Apply now for the 2026/27 Italian Government Scholarships for foreign students and Italian citizens living abroad

Ednah Carrick March 25, 2026

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Closing Date: 26 March 2026

Apply now for the 2026/27 Italian Government Scholarships for foreign students and Italian citizens living abroad

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) offers scholarships in favour of foreign students and Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) for the 2026-2027 academic year, in order to foster international cooperation in cultural, scientific and technological fields, to promote the Italian language and culture and to support Italy’s economic system in the world.

The 2026/27 Italian Government Scholarships are available for attending academic courses on the Italian territory only.

2026/27 Italian Government Scholarships Overview

Scholarships are offered for study, training and/or research programmes at public or legally recognised private Italian institutions. Scholarships are awarded exclusively for the onsite attendance of academic courses on the Italian territory. The list of eligible countries can be found on the Study in Italy portal: https://studyinitaly.esteri.it/.

Selection is based on citizenship. Applicants may apply for one country only. Scholarships reserved for Italian citizens living abroad (IRE) are offered exclusively to students holding only the Italian citizenship and exclusively for the following countries, where they must be resident: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Peru, United Kingdom, Senegal, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Holders of dual citizenship (Italian and foreign) may apply only through the selection process of the foreign beneficiary country, indicating their foreign citizenship in the “Citizenship” field on the Study
in Italy portal.

Holders of multiple foreign citizenships may apply for only one selection process, choosing one of
the beneficiary countries of which they are citizens, and must indicate the citizenship of the selected
beneficiary country in the “Citizenship” field on the Study in Italy portal

Eligibility

Applicants must have a valid passport or identity document and they must upload a legible copy of this document at the time of registration on the Study in Italy portal, under penalty of exclusion. Applicants who also have the Italian citizenship must declare it when applying for the scholarship and must upload a proof of the Italian citizenship (valid passport or ID card or a valid citizenship certificate) on the Study in Italy portal.

Applicants must meet the requirements listed below on the date of application or by the dates
expressly specified.

Academic qualifications

Candidates applying for scholarships for study programmes must possess the academic qualification required for enrolment at the chosen programme. Applicants who already hold a certificate confirming the award of their academic qualification must upload it on the Study in Italy portal when applying for the MAECI scholarship. Applicants who do not yet possess the academic qualification required to enrol in the chosen programme must declare it on the Study in Italy portal when applying for the MAECI scholarship. If required, this certificate must be uploaded at a later stage.

Candidates applying for scholarships for study programmes indicated must upload, in addition to the certificate confirming the award of their academic qualification, the admission letter to the PhD programme when applying for the MAECI scholarship. Under no circumstances will pre-admission letters When applying, applicants who do not yet possess the admission letter must declare it on the Study
in Italy portal and must upload the invitation letter from their supervisor. If required, the admission
letter must be uploaded at a later stage. As for the other programmes indicated it will not be possible to upload any supplementary documents after submitting the application.

Scholarships are neither available nor granted to students enrolled beyond the legal duration of their degree programme nor to part-time students. Applications submitted by candidates who do not meet the required eligibility criteria will not be considered valid.