Italian Government Scholarships 2026–2027 for Foreign Students and Italians Living Abroad (IRE): Fully Funded Study in Italy Opportunity

The Italian Government Scholarships 2026–2027 are now open for applications. Offered by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), these scholarships support foreign students and Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) who want to pursue study, research, training, or Italian language and culture programmes in Italy.

This is a major opportunity for international students seeking to study in Italy with funding, gain access to top Italian universities and institutions, and experience Italy’s rich academic and cultural environment.

The application deadline is March 26, 2026.

What Are the Italian Government Scholarships 2026–2027?

The MAECI scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year are designed to promote:

international cultural, scientific, and technological cooperation
the Italian language and culture abroad
Italy’s higher education system
academic mobility and global engagement

These scholarships are available only for on-site study in Italy at public or legally recognized private Italian institutions.

Who Can Apply?

The scholarship is open to:

Foreign students from eligible countries
Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) in selected countries

Selection is based on citizenship, and applicants may apply through one country only.

Scholarships reserved for Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) are available only to applicants who hold Italian citizenship only and live in one of the following countries:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Peru, United Kingdom, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Applicants with dual citizenship must apply through the selection process of their foreign beneficiary country and indicate that foreign citizenship on the application portal.

Applicants with multiple foreign citizenships may apply through only one beneficiary country of which they are citizens.

Types of Italian Government Scholarships Available

1. Master’s Degree Scholarships

Scholarships are available for Master’s Degree programmes (Laurea Magistrale, 2nd cycle) in Italy.

Duration: 9 months
Renewable: Yes, potentially
Requirement: Applicants must hold a qualification equivalent to an Italian Bachelor’s degree

Some programmes may require admission tests or pre-enrolment.

2. AFAM Scholarships

These scholarships support studies in Higher Education for Fine Arts, Music and Dance (AFAM) at both 1st and 2nd cycle levels.

Duration: 9 months
Renewable: Yes, potentially

Applicants must meet the academic requirements of the chosen institution.

3. PhD Scholarships in Italy

Students applying for PhD programmes in Italy can also apply.

Duration: 9 months
Renewable: Yes, potentially

Applicants must meet institutional requirements and must have passed the admission test.

4. Research Project Scholarships

These scholarships support research projects under academic supervision, including co-tutorships.

Duration: 9 months
Renewable: No

Research can be carried out at:

Italian universities
public research institutions
recognized museums
archives

Applicants must submit:

a research project
an invitation letter from the supervisor

5. Italofonia Scholarships for Italian Language and Culture Courses

These scholarships are for intensive Italian language and culture courses.

Duration: 3 months
Minimum Italian language level required: A2 CEFR

6. “Costruiamo il futuro” Scholarship Renewals

This category is reserved only for students renewing the “Costruiamo il futuro” scholarship awarded in the previous cycle.

Duration: 9 months
Renewable: Yes, potentially

Eligibility Criteria for Italian Government Scholarships 2026–2027

Applicants must upload a valid passport or identity document when registering on the portal.

Academic Requirements

Applicants must hold the qualification required for admission to the programme they select.

Master’s and AFAM applicants must have the required academic qualification
PhD applicants must upload their admission letter to the PhD programme
Research applicants must submit the supervisor’s invitation letter and research proposal
Language course applicants must meet the Italian language requirement at the time of application

Age Limits

Applicants must meet the following age requirements by March 26, 2026:

Master’s, AFAM, Italian language courses, and 1.6 renewals: must not be over 28 years old
PhD applicants: must not be over 30 years old
Research project applicants: must not be over 40 years old

Language Requirements

For Italian-Taught Programmes

Applicants for Italian-taught Master’s and AFAM programmes must demonstrate Italian proficiency at B2 level or above under the CEFR.

For English-Taught Programmes

Applicants for English-taught Master’s and AFAM programmes must demonstrate English proficiency at B2 level or above.

Accepted proof may include:

a language certificate
proof that the previous degree was entirely taught in English
for applicants from English-speaking countries, a self-declaration of B2 English proficiency

For Italian Language and Culture Courses

Applicants must show at least A2 level Italian proficiency.

Exemptions

Applicants for PhD programmes and research projects do not need to prove language proficiency for the scholarship application, though institutions may still have their own requirements.

Who Is Not Eligible?

Applicants are not eligible if they:

are enrolled in or obtained a secondary school diploma in Italy
are enrolled in or obtained a degree from an Italian higher education institution in Italy
obtained a degree from a foreign institution located in Italy
carried out research projects with a MAECI scholarship in the last 5 academic years
seek to enrol in a year other than the first year of the chosen programme

Other exclusions include:

employees of the Italian Public Administration and their first-degree descendants
students enrolled part-time
students enrolled beyond the legal duration of their degree programme

The scholarships are generally not available for:

most Bachelor’s degree programmes
single-cycle degree programmes
first- and second-level university Master’s programmes
specialization courses
one-year university courses
single courses

Scholarship Benefits

For 9-Month Scholarships

Winners under categories 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.6 receive:

€10,800 total

This amount is paid in three instalments to an Italian bank account in the recipient’s name:

€5,500 from November 2026
€2,300 from February 2027
€3,000 from June 2027

For 3-Month Italian Language Scholarships

Winners under category 1.5 receive:

€3,600 total

This is paid in one instalment.

Scholarship Duration

9-Month Scholarships

For Master’s, AFAM, PhD, research, and renewal categories:

Start date: November 1, 2026
End date: July 31, 2027

3-Month Language Scholarships

These must:

start from January 1, 2027
end by September 30, 2027
begin on the first day and end on the last day of the relevant quarter

Tuition Fees and Health Insurance

Some Italian universities may exempt scholarship recipients from tuition and enrolment fees, but this depends on the institution. Students should verify this directly with their chosen university.

Important notes:

Regional fees must still be paid by the student
Italian language and culture courses are not exempt from tuition fees

Scholarship recipients are also covered by a collective health insurance policy arranged by MAECI for illness or accidents during the scholarship period.

Renewal of MAECI Scholarships

Students who received a MAECI scholarship in 2025–2026 may apply for renewal for 2026–2027 if they are continuing the same full-time programme at the same institution.

Priority is given to students who are duly enrolled and can show at least 15 university credits (CFU) earned at the time of application.

Renewals are not available for:

research projects
Italian language and culture courses

Special “Attanasio” Scholarships

For the 2026–2027 academic year, MAECI is also reserving three 9-month scholarships in memory of Ambassador Luca Attanasio, Vittorio Iacovacci, and Mustapha Milambo.

These are for applicants from:

Morocco
Nigeria
Democratic Republic of Congo

They are intended for students pursuing studies in fields such as:

international relations
development cooperation
international humanitarian law
human rights law

WikiAfrica Higher Education Initiative

African MAECI scholarship recipients who speak African languages may also have the opportunity to participate in the WikiAfrica Higher Education Initiative, developed with Aurora Foundation, Moleskine Foundation, and Wikimedia Foundation.

This initiative supports the creation and sharing of specialized knowledge on Africa online.

How to Apply for the Italian Government Scholarship 2026–2027

Applications must be submitted online only through the Study in Italy portal https://studyinitaly.esteri.it

Applicants should use an email address they check regularly, since further communication will be sent there.

Application Deadline

The final deadline is:

March 26, 2026 at 14:00 Italian time

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early and not wait until the final day.

Supplementary Documents

Some applicants may later be asked to upload supplementary documents, including:

academic qualification documents
PhD admission letters
language certificates

This upload option will only be enabled for applicants who indicated the need for it and who appear in the merit ranking.

Supplementary Document Deadline

If requested, supplementary documents must be uploaded by:

July 1, 2026 at 14:00 Italian time

Selection Process

The scholarship selection process includes:

comparative evaluation of applications
interview for shortlisted candidates
publication of the merit ranking
upload of supplementary documents if requested
acceptance or decline of the scholarship
issuance and acceptance of the awarding letter

Important Notes for Selected Candidates

Scholarship recipients must:

complete pre-enrolment and enrolment
obtain a tax identification number (codice fiscale) if required
apply for a study visa where necessary
ensure all documentation is completed before the scholarship start date

Scholarship Incompatibility

This scholarship is not compatible with other scholarships offered by the Italian Government or other Italian public institutions.

However, it is compatible with:

Erasmus
Erasmus+
internships abroad
programmes funded by international institutions

Still, the scholarship will not be paid during periods spent studying, researching, or interning outside Italy.

Final Thoughts

The Italian Government Scholarships 2026–2027 offer an excellent chance for international students and Italians living abroad to pursue graduate study, PhD research, AFAM programmes, or Italian language training in Italy with financial support.

With funding of up to €10,800, health insurance coverage, and access to Italian higher education institutions, this is one of the top study in Italy scholarships for international students in 2026.

Anyone interested should review the requirements carefully, confirm eligibility, prepare documents early, and submit the application before March 26, 2026.

Application Link

Apply through the Study in Italy portal.

Useful References

Study in Italy portal https://studyinitaly.esteri.it
Universitaly universitaly.it
Europass CEFR framework https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference Il visto per l’Italia
https://www.mur.gov.it/it/aree-tematiche/universita/le-universita/universita-non-stataliriconosciute
https://www.mur.gov.it/it/aree-tematiche/afam/gli-istituti
https://ardi.cimea.it/it
Website guidelines: https://studyinitaly.esteri.it/Static/GuidaAlSito
FAQ: https://studyinitaly.esteri.it/Static/FAQ

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has published a call for applications for scholarships offered by the Italian Government to foreign students who are interested in pursuing graduate courses in Italy in the academic year 2026/2027.

For Uganda and Rwanda, three annual scholarships will be available; for Burundi, one annual scholarship.

The call for applications is available in Italian by clicking here, and in English by clicking here.

All applications must be submitted exclusively through the portal studyinitaly.esteri.it and must be received by the 26th of march 2026.

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