Italian Government Scholarships 2027–28
An independent handbook to the MAECI scholarships for foreign citizens: who they are for, how citizenship-based selection works, and what the last published 2026–27 call actually paid.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
4 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
What this award actually is
The Italian Government Scholarships for foreign citizens are a programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). They exist because of a statute, not a marketing campaign: Law 288 of 1955 frames them as instruments of cultural, scientific and technological cooperation, of support for Italy's economic system abroad, and of the 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. (A separate quota exists for Italian citizens living abroad, registered in AIRE/IRE, who hold only Italian citizenship and live in one of 20 listed countries.) Online or distance programmes are outside the scheme: the call is for onsite study in Italy.
A MAECI scholarship is a diplomatic grant for onsite study in Italy, filed once, through one country.
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. As of 6 October 2026, official 2027–28 opening and closing dates have not been published, and this handbook does not invent them. When MAECI posts the new call on the official scholarships page, those dates replace every “typical window” note in this guide.
Grant figures in this handbook are the last published 2026–27 amounts, labelled as a pattern rather than as official 2027–28 figures. 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. Full detail on the funding page.
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, so use them as the current published pattern and 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 | No — language grant; A2 Italian or above |
| Bachelor — Costruiamo il futuro | 9 months | Renewal only — not a first award |
In 2026–27 the nine-month grants ran from 1 November 2026 to 31 July 2027; Italofonia grants ran for one quarter between 1 January and 30 September 2027.
Three portals, one decision
The MAECI page publishes the annual call and legal notices. Start here when the 2027–28 PDF appears: official site.
The scholarship form and the list of eligible countries live on studyinitaly.esteri.it. You file for one country, and diplomatic staff in that country assess the file.
Pre-enrolment and many admission tests run through universitaly.it. A grant does not replace university admission.
Facts you can quote without guessing
- Law 288/55. Legal purpose: cultural and scientific cooperation, Italian language and culture. The grant is a foreign-policy tool.
- One country. Citizenship-based selection. File once, through one Italian mission. Dual nationals use the foreign-country track.
- Onsite only. Study takes place in Italy. A remote degree, however prestigious, is the wrong object for this call.
- Age caps in the last call. 28 for master's, AFAM and Italofonia; 30 for PhD; 40 for research (renewals exempt). See eligibility.
- 26 March 2026, 14:00. Last official close, Italian time. Not a date to copy onto 2027 — the next call will publish its own clock.
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.
Citizenship tracks, one-country filing, dual nationals, age caps, and which award types accept a first application.
Study in Italy, the diplomatic mission, Universitaly pre-enrolment, and joint-degree enrolment certificates.
2027–28 dates are unpublished. Last official close: 26 March 2026, 14:00 Italian time.
What the last call asked for, what research applicants must add, and what joint degrees must prove.
€10,800 in three instalments, the €3,600 language grant, and why an Italian current account is not optional.
B2 Italian for Italian-taught programmes, B2 English for English-taught, A2 Italian for Italofonia.
Two-country filings, bachelor first awards, missing invitation letters, and invented March 2027 deadlines.
Accepting the award, opening the Italian account, enrolment, and the visa conversation at the same mission that selected you.
Straight answers on dual nationality, renewals, research grants, Universitaly and tuition fees.
Combined planning tracker: eligibility, filing steps, documents, and take-up after the letter.
Read eligibility before you open Study in Italy
Check eligibility →Start with the rules, not the portal. The fastest rejections are structural: the wrong country track, a bachelor first application on a renewal-only path, an applicant over the age cap, or a research file without an invitation letter.
This handbook is independent. Amounts and types follow the last published 2026–27 pattern. Confirm everything on the MAECI page when the next call appears.