Italian Government Scholarship Language Requirements

Match the classroom, not your favourite exam

MAECI's last published language rule was simple and easy to break. If the master's or AFAM programme is taught in Italian, you needed B2 Italian. If it is taught in English, you needed B2 English, or proof of a bachelor already taught entirely in English. The Italofonia language grant asked for Italian A2 or above. Those are three different doors.

A C1 English certificate does not excuse you from B2 Italian on an Italian-taught Laurea Magistrale. An A2 Italian certificate that is perfect for Italofonia is not B2 for a law or literature master's in Italian. Read the teaching language on the host's page, then pick the proof the call asked for — and re-read the 2027–28 PDF when it exists, in case the Ministry restates accepted evidence.

The rule for each route

Italian-taught (B2 Italian)

Italian-taught master's and AFAM programmes needed B2 Italian on the CEFR scale. A C1 English certificate does not replace this. If you were enrolled in and attended an Italian-taught university programme or an Italian language course, the call also accepted a certificate from the person responsible for that course attesting B2. Book exams early — walk-in B2 dates disappear in late winter.

English-taught (B2 English)

English-taught programmes needed B2 English, or official proof that the completed bachelor was taught entirely in English. Applicants from countries where English is an official language could upload a self-declaration of at least B2. A screenshot of a university homepage is not proof; ask the registrar for a medium-of-instruction statement. No Italian proof is required for programmes taught entirely in English.

Italofonia (A2 Italian)

The Italofonia language grant (3 months, last published envelope €3,600) asked for Italian A2 or above, by certificate or by a statement from the teacher of an Italian course you attended (including at an Italian Cultural Institute). A2 is not B2, and this grant is not a substitute for an Italian-taught master's later. Do not sit a lower A1 and hope the mission “understands”. For Italofonia, nothing can be uploaded after you submit.

How applicants usually prove it

The call speaks in CEFR levels rather than a closed list of exam brands, and this handbook will not invent an official 2027 catalogue. In practice, applicants bring recognised CEFR exams and, for English-taught routes, an official bachelor medium-of-instruction letter when they do not hold a B2 English test. If you do not yet hold the certificate when you apply, the last call let master's and AFAM applicants declare that on the portal and upload it later, only if asked, by 1 July 2026 at 14:00.

Universitaly and the host can ask again

Passing MAECI's language line does not freeze every other office. A university can demand a higher score for admission. An admission test on Universitaly can be delivered in Italian even when you filed an English-taught MAECI form — if you chose the wrong programme code. Align the scholarship type, the course language, and the pre-enrolment record.

If you plan to use Italofonia as a stepping stone, treat it as a three-month language grant, not as automatic admission to a B2-taught degree the following year. You would still need the higher level, a later call, and a later file.

Planning note. Last official close: 26 March 2026 at 14:00 Italian time. Re-read esteri.it when the next call names its language rules.