Substitutive declarations of certification and/or affidavit (or self-certifications)

Starting from 1 January 2012 the bodies of the Italian public administration (including the University of Verona) and the private providers of public services may neither request nor receive certificates (Art. 15, Law no. 183/2011, which amended several provisions of Presidential Decree no. 445/2000).  

With effect from that date, each certificate must include the following wording, or else it shall not be considered valid: "Il presente certificato non può essere prodotto agli organi della pubblica amministrazione o ai privati gestori di pubblici servizi” (This certificate cannot be produced to bodies of the Italian public administration or private providers of public services in Italy). 

Information concerning documents or facts relating to one's career as a student at the University may be provided to bodies of the Italian public administration and private providers of public services exclusively in the form of a Substitutive declaration of certification (Art. 46 of Presidential Decree no. 445/2000) and/or affidavit (Art. 47 of Presidential Decree no. 445/2000). 

Failure to accept an applicant’s substitutive declaration by bodies of the Italian public administration or private providers of public services constitutes a breach of official duties. Therefore, whoever intends to certify, to a public body or to a private provider of public services, documents or facts relating to their career as a student at the University, must necessarily submit a substitutive declaration of certification and/or affidavit (also called "self-certification"), which shall replace certificates for all legal purposes. Please note that self-certification does not require the payment of a ‘stamp duty’ (marca da bollo, or imposta di bollo).