Lisbon Convention
Plain English
It's the 1997 Council of Europe and UNESCO treaty on recognising higher-education qualifications across signatory countries. Italy uses it as the legal backbone for accepting foreign degrees through CIMEA and universities.
Why it matters
If your country signed the convention, your degree should be evaluated for what it actually is, not refused outright because of differences in the system. It\'s the reason a UK or Brazilian bachelor can be compared and accepted by Italian universities.
Real example
"When Beatriz applied for a master's in Sassari, her Portuguese degree was assessed under the Lisbon Convention rules. The university accepted it once CIMEA confirmed the comparability."
Common confusion
The convention says signatory countries should recognise each other\'s qualifications by default and only refuse with reasoned grounds. The applicant doesn\'t have to prove the degree is identical to an Italian one.
Official source
CIMEA