MAECI Italian Government Scholarships

MAECI Scholarships are offered by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for foreign students and Italian citizens living abroad. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the official call had a deadline of 26 March 2026, and applications had to be submitted online through the Study in Italy portal.

Required documents

• Online application form.
• Valid passport.
• Academic transcripts.
• Degree certificate or expected graduation certificate.
• CV.
• Motivation letter.
• Admission or pre-admission to an eligible Italian institution, if required.
• Language certificate:
• English certificate for English-taught programmes.
• Italian certificate for Italian-taught programmes.
• Research proposal for PhD or research projects.
• Recommendation letters, if requested.
• Portfolio for arts, music or design programmes.
• Proof of nationality and residence.
• Any additional documents required by the annual call.

Eligible nationalities

• Foreign students from eligible countries listed in the annual call.
• Italian citizens living abroad may also be eligible under IRE rules.
• Eligible countries change by year.
• Applicants must check the country list in the official call.
• Some programmes may have age limits.
• Applicants already in Italy may have different eligibility conditions depending on the call.

How to apply

• Read the annual MAECI call carefully.
• Create an account on the Study in Italy portal.
• Choose the scholarship category.
• Upload required documents.
• Submit before the deadline.
• Follow instructions from the Italian embassy or consulate if required.
• Wait for selection and possible embassy/university communication.

Usual timeline

• Start preparing: November to January.
• Call publication: usually winter or early spring.
• Application deadline: often March or spring.
• Evaluation: spring to early summer.
• Results: summer.
• Visa and university enrolment: summer.
• Arrival in Italy: September or October.
• Scholarship start: academic year start.
• Payment: MAECI grants are normally paid after enrolment and required administrative steps; some payments may begin after quarterly processing.