Italy — Study (Medicine/Dentistry in English (IMAT))

Main requirements

English-taught Medicine, Dentistry and (since 2025) Veterinary Medicine at Italian public universities admit through the national IMAT. The 'semestre filtro' reform (Law 26/2025) replaced the entrance test for Italian-taught medicine, but for 2026/27 English-taught courses still admitted through IMAT under Ministerial Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026 (per the University of Pavia's call). The MUR circular says a separate note will set how international students access medicine under the new law, so check the 2027/28 procedure before you start. Seats for non-EU candidates living abroad are set per university (e.g. Pavia's Harvey course in 2026: 35 seats plus 5 Marco Polo seats). Besides a 12-year diploma, you must both pre-enrol on Universitaly and register for IMAT; Pavia says you can rank up to 13 universities.

Documents

Same as bachelor's: legalised Italian translation of diploma and report cards, CIMEA or Dichiarazione di Valore, language certificate, validated pre-enrolment, shenasnameh, passport, photos, housing, insurance, financial documents; plus IMAT registration receipt and later the ranking result.

Language

IMAT is entirely in English. Separately, the Tehran embassy requires a B2 certificate for any English-taught course visa (IELTS 6, TOEFL 78 or FCE 169, valid two years), so take IELTS seriously too.

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.

Pavia states the IMAT fee is about EUR 130. Iran was not among the 23 countries hosting IMAT test centres in 2026; the nearest options were Turkey, the UAE (Dubai), Azerbaijan and Pakistan, but the UAE is effectively closed to new Iranian visitors in 2026, so in practice look at Turkey or Azerbaijan and budget for travel and entry. Annual tuition depends on ISEE and the university.

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

In 2026 IMAT registration ran 26 August – 9 September (15:00 Italian time) and the test was on 29 September. Scoring: +1.5 correct, −0.4 wrong, 0 blank, max 90. The 2026 test had 60 questions: 4 reading, 5 logic, 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and maths. Per Pavia's call, the 20-point minimum applies only to the national ranking (EU candidates and non-EU residents in Italy); non-EU candidates living abroad only need a score above zero, but competition for these few seats is much higher. Scores came out on 8 October, and rankings and seat reallocations run into November–December, so the visa and enrolment window is tight; 2027 dates are not yet published.

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: because this degree starts at diploma level, per Iranian secondary sources a conscript who hasn't served usually can't get a study exit permit; check before paying for the test and travel. Also check entry rules for the test-centre country (e.g. Turkey or Azerbaijan) early.

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.