostille: days to a few weeks, depending on the country.
• Declaration of Value: set by the issuing office; about a month for one degree in our files.
• CIMEA: 60 working days (about 12 weeks) as standard; 30 working days with the urgent comparability procedure.
• Experience evidence: 2 to 6 weeks to collect contracts, letters and official records, longer if former employers are slow.

Costs

• CIMEA: €300 for comparability and verification (€150 for comparability only, where CIMEA offers it), plus €100 for urgency.
• Declaration of Value: the issuing consulate's fee; amounts vary and change, so check its page.
• Apostilles and translations: set by the issuing authority and the translator.

For the rest of the timeline see the pillar guide, and for after arrival our Italy DNV renewal and extension guide.

Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Starting the validation last. Fix: request the Declaration of Value or CIMEA before anything else.
2. Asking the wrong consulate. Fix: the Declaration of Value comes from the office competent for where you studied.
3. Choosing CIMEA because it is "faster". Fix: plan on 60 working days unless you pay for urgency.
4. Applying to CIMEA through someone else's account. Fix: the account must be the degree holder's.
5. A degree shorter than 3 years. Fix: switch to the experience route if you have 5 years at a comparable level.
6. Experience proven only with self-made documents. Fix: contracts, payslips, employer letters, tax or social security records.
7. Forgetting the 6-month requirement. Fix: document recent experience in your field even if your degree qualifies you.
8. A CV that contradicts the evidence. Fix: one consistent set of dates and job titles across CV, contracts and letters.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree for the Italy digital nomad visa?

No. A degree from a programme of at least 3 years is one of four alternative routes. You can also qualify with a regulated profession recognised in Italy, 5 years of experience at a comparable level, or 3 years within the last 7 if you are an ICT manager or specialist. You need one route, not all.

What is a Dichiarazione di Valore?

A Dichiarazione di Valore (Declaration of Value) is a document issued by the Italian consulate competent for the place where you obtained your degree. It describes the institution, the course length and level, and the value of the degree in its home country. It is informative: it does not recognise the degree, but consulates use it to assess the requirement.

Can I use a CIMEA statement instead of the Declaration of Value?

Yes, at most consulates. The 2026 checklists of Tbilisi, Wellington and Sydney and the US consulates' pages accept a CIMEA statement in place of the Declaration of Value. Check your own consulate's checklist first, because each office sets its own document list and some still prefer the Declaration of Value.

How much does a CIMEA statement cost?

€300, VAT included, for the comparability and verification service that applies to most countries. CIMEA's comparability-only service costs €150 but is limited to a few countries where verification is not possible. The urgent comparability procedure costs €100 more. These are the prices published on CIMEA's DiploMe platform in November 2026.

How long does CIMEA take?

60 working days, Monday to Friday, is CIMEA's basic timeline, counted from payment and complete documents: about 12 weeks. The urgent comparability procedure reduces it to 30 working days. Verification depends on institutions abroad and can take longer, so CIMEA is not automatically faster than a Declaration of Value.

Which consulate issues my Declaration of Value?

The Italian consulate or embassy competent for the place where you obtained the degree, not the one where you live. For example, a degree from a New York university is handled by the New York consulate, even if you apply for the visa elsewhere. If that office is far away or slow, a CIMEA statement avoids the problem.

Can I qualify for the Italy digital nomad visa without a degree?

Yes, with at least 5 years of professional experience at a level comparable to a degree, or 3 years within the last 7 for ICT managers and specialists. Prove it with contracts, payslips (at least two per year at several consulates), employer letters, tax records or official records such as the UK National Insurance record.

Do I still need the Declaration of Value if I qualify through experience?

No, not under the decree, which treats a degree and experience as alternatives. In practice some consulates (Detroit, in our files) have asked for it anyway. If you hold a degree, obtaining the Declaration of Value for one degree usually takes about a month and is faster than a dispute.

Does my degree need to be translated into Italian?

Yes, for the Declaration of Value: consulates need the apostilled degree with an Italian translation, under the issuing office's rules. For a CIMEA statement, in our files an apostilled degree has been enough, because CIMEA issues the statement in Italian. Some consulates still ask for translations, so check your checklist.

Is the CIMEA statement the same as legal recognition of my degree?

No. CIMEA describes its statement as a non-binding opinion on the level and comparability of your qualification, and the Declaration of Value is also informative. Neither gives your degree the legal value of an Italian one; that is a separate procedure. For the visa, either document is what consulates ask for.

How MoveWise can help

The qualification documents are the slowest in an Italy DNV file. Our Legal Managers for Italy decide the route with you at the start and sequence it ahead of everything else.

• Eligibility first (Module 1): a Legal Manager reviews your degree or career, checks your consulate's checklist and tells you which route to use and which documents to start first.
• Full preparation and submission (Module 2): we guide you through the Declaration of Value or your CIMEA application (which must be in your name), prepare the work-experience explanatory note and the CV in Italian, check every translation, and build the rest of the file through to your residence permit.
• If the consulate asks for more: we answer requests for the Declaration of Value on the experience route, citing the decree and the consulate's guidelines where that is the better option.
• Our guarantee: a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement.

We have more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot, and our free webinars on the Italy DNV cover this requirement every time. Learn more about our Italy Digital Nomad Visa service, or see how Italian permanent residence works once you are settled.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us where you studied and where you will apply, and we will tell you honestly whether to use a Declaration of Value, CIMEA or your experience.

Sources and legal references

• CIMEA DiploMe: Statement of Comparability service
• CIMEA DiploMe: Statement of Comparability and Verification service
• CIMEA DiploMe: frequently asked questions
• Embassy of Italy in Tbilisi: digital nomads and remote workers checklist (2026)
• Embassy of Italy in Wellington: digital nomad / remote worker visa checklist (2026)
• Consulate General of Italy in Sydney: digital nomads and remote workers checklist (2026)
• VFS Global for the Italian consulates in India: digital nomad or remote work checklist
• Consulate General of Italy in New York: Declarations of value
• Consulate General of Italy in Chicago: Dichiarazione di Valore application (July 2026)
• Embassy of Italy in Nairobi: Declaration of Value
• Ministry of Labour integration portal: digital nomads and remote workers
• Interministerial Decree of 29 February 2024 on highly qualified remote workers (Official Gazette, 4 April 2024); Consolidated Immigration Act (Legislative Decree 286/1998), article 27-quater; Legislative Decree 206/2007

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 14 November 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

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The requirements are manageable; assembling the documents and navigating consular practice is where applications go wrong. If you have questions about the Italy Digital Nomad Visa, BOOK TODAY a 100% Free Consultation. We're here to help you at every step.

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