Italy shuts door on NECO: Only WAEC now accepted for study visas and university admissions
Italy just placed an unexpected roadblock for Nigerian students eyeing Italian universities, and it’s about to reshape how thousands prepare for European education.
Italy has officially stopped accepting NECO (National Examinations Council) results for study visa processing and university admission applications.
From now on, only WAEC (West African Examinations Council) certificates will be recognised from Nigerian applicants seeking to study in the European nation.
Italy: The policy that changes everything
The decision, confirmed by Italian diplomatic authorities, means students who sat for NECO examinations will need to either retake WAEC or abandon Italian university ambitions entirely.
No exceptions. No grandfathering. The door just closed on one of Nigeria’s two major secondary school certification bodies.
For context: both certificates have historically been accepted across most international destinations. Italy’s singular rejection of the National Examinations Council certificate represents a significant departure from standard practice and raises immediate questions about what triggered the policy shift.
The documentation maze just got tighter
Italy’s requirements for foreign document validation were already notoriously complex. Now, with NECO excluded entirely, Nigerian students face an even narrower path to Italian institutions.
According to official Italian consular guidelines, all foreign documents requiring enforcement in Italy, where you can be paid to study for free, must be:
- Legalised by Italian diplomatic and consular representations abroad
- Translated into Italian (except multilingual documents under international conventions)
- Stamped “per traduzione conforme” (certified as conforming to the original)
How the legalisation process works
For countries with “officially recognised translators,” conformity can be certified by the translator, with their signature then legalised by the consular office.
In countries without such translators, including Nigeria in many cases, the certificate of conformity must be issued directly by the consular office itself.
The process requires:
- Scheduling an appointment with the Italian consular office
- Presenting the original document for legalisation
- Providing both the original foreign-language document and the Italian translation for conformity certification
- Payment of fees according to the current Consular Fee Schedule (Tariffa consolare)
The apostille alternative (That Doesn’t Help Here)
Countries that signed the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, benefit from a streamlined “apostille” process that replaces traditional legalisation.
Document holders from these nations can approach their designated national authority, usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to have documents apostilled, making them automatically valid in the European country.
Nigeria is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. Which means Nigerian students get no shortcuts; they must navigate the full consular legalisation process. And now, they must do it exclusively with WAEC certificates.
What this means for Nigerian students
The policy shift creates immediate consequences:
- NECO holders face re-examination: Students who wrote the National Examinations Council must now sit for the West African examination to qualify for Italian universities
- Application timelines disrupted: Those already preparing Italian applications with the National Examinations certificates must restart the process
- Financial burden increases: Additional examination fees, translation costs, and consular processing charges compound
- Strategic school choices matter more: Secondary school students must now factor the certification body into their institution selection
The unanswered question
Italy hasn’t publicly explained why it no longer meets its standards. Both are established Nigerian examination bodies with decades of operation.
The silence around the rationale fuels speculation: Was it a recognition issue? Documentation concerns? Pressure from Italian academic institutions?
Whatever the reason, the effect is clear: Italy just made studying there significantly harder for a substantial portion of Nigerian secondary school graduates.
What should students do now?
For those eyeing Italian universities:
- Verify your certificate: Only the West African Exams are accepted—confirm you hold the right credential
- Start translation early: Italian consular processing takes time; don’t wait until application deadlines
- Budget for fees: Legalisation, translation, and conformity certification all carry costs
- Consider alternatives: If you hold a National Examinations Council certificate, evaluate whether retaking the approved exam or choosing different study destinations makes more sense
Italy remains an attractive destination for Nigerian students, with affordable tuition, a rich cultural heritage, and strong academic programs. But the path just narrowed considerably.
The message is unambiguous: bring a West African Examinations Council certificate, or don’t come at all.
