One and the Same Certificate for an Italy Student Visa and DOV

• When a name is written differently on the passport and on other documents (degree, transcripts, bank or sponsor documents), the New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru visa checklists ask for a one and the same certificate, attested and apostilled.
• Their DOV checklists require it too, or accept a university letter in some cases; none accepts an affidavit.
• No checklist states a timeline, so we compare every name first.
• ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, helps eligible students by preparing and checking their visa and DOV file before the appointment.

How a name mismatch is found and fixed, step by step

The New Delhi and Bengaluru visa checklists open with the same note: no information should differ across the submitted documents. When the difference is in a name, the fix is a one and the same certificate. This is how the process runs across the visa file and the DOV file, and what we handle for eligible students.

1. Name check at the start. The student's name is compared as written on the passport, every school and degree certificate, transcript and marksheet, and the sponsor's name across the ID proof, bank statements and income documents. For eligible students, we run this comparison before anything is attested or apostilled, so a mismatch surfaces while there is still time to fix it.
2. Which file needs the certificate. The visa checklists ask for it when the student's or the sponsor's name differs between the passport and any other document. The DOV (declaration of value, dichiarazione di valore) checklists deal with the student's name on the degree documents and the passport. The visa goes to the office for the state where the student lives and the DOV to the office for the state that issued the degree, so two offices' rules can apply. We map which rule applies to each file.
3. Issuing authority. The certificate comes from the authority the checklist names. For the DOV, New Delhi accepts one from the Tehsildar or SDM (Sub-divisional Magistrate) of the place of residence; Mumbai names the Tehsildar, the Registrar of Births and Deaths (Municipal Corporation) or the Gram Panchayat; Bengaluru wants it on the issuing authority's letterhead. All three DOV checklists refuse affidavits. We arrange the certificate from the right authority for eligible students.
4. Attestation and apostille. Every checklist that mentions the certificate asks for it attested and apostilled (the apostille is the Ministry of External Affairs certification). Bengaluru's DOV checklist accepts SDM attestation on this certificate, although it refuses SDM attestation on study documents. We check the attestation and the apostille before the certificate goes into any file.
5. Into the visa file. The certificate goes into the visa file with the documents it reconciles; in Mumbai the rule sits in the funds item, next to the sponsor documents. The student books the visa appointment in their own name (New Delhi and Bengaluru require the student's own email ID and contact number) and attends VFS in person. We prepare the file and get the student ready for the appointment.
6. Into the DOV file. The DOV request is submitted in person, with the degree, the transcripts and, where names differ, the certificate or the alternative that office accepts. We prepare the DOV form in capital letters exactly as in the passport and check that every name in the DOV file lines up.

What each Indian office's checklists say about names

The three visa checklists use almost the same sentence on names, while the DOV checklists differ on who may issue the certificate and what can replace it. Each office name links to its full visa and DOV page. Item numbers follow each checklist's own numbering, and general notes sit above the numbered items.

Source: each office's study visa checklist for 2026/27 and 2027/28 and its current DOV checklist, items as shown. Verified on 28 September 2026.

Kolkata: the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata has no page yet.

What is a one and the same certificate?

It is a certificate stating that differently written names belong to one and the same person. Italy's offices in India ask for one when the student's or a sponsor's name differs between the passport and another document in the visa file, or when the student's name differs between the degree documents and the passport for the DOV.

Mumbai's DOV checklist calls it a one and the same name certificate, issued to resolve the difference in the full name shown on the degree and the passport. Every office asks for it attested and apostilled.

Who issues a one and the same certificate in India?

It depends on the office. For the DOV, New Delhi accepts one from the Tehsildar or SDM where the student lives, and Mumbai names the Tehsildar, the Registrar of Births and Deaths (Municipal Corporation) or the Gram Panchayat. Bengaluru names no issuer, but wants it on the issuing authority's letterhead with stamp, seal, and the signatory's full name and designation.

The three visa checklists name no issuer; they ask only for a certificate, attested and apostilled. New Delhi's DOV checklist also accepts a letter from the Indian university stating the match, and Bengaluru's accepts a university letter (only for differences in educational documents) or a Gazette notification. For eligible students, we arrange the certificate from an authority the relevant checklist names.

Does a missing surname or initials count as a name mismatch?

The checklists give no examples and make no exception for initials or a missing surname. The visa checklists speak of any name discrepancy between the passport and another document, and the Mumbai and Bengaluru DOV checklists of the full name. The DOV form guide says the name goes on the form exactly as in the passport, without initials.

We treat any difference in how a name is written as a mismatch to resolve before documents are apostilled, because the office, not us, decides whether it matters.

Does the rule cover a parent's or sponsor's name too?

Yes, for the visa. All three visa checklists apply the rule to the applicant's name or the sponsor's name when it differs between the passport and any other document. In Mumbai the rule sits in the funds section, right after the sponsor documents; New Delhi and Bengaluru put it in the general notes above the numbered items.

The DOV checklists speak only of the student's own name. For eligible students, we compare the sponsor's name across the ID proof, bank statements, income proof and sponsorship letter. What the sponsor documents include: Italy student visa financial proof.

Does the certificate need an apostille?

Yes. Every checklist that mentions the certificate asks for it attested and apostilled: the three visa checklists and the three DOV checklists. Bengaluru's DOV checklist names the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, for the apostille, and accepts SDM attestation on this certificate, although it refuses SDM attestation on study documents.

New Delhi's and Mumbai's checklists say attested and apostilled without naming who attests the certificate itself. How the apostille and E-Sanad (the MEA's online attestation and apostille system) work for degree documents: apostille and E-Sanad for Italy.

Reality check

What we handle: for eligible students, we compare every name across the passport, school and degree documents, and sponsor and bank documents at the start, arrange the one and the same certificate from the authority the office names, check its attestation and apostille, and put it into the visa and DOV files. The student books the visa appointment in their own name, attends VFS in person and submits the DOV in person.

What we do not control: the Embassy or Consulate decides the visa and the DOV, including whether a certificate resolves the difference. The Indian authority decides when it issues the certificate, and the university decides admission.

What costs students the most:

• Finding the mismatch after the appointment is booked: the certificate still has to be issued, attested and apostilled before the file is complete, while the 30 Nov 2026 deadline and up to 90 days of visa processing stay the same.
• Sponsor documents with a different spelling: the visa rule covers the sponsor's name too, so a parent's name written two ways across the ID, bank statements and income proof leaves the funds proof incomplete until a certificate reconciles it.
• A certificate that is not apostilled, or an affidavit in its place: every checklist that mentions the certificate asks for attestation and apostille, and the DOV checklists refuse affidavits, so the document goes back for legalisation and the file waits.

Frequently asked questions

Is an affidavit accepted instead of a one and the same certificate?

No. The New Delhi and Bengaluru DOV checklists say affidavits will not be accepted, and Mumbai's refuses affidavits and self-declarations. The three visa checklists ask for a one and the same certificate, attested and apostilled, and mention no affidavit alternative. For eligible students, we arrange the certificate itself rather than a sworn statement.

Can a letter from the Indian university replace the certificate?

For the DOV, sometimes. New Delhi accepts a letter from the Indian university or institute stating the match, attested and apostilled. Bengaluru accepts one only if the difference concerns educational documents. Mumbai's DOV checklist lists no university letter, and the three visa checklists ask for the certificate itself.

Is a Gazette notification accepted for a name mismatch?

Bengaluru's DOV checklist accepts a Gazette notification stating the match, attested and apostilled, as an alternative to the one and the same certificate. The New Delhi and Mumbai DOV checklists and the three visa checklists do not mention a Gazette notification, so for those files we work with the certificate they name.

Which name goes on the DOV form?

The Mumbai and Bengaluru DOV forms are filled in capital letters exactly as in the passport, and the DOV form guide adds: no initials or abbreviations, and a signature exactly as in the passport. The guide warns that any difference in names may require extra documents, such as a one and the same certificate. We prepare the form from the passport data.

Does the certificate go in the visa file, the DOV file or both?

Both, when the difference affects both. The visa checklists ask for it whenever the student's or sponsor's name differs between the passport and another document; the DOV checklists when the student's name on the degree documents does not match. The DOV goes to the office for the state that issued the degree, so the certificate has to meet that office's rule too.

Can ApplyAZ handle a name mismatch for me?

Yes, for eligible students. We compare every name early, arrange the certificate from the authority the office names, check its attestation and apostille, and put it into the visa and DOV files. The consulate decides. Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Your next step: check your eligibility first. It takes about two minutes. If you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Sources

• Embassy of Italy, New Delhi: Italian study visa checklist 2026/27 and 2027/28 (VFS Global New Delhi)
• Embassy of Italy, New Delhi: requisite documents for the DOV (declaration of value), current version
• Consulate General of Italy, Mumbai: Italian study visa checklist 2026/27 and 2027/28 (VFS Global Mumbai)
• Consulate General of Italy, Mumbai: requisite documents for DOV for study purposes 2026/27, revised June 2026 (PDF)
• Consulate General of Italy, Bengaluru: requisites for study visa (C and D) 2026/27 and 2027/28 (PDF, VFS Global)
• Consulate General of Italy, Bengaluru: requisite documents for DOV (study) 2026/27 (PDF)
• Verified on 28 September 2026
• Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma.

Related guides

• Italy student visa guide for Indian students
• How Indian students get a DOV for Italy
• How much money an Italy student visa needs
• Apostille and E-Sanad for Italian offices
• How the DOV form is filled in