ISEE Parificato: A Step-by-Step Guide

Who actually needs a parificato

An ordinary ISEE is calculated for families who live and earn in Italy. If your family's income and assets are abroad — which, for an applicant from Russia or the CIS, is almost always the case — you need the separate ISEE parificato ('equivalent ISEE') instead.

The ISEE parificato itself doesn't grant a discount. It simply translates your family's income into Italy's own terms so the university can place you in a fee bracket. How the bracket system itself works is covered separately.

Step 1 — gather the whole family's documents

You need documents not just for the applicant but for the whole official household, with proof of the relationship.

• Passport and codice fiscale — Italy's tax code; if you don't have one, the CAF can usually issue it on the spot.
• A household composition certificate, plus marriage, divorce or separation documents where relevant.
• Income tax declarations for every household member for the relevant reference year.
• Statements of foreign property and bank assets as of 31 December of the reference year.
• A signed authorisation form for the calculation — issued by the CAF your university works with.

Step 2 — translate and legalise

Documents must be translated into Italian and certified as genuine — requirements differ by university; some accept a sworn translation, others want an extra stamp on top. Confirm this before you start gathering documents, not partway through.

Good news for applicants from Russia: both Russia and Italy are parties to the Hague Convention, so full consular legalisation isn't required — an apostille is enough. The difference between an apostille and legalisation, and which applies where, is covered in its own piece.

Step 3 — file through your own university's CAF

Not any CAF can issue an ISEE parificato — only the one your university has an agreement with, and the service is usually free. Most universities now accept the documents online, with no need to appear in person.

The calculation isn't instant: budget weeks for processing, not days before the deadline.

Step 4 — don't miss your university's deadline

There is no single national deadline — each university sets its own, and it often falls months before the semester starts rather than right before it. Missing it has the same effect as never filing at all: the maximum fee bracket, with no recalculation afterward.

Check the deadline and document list on your specific university's own page — not on this article or on generic guides online, which go stale within a year.