The brief · 21 September 2026
What this award actually is
The Italian Government Scholarships for foreign citizens are a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) programme. They exist because of a statute, not a marketing campaign: Law 288 of 1955 frames them as instruments of cultural and scientific cooperation and of Italian language and culture. That origin still shows. This is not a generic “fully funded master’s” product. It is a diplomatic grant, awarded through Italian missions abroad, for people who will physically study in Italy.
Applications are citizenship-based. You apply for one country only — the country through whose Italian Embassy or Consulate your file will be read. Dual Italian and foreign citizens do not apply as Italians. They use the foreign-country track. Online or distance programmes are outside the scheme: the call is for onsite study in Italy.
The last complete published cycle was 2026–27. That window closed on 26 March 2026 at 14:00 Italian time. The next annual cycle is 2027–28. Official 2027–28 opening and closing dates have not been published. This handbook does not invent them. When MAECI posts the new call on the official scholarships page, those dates replace every “typical window” note below.
Editorial note on money
Grant figures in this handbook are the last published 2026–27 amounts, labelled as a pattern, not as a 2027 invention. A nine-month scholarship totalled €10,800 in three instalments (€5,500 + €2,300 + €3,000) paid to an Italian current account. Italofonia language grants were €3,600. Confirm the next call before you budget.
Award types in the last published call
These are the types MAECI published for 2026–27. Names and lengths can be restated in a new call. Use them as the current published pattern, then re-read the PDF when 2027–28 appears.
| Type | Length | Renewable? |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s — Laurea Magistrale | 9 months | Yes |
| AFAM (higher arts, music, dance) | 9 months | Yes |
| PhD | 9 months | Yes |
| Research projects | 9 months | No — invitation letter required |
| Italofonia language course | 3 months | Language grant; A2 Italian or above |
| Bachelor — Costruiamo il futuro | As published in that track | Renewal only — not a first award |
Three portals, one decision
Policy
esteri.it
The MAECI page publishes the annual call, eligible countries, and legal notices. Start here when the 2027–28 PDF appears. Official Site.
Application
Study in Italy
The scholarship form lives on studyinitaly.esteri.it. You file for one country. Diplomatic staff in that country assess the file.
Admission
Universitaly
Pre-enrolment and many admission tests run through universitaly.it. A grant does not replace university admission.
Chapters in this handbook
Written against the questions applicants actually ask: one-country rules, dual nationality, research invitation letters, Universitaly, and the closed 2026–27 window.
Eligibility
Citizenship tracks, one-country filing, dual nationals, and which award types accept a first application.
02How to apply
Study in Italy, the diplomatic mission, Universitaly pre-enrolment, and joint-degree enrolment certificates.
03Deadline
2027–28 dates are unpublished. Last official close: 26 March 2026, 14:00 Italian time. Typical winter–spring window.
04Documents
What the last call asked for, what research applicants must add, and what joint degrees must prove.
05Funding
€10,800 in three instalments, the €3,600 language grant, and why an Italian current account is not optional.
06Language
B2 Italian for Italian-taught programmes, B2 English for English-taught, A2 Italian for Italofonia.
07Common mistakes
Two-country filings, bachelor first awards, missing invitation letters, and invented March 2027 deadlines.
08After selection
Accepting the award, opening the Italian account, enrolment, and the visa conversation at the same mission that selected you.
09FAQ
Straight answers on dual nationality, renewals, research grants, Universitaly, and why this is not a tuition-waiver product unless a future call says so.
10Checklist
Combined planning tracker: eligibility, filing steps, documents, and take-up after the letter.
Facts you can quote without guessing
Legal purpose: cultural and scientific cooperation, Italian language and culture. The grant is a foreign-policy tool.
Citizenship-based selection. File once, through one Italian mission. Dual nationals use the foreign-country track.
Study takes place in Italy. A remote degree, however prestigious, is the wrong object for this call.
Last official close, Italian time. Not a date to copy onto 2027. The next call will publish its own clock.
Start with the rules, not the portal
Read eligibility before you open Study in Italy
The fastest rejections are structural: wrong country track, a bachelor first application on a renewal-only path, or a research file without an invitation letter.
Check eligibility