Scholarships for Foreign Students and Italian Citizens Living Abroad (IRE) Awarded by the Italian Government

Benefits & funding

• Master’s, AFAM, PhD, research, and Costruiamo il futuro awards run for 9 months and provide €10,800 in three instalments of €5,500, €2,300, and €3,000.
• Nine-month awards run from 1 November 2026 to 31 July 2027; the full amount depends on timely arrival, enrolment, and satisfactory progress.
• Intensive Italian language and culture awards run for 3 months and provide €3,600 in one instalment after the funding period; they may start on 1 January 2027 and must end by 30 September 2027 on a full-quarter schedule.
• MAECI provides health insurance for illness or accidents during the award, excluding pre-existing conditions and dental care.
• Universities may waive tuition, but recipients must confirm locally; regional fees remain payable, and intensive language-course tuition is not waived.

Eligibility

• Eligible citizenships and territories are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Cyprus, Colombia, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Korea, Côte d’Ivoire, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Russia, Philippines, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Djibouti, Jordan, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Central African Republic, Dominican Republic, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Syria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Palestinian Territories, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uganda, Hungary, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Applicants select one eligible citizenship route.
• Italian citizens holding only Italian citizenship may apply through the IRE route only when resident in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Peru, United Kingdom, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay, or Venezuela. Italian dual citizens apply through an eligible foreign citizenship route.
• Applicants must be at least 18. The maximum is 28 for Master’s, AFAM, intensive language, and Costruiamo il futuro routes, 30 for PhD, and 40 for research; the stated renewal exceptions apply.
• Master’s applicants need a first-cycle qualification equivalent to an Italian Bachelor’s degree. AFAM applicants need the qualification required by their institution; PhD applicants need the required qualification and admission evidence; research applicants need a supervisor invitation and project; language-course applicants need Italian at CEFR A2.
• Master’s and AFAM applicants need CEFR B2 in the course language. No Italian proof is required for a fully English-taught course, while the call does not impose a language certificate on PhD or research routes.
• New applicants cannot be enrolled in or have completed secondary or higher education in Italy and must enter the first year of the chosen programme. Employees of the Italian public administration and their first-degree descendants are ineligible.

Application process

1. 1
   When a call is open, register on Study in Italy with personal details matching the passport or identity document and upload its personal-data page.
2. 2
   Select one eligible citizenship route and the relevant study, training, or research track.
3. 3
   Complete the online application and upload the route-specific academic, admission, language, research, or renewal evidence.
4. 4
   Submit through Study in Italy by the call deadline; only portal submissions are valid.
5. 5
   Shortlisted applicants may be interviewed by the relevant Italian diplomatic representation, followed by a merit ranking and, where requested, supplementary documents.

Program timeline

1. 26 March 2026, 14:00 Italian time

   Application deadline for the 2026–2027 cycle

2. Dates vary by diplomatic representation

   Comparative review, interviews, and merit ranking

3. Requested supplementary documents due

   1 July 2026, 14:00 Italian time

4. Nine-month funding period starts

   1 November 2026

5. Earliest three-month language-course start

   1 January 2027

6. Nine-month funding period ends

   31 July 2027

7. Latest three-month language-course end

   30 September 2027