Study in Italy for Tunisians: the 2027-2028 guide

Study in Italy for Tunisians: where to start

Studying in Italy as a Tunisian follows a single national procedure, set out in a circular from Italy's Ministry of University and Research (MUR) drawn up with the Education, Foreign Affairs and Interior ministries. The current version covers two academic years: 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. For 2026-2027, visa applications must be submitted by 30 November 2026, so if you are starting now, aim for the 2027-2028 intake.

The steps always come in the same order:

• choose a programme and check its admission requirements on the university's website;
• fill in the pre-enrolment application on the Universitaly portal;
• wait for the university to validate it;
• apply for a study visa at the ALMAVIVA centre, the visa provider of the Italian Embassy in Tunis;
• once you arrive, apply for a residence permit.

Keep in mind that university validation guarantees neither a visa appointment nor the visa itself. The consulate alone decides, after assessing your situation, including migration risk. Opporiva is a free information service: we never apply on your behalf.

Source: Universitaly (MUR) — Studenti stranieri: procedures 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026

2027-2028 calendar: the dates that matter

For the 2027-2028 intake, the circular sets 31 October 2027 as the last day to submit visa applications. This limit covers the standard degree programmes: Laurea (bachelor's), Laurea Magistrale (master's) and single-cycle degrees, plus the academic diplomas of art, music and dance institutions (AFAM).

For other courses (university Master programmes, PhDs, Erasmus, single courses, foundation courses) there is no fixed date, but the visa application must come before classes start.

Be careful: each university can set its own dates, and they may fall well before 31 October 2027. The opening dates of Universitaly pre-enrolment for 2027-2028 are to be confirmed. Since each institution sets its own application deadlines, check your university's international students page now.

Practical tip: prepare your documents (diplomas, transcripts, translations, apostilles, language certificate) several months ahead, especially as the dichiarazione di valore requires an appointment.

Source: MUR circular on entry, stay and enrolment of international students, academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026

Pre-enrolment on Universitaly

Universitaly is the official, free portal of Italy's Ministry of University. It is the only channel accepted for the pre-enrolment application that leads to a study visa. Be wary of any intermediary who charges you for this step.

How it works:

• you create an account on Universitaly and fill in the pre-enrolment application;
• with a foreign qualification, such as a Tunisian baccalauréat or university degree, you select only one programme in the application;
• the university reviews your file and validates the application online;
• you then attach the validated summary to your visa application (the embassy in Tunis asks for two copies).

Validation "with reservation" is only possible in two cases: you have not yet obtained your diploma, or you must sit the admission exam or language test in Italy. An incomplete file, for example one without a dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statement, can no longer be validated with reservation.

Each university runs its own assessment and may ask for your documents on its website or platform: read its page carefully, as this step can come on top of the Universitaly application.

Source: Universitaly (MUR) — Studenti stranieri: procedures 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026

Recognition of the Tunisian baccalauréat and degrees

For a bachelor's (first cycle), Italy asks for a secondary-school leaving qualification earned after at least 12 years of schooling, which gives access to a comparable programme in the home country. For a master's (second cycle) you need a first-cycle degree at level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework; for a PhD, a level 7 degree. The university may also ask for Italian translations and, for a master's or PhD, the transcript of exams passed and the syllabus of each subject.

For the visa, at every level of study, the original diploma must come with either:

• a statement of comparability and a statement of verification of authenticity issued by CIMEA, the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre;
• or a "dichiarazione di valore" (declaration of value) issued by the Italian Embassy.

In Tunis, the embassy's checklist asks for the original secondary-school diploma and a copy, translated into Italian and apostilled. To obtain a dichiarazione di valore, since 30 March 2026 diplomas must first be legalised by the competent Tunisian authority: the Ministry of Education for the baccalauréat, the Ministry of Higher Education (university rectorates) for university degrees. You book the appointment on Prenot@mi and bring all the diplomas and report cards of your schooling. The dichiarazione di valore is free when it is for continuing your studies (with proof of enrolment at an Italian university); otherwise it costs the dinar equivalent of €50 (fee shown on 23 October 2026). CIMEA fees and processing times are to be confirmed with CIMEA.

The university alone decides whether to recognise your qualification for admission. If your diploma has not yet been issued when you apply for the visa, an official provisional certificate may be accepted, never a self-declaration. Unless you have an exam to sit in Italy, you must then show the final diploma, with its dichiarazione di valore or CIMEA statement, when you collect the visa.

Source: MUR circular on entry, stay and enrolment of international students, academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026

Language: studying in Italian or in English

For programmes taught in Italian (bachelor's, master's, single-cycle), each university runs an Italian test at level B2 or above. The test takes place before the visa application, preferably remotely, and the university adds the result to your pre-enrolment.

You are exempt from the test if you hold an Italian certification at B2 or above from a recognised certifying body, but you still count towards the places reserved for visa applicants living abroad. For a bachelor's or single-cycle degree, a C1 or C2 certification from the CLIQ system exempts you from the test without counting towards those reserved places.

For a programme taught in English there is no Italian test, but you must prove your level in the language of the course. For the visa, the consulate accepts an internationally recognised certification at B2 or above covering all four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing). A certification issued by the university itself may be accepted if it covers all four skills.

Source: MUR circular on entry, stay and enrolment of international students, academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026

Study visa: funds, housing and insurance

The visa you need is a national type D visa for study and university enrolment ("immatricolazione università"). If you live in Tunisia, you apply at the ALMAVIVA centre appointed by the Italian Embassy in Tunis: the embassy does not give appointments itself and recognises no intermediary. Its "Studio Immatricolazione Universitaria" sheet gives an indicative list of documents: check it before you apply.

The circular sets three main conditions:

• means of subsistence of €10,179.85 a year (amount valid for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028). The money must come from legal, traceable sources and should preferably be your own or, failing that, provided by your family (relatives up to the fourth degree);
• suitable accommodation in Italy. Simply applying for a university residence is not enough; the embassy asks for proof of accommodation at least for the start of your stay (hotel booking, declaration of hospitality, etc.);
• health insurance covering medical care and hospital stays. The embassy in Tunis asks for it in the visa file, and you will show it again for the residence permit.

In Tunis, proof of funds takes the form of a bank "blocage" certificate: at least €10,179.85, blocked irrevocably for one year and transferred to Italy every month (€783.06 a month). It is not required if you present a certificate of an Italian government scholarship of at least that amount; having only applied for a regional grant does not count. The consulate may also examine your account movements and whether the funds match the family's income.

The sheet also asks, among other things, for a passport valid for more than 15 months, a return travel booking, and a birth certificate and a "stato di famiglia" (family status certificate), apostilled and translated into Italian. The embassy may call you for a short interview. Since 11 January 2025, fingerprints are required for national visas.

Fees shown by the embassy on 23 October 2026: a €50 consular fee (TND 170.600) for a national study visa, paid in cash in dinars, plus a basic service fee of TND 68.300. These amounts can change at any time.

Source: Embassy of Italy in Tunis — Study visa for university enrolment: information sheet and document list · checked 23 Oct 2026

Funding: regional grants, IYT and MAECI

Italian public universities often set tuition fees according to family income. Exact amounts are to be confirmed on each university's website.

Regional right-to-study grants ("diritto allo studio") are open to international students. In Emilia-Romagna, for example, the ER.GO agency asks families with income or assets abroad for official documents issued by that country's authorities, legalised (or apostilled where allowed), translated into Italian and renewed every year. For a Tunisian student, these papers are prepared in Tunisia, several weeks before the deadline. Each region has its own agency and calendar.

Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT), a programme of Italy's Foreign Ministry run with the ICE agency and Uni-Italia, funds master's and postgraduate courses at partner universities, with a compulsory company internship. For 2026-2027: a scholarship of €10,800 a year, Tunisia on the list of eligible countries, an English certificate at B2 or above, applicants born on or after 1 January 2000, and online applications from 20 April to 11 May 2026. IYT cannot be combined with any other Italian public funding, including a regional grant. Dates and conditions for the 2027-2028 edition are to be confirmed.

Italian government scholarships (MAECI) are applied for only on the Study in Italy portal. For 2026-2027, the call closed on 26 March 2026 and the Italian Embassy in Tunis published the list of winners in Tunisia in September 2026. For 2027-2028, dates are to be confirmed and Tunisia's place on the call's country list must be checked.

Source: Invest Your Talent in Italy — current call (MAECI, ICE, Uni-Italia) · checked 23 Oct 2026

After arrival: the residence permit

Within eight working days of arriving on a type D visa, you must apply for a study residence permit ("permesso di soggiorno") at the Questura of the city where you will live. You apply with a kit available at post offices, or at the desk some universities provide.

When you submit it, you pay the fees (amount to be confirmed) and receive a receipt that proves your stay is lawful, together with a notice giving the day you must go to the Questura, with photos, to have your fingerprints taken.

Renewal must be requested at least 60 days before expiry. You need to show your enrolment, still meet the visa conditions (funds, housing, insurance) and have passed at least one exam in the first year, then at least two exams in each following year. Formally withdrawing from your studies ends your right to stay for study.

Source: MUR circular on entry, stay and enrolment of international students, academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 · checked 23 Oct 2026