Study in Italy: 2026/27 Tuition, Universitaly Pre-Enrolment, Visa Funds and Grants

To study in Italy as a non-EU student, you apply to the university first, then pre-enrol on the government's Universitaly portal, then apply for a type D study visa. For the visa you must show at least €10,179.85 a year (the figure for 2026/27 and 2027/28). Tuition at public universities is set by each university. For non-EU students whose family lives abroad, it is usually a fixed fee of a few thousand euros or less: €2,790 to €2,990 a year at the University of Padua, a maximum of €3,943.04 at Politecnico di Milano, and a flat €1,000 to €1,200 plus €157.04 at the University of Bologna for citizens of non-OECD countries.

This guide follows the order in which you will meet each step. Every figure comes from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Italian consulate in India, a university fee page or the Emilia-Romagna regional grant agency, all checked in November 2026 for the 2026/27 academic year.

Study in Italy at a glance (2026/27)

• Application route: university application, then Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D visa for courses longer than 90 days.
• Proof of funds for the visa: €10,179.85 per year. For a multi-year course you prove it for the first year only.
• Tuition at public universities: fixed fees for non-EU students resident abroad, from €930 to €3,943.04 a year at the three universities below, depending on your citizenship and programme.
• English test: set by each university. Politecnico di Milano asks for IELTS 6 or TOEFL iBT 78 for its master's programmes.
• Work while studying: up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year.
• After graduating: a job-search permit of 9 to 12 months for graduates of Italian degrees.

How to apply to an Italian university from abroad

The Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai lists the 2026/27 sequence for Indian applicants, and the Foreign Ministry's FAQ page sets out the pre-enrolment and residence permit rules. Students from other countries follow the same steps through their local Italian embassy.

1. Check that your previous degree is accepted. Entry rules depend on your country's education system. Politecnico di Milano, for example, accepts Indian applicants to its master's programmes only with a 4-year bachelor's degree, or a 3-year B.Sc. if it is an honours degree. It also sets a minimum grade of 70/100 for Indian degrees and says the minimum is strict.
2. Apply on the university's website before its deadline. Each university sets its own dates, fees and tests.
3. Pre-enrol on Universitaly. The Foreign Ministry states that pre-enrolment through Universitaly is mandatory for bachelor's, master's and PhD programmes in 2026/27 and 2027/28 for non-EU citizens who need a study visa. The university checks your file and forwards it to the Italian embassy or consulate.
4. Get your documents recognised. Many universities ask for a Declaration of Value from the Italian embassy or a statement of comparability from CIMEA, the Italian centre for academic recognition. Politecnico di Milano requires one of these, or a Diploma Supplement, to complete enrolment.
5. Apply for the visa. Courses longer than 90 days need a D visa. In the Mumbai consulate's area, applications go through VFS Global in Mumbai or Cochin by appointment, with a mandatory video interview. The consulate warns that a D visa can take up to 90 days to process, so apply as soon as your pre-enrolment is confirmed.
6. Apply for a residence permit after you arrive. You must apply for a permesso di soggiorno at the local police headquarters (questura) within 8 days of entering Italy.

Is IELTS compulsory for Italy?

There is no national English test rule. Each university decides. Politecnico di Milano asks master's applicants for IELTS (Academic or General Training) of at least 6, or TOEFL iBT of at least 78, and does not accept expired certificates. If your bachelor's degree was taught in English, it accepts a certified letter from your university confirming the medium of instruction instead of a test. Italian-taught programmes also require Italian at B2 level.

Photo: NuclearNiranjan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How much are tuition fees in Italy for international students?

Italian public universities link fees to family income. Italian families prove income with an ISEE certificate. Students whose family income and assets are outside Italy usually pay a fixed fee instead, and how that fee is set differs by university. Here are three examples for 2026/27, taken from the fee pages of Padua, Politecnico di Milano and Bologna:

• University of Padua: non-EU students not resident in Italy pay an all-inclusive €2,790 a year for humanities programmes (Group A) or €2,990 for science programmes (Group B). Citizens of countries on the university's list of particularly poor countries pay €930 or €996.66.
• Politecnico di Milano: fees run from €157.04 to a maximum of €3,943.04 a year, paid in two instalments, the first being €880.04. Non-EU master's students admitted with a foreign bachelor's degree pay the maximum, scaled to the credits in their study plan, unless they hold a scholarship.
• University of Bologna: the normal fee is €157.04 plus an income-based part. Citizens of non-OECD countries whose family income and assets are only outside Italy can choose a reduced flat fee instead. It is €1,000 a year for a first-cycle (bachelor's) or single-cycle programme and €1,200 for a second-cycle (master's) programme, plus the €157.04. Students from countries on the university's "particularly poor or developing" list pay €500 or €600. India and Nigeria are not OECD members, but check your country against the two lists Bologna publishes.

These figures are fees only, and they apply to public universities. Private universities such as Bocconi set their own tuition under separate rules. For a comparison of Italy's total first-year cost with Germany, France, Poland and Austria, see our guide to the cheapest countries to study abroad for Indian students.

How much money do you need for an Italian student visa?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets the minimum at €10,179.85 a year for university study in 2026/27 and 2027/28, which works out to about €848 a month. For a course of several years you only prove the first year. Each consulate publishes its own checklist of acceptable proof. The Foreign Ministry's FAQ, for example, says students who hold an Italian government scholarship of less than €10,179.85 must show their own funds to cover the gap.

Does Italy give a 100% scholarship?

Not as a single national award. The main aid for degree students is the regional "right to study" grant, paid by an agency in each region and based on family income. Students whose family income is abroad can apply too. They submit income and asset documents issued by the authorities in their home country, translated into Italian and legalised (or apostilled where that applies).

ER.GO, the agency for Emilia-Romagna (where Bologna is), publishes these limits for 2026/27:

• Eligibility: an ISEE of up to €25,000 and an ISPE (assets indicator) of up to €50,000. If either is higher, you cannot apply.
• Amount for students living away from home: €7,171.11 a year for an ISEE up to €16,666.67, falling to €3,585.56 in the highest bracket. For an ISEE up to €12,500 the grant rises by 15%, to €8,246.78.
• Meals: the amounts include any part you choose to convert into canteen meals.

Combined with Bologna's full exemption from the income-based fee for an ISEE of up to €27,000, a low-income student can end up paying only the €157.04 fixed fee and receiving a grant. That is the closest Italy comes to a full scholarship. Other regions run their own calls with their own limits, so check the agency for your university's region.

Can international students work in Italy while studying?

Yes. The Foreign Ministry states that a student residence permit allows part-time work of up to 20 hours a week, with a limit of 1,040 hours a year. You can travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period on the same permit.

Can a student stay in Italy after graduating?

Graduates of an Italian bachelor's, master's, PhD or university master's programme can request a permit to look for work or start a business when their study permit expires. The Italian government's integration portal says this permit lasts between 9 and 12 months, under Legislative Decree 71/2018. Since Decree-Law 23/2023, a study permit can be converted into a work permit at any time of the year with no quota limit. These are not permanent residence: they are the bridge from studies to a work permit.

Which Italian universities should you look at?

In the EduRank world ranking, the highest-placed Italian universities are the University of Bologna (#104), Sapienza University of Rome (#119), the University of Milan (#146), the University of Padua (#153), the University of Turin (#221) and Politecnico di Milano (#250). The full list is on the best universities in Italy ranking, and the Italy country page lists universities by city. Two programmes at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in stuudy's catalogue:

Interesting programmes for you

Business Administration and Economics

Bachelor of Science · Full-time · On Campus

University of Rome Tor Vergata

Rome, Italy

Tourism Strategy, Cultural Heritage and Made in Italy

Master of Arts · Full-time · On Campus

University of Rome Tor Vergata

Rome, Italy

Once you hold a pre-enrolment confirmation, your next step is the visa appointment. Our visa applications guide explains how to prepare it.

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