Italy — Study (English-taught master's (Laurea Magistrale))

Main requirements

For an English-taught Laurea Magistrale you need an official bachelor's degree that gives access to the next level in Iran and has no 'substantial difference' from an Italian bachelor's under CIMEA's method. Degree evaluation and admission are decided by the university alone. All non-EU applicants living abroad must pre-enrol on Universitaly and the university must validate it; without a validated pre-enrolment you cannot apply for the visa. From 2026/27 each university may validate pre-enrolments only up to its non-EU seat quota plus 20%, so apply early.

Documents

Bachelor's diploma and 4-year transcript with official Italian translation legalised by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; course syllabi; CIMEA certificate (comparability and verification) or Dichiarazione di Valore; language certificate; validated Universitaly pre-enrolment summary; admission letter with Form A; shenasnameh with legalised translation; passport valid at least 3 months beyond the visa with two blank pages; two 35x40 mm photos on white; proof of accommodation (hotel booking showing the price, rental contract, residence guarantee or host declaration); health insurance valid in Italy; bank statements and financial documents; flight ticket consistent with the course start.

Language

English-taught courses don't need an Italian test, but the Tehran embassy requires a B2 certificate valid for two years: at least IELTS 6, TOEFL 78 or FCE 169. Many universities set higher scores for admission; check each programme.

Costs and proof of funds

For 2026/27 and 2027/28 study visas you must show at least EUR 10,179.85 per year from legal, traceable sources (per the official circular, as of October 2026), preferably your own or a family member's up to the 4th degree. Add the return ticket (or the ticket itself) and any unpaid tuition. Merely being eligible for a regional DSU grant does not count; only a formally awarded grant does. The Tehran embassy checklist words the amount as 'for each month of the academic year', which contradicts the circular's yearly figure; if in doubt, ask the embassy before you submit.

Public-university tuition depends on ISEE and each university's rules. Example: Politecnico di Milano's 2026/27 maximum is EUR 3,943.04 a year, and non-EU master's students with a foreign bachelor's and no scholarship pay that maximum even with an ISEE parificato.

Regional DSU grants are run by bodies such as ER.GO (Emilia-Romagna), EDISU (Piedmont) and DiSCo (Lazio) and are based on the ISEE parificato, which you obtain from an approved CAF using family income and asset documents issued in Iran, translated and legalised by the Italian diplomatic authorities. Self-declarations are not accepted. Exceptions differ by region: EDISU Piemonte lets students who arrive with untranslated originals have them certified and translated at their own embassy or consulate in Italy and then legalised at a Prefettura; ER.GO accepts a certificate from your country's embassy/consulate in Italy, legalised by the Prefettura, only for exceptional, objective reasons (e.g. the service being suspended); DiSCo Lazio allows it only for countries on its own list. Read the international-student section of your region's call. Example: ER.GO 2026/27 caps ISEE at EUR 25,000 and ISPE at EUR 50,000, and the off-site (fuori sede) grant is up to EUR 7,171.11 a year. Deadlines are usually in summer (ER.GO 2026/27: 24 August 2026), before you arrive, so prepare the financial documents alongside the visa file. In 2020–21 a group of Iranian students in Tuscany lost their DSU grants because their documents were not legalised in time by the Tehran embassy, so start early.

Steps and timeline

Each university sets its own application and pre-enrolment deadlines (for 2026/27, e.g. Milan 31 July, Pisa 30 September), and many programmes open admissions in the autumn or winter before. The final visa-application deadline for bachelor's and master's courses is 30 November 2026 for 2026/27 and 31 October 2027 for 2027/28; universities may set earlier dates. Usual order: degree release, translations and IELTS; university application; Universitaly pre-enrolment; CIMEA; validation; visa file; travel and final enrolment.

Once your pre-enrolment is validated you apply for a national D visa 'Studio – Immatricolazione Università' at the Italian Embassy in Tehran via VisaMetric; it is valid 365 days with multiple entries. Per the embassy's visa page, every applicant except children under 12 gives fingerprints. The entry-visa fee per the EU Immigration Portal is EUR 116, plus the VisaMetric service fee. Besides documents, the consulate assesses migration risk: family finances, quality of past studies and how coherent the chosen course is with your background. A validated pre-enrolment and complete file do not guarantee a visa, and you may be called for an interview. If you get the visa but don't enrol, it is revoked from 31 January of that academic year.

Notes for Iranian applicants

The Italian Embassy in Tehran closed in February 2026, reopened on 19 June 2026, and its consular section resumed all services on 8 July 2026. During the closure it announced that Iranians could apply at any reachable Italian embassy or consulate where they can stay legally; if that happens again, ask [email protected]. For 2026/27 study visas no booking was needed: VisaMetric emailed appointments to the address registered on Universitaly. This can change each year, so check your year's notice. The embassy advises getting a CIMEA certificate (comparability plus authenticity) instead of legalisation/Dichiarazione di Valore. Your shenasnameh and diplomas need an official Italian translation legalised by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and university degrees must first be released (degree release). You need a 6-month bank statement in English, issued no more than one week before submission; cash or bank guarantees are not accepted. If you use a parent's account, add proof of relationship (translated and legalised), proof of job, social insurance and income declaration. Uni-Italia Tehran (Pietro della Valle Italian school, [email protected]) gives free guidance on courses and pre-enrolment. The embassy warns against intermediaries claiming special channels; the only allowed costs are the consular fee and the VisaMetric fee.

Men: per Iranian secondary sources, a conscript who is not absent can get an exit permit only for master's and higher studies, with a valid study exemption and a bond, and the permitted study period is limited; confirm the exact amount and conditions at a Police+10 office before spending money.

Per student reports (secondary), opening a bank account is hard before you get the residence permit, so bring enough money for the first months and follow currency-export rules.

After arrival (work during studies, post-study stay, path to permanent residence)

Within 8 working days of arrival you must apply for the study permesso di soggiorno with the postal kit (or a university desk), then attend fingerprinting at the Questura; per the EU Immigration Portal the fee is EUR 40–100 plus about EUR 76.46 in admin costs. To renew each year you must pass at least one exam in year one and at least two in later years. A study permit lets you work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. After graduating (bachelor, master, PhD or university master) you can get a 9–12 month permit to look for work or start a business, and study permits can be converted to work permits outside the Decreto Flussi quotas. The EU long-term residence permit needs 5 years of legal residence, income at least equal to the assegno sociale, suitable housing and a pass in an Italian language test; study-permit holders cannot apply until they switch to a work or similar permit.