Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Grants for Foreign Students

Benefit: what you get

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) awards EUR 10,800 for nine months of study in Italy. The grant is paid in three instalments tied to your arrival, continued enrolment and academic progress. The three-month Italian language and culture course pays a single lump sum of EUR 3,600 at the end.

MAECI also covers you with collective health insurance for illness and accidents throughout your scholarship period. Depending on your university, you may be exempt from tuition fees, though regional administrative fees always apply and are not reimbursed.

Five programme types are open for 2026-2027:

• Master's degree (2nd cycle, nine months, renewable)
• Fine arts, music or dance - AFAM (1st or 2nd cycle, nine months, renewable)
• PhD (nine months, renewable; you need a formal admission letter from an Italian university)
• Research project under academic supervision (nine months, not renewable; you need an invitation letter from a supervisor)
• Italian language and culture course - 'Italofonia' (three months, not renewable)

Eligibility

• Nationality: You hold a passport from one of the countries on MAECI's eligible-country list. Austrian citizens qualify. Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) may apply only if they hold exclusively Italian citizenship and reside in a listed IRE country.
• Where you live: You live outside Italy and are not already enrolled at or graduated from an Italian university.
• Age: Up to 28 for Master's, AFAM and language courses; up to 30 for PhD; up to 40 for research projects. The limit applies at the application deadline.
• Academic level: You must be enrolling in the first year of your programme. A Master's requires a completed bachelor's degree. A PhD requires a formal admission letter (pre-admission letters are not accepted). A research project requires an invitation letter and a written research plan.
• Language: Italian-taught programmes require at least B2 Italian (CEFR). English-taught programmes require at least B2 English. The language course requires at least A2 Italian. PhD and research project applicants need no language certificate.
• Field of study: All subjects are open. Three places (the 'Attanasio' reserve) are set aside for applicants from Morocco, Nigeria and DR Congo who are studying international relations, development cooperation or humanitarian and human rights law.
• Other scholarships: You cannot hold another Italian Government or Italian public-institution scholarship at the same time. For the research project type only: you must not have held a MAECI research scholarship in any academic year from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

How to apply

Apply through the Study in Italy portal (studyinitaly.esteri.it) by 26 March 2026 at 14:00 CET. Shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview by the Italian diplomatic mission in their country. No interview invitation means you have not been selected.