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Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

Information for non-EU citizens living in Italy

Information for non-EU citizens living in Italy

Applying for a unibz study programme as a non-EU citizen living in Italy is not difficult at all. You only need to follow the instructions on this page and you will be able to start or continue your studies at unibz. If you are a citizen of an EEA-country or Switzerland, please check the specific page.

Non-EU citizens living in Italy can apply during all application periods, also those that are only for EU citizens. Non-EU citizens living in other European countries can only apply in the application periods for non-EU citizens.

Language requirements

In order to gain admission to any unibz study programme, languages are the first requirement you need to fulfil. Check the specific language requirements on the programmes’ pages and upload a recognised language certificate or enrol in a language exam at unibz.

Applying for a bachelor programme

You need to either have been awarded the Italian secondary school diploma (or be in the process of obtaining it), or have a qualification that is equivalent to it and that has been or will be obtained at the end of at least 12 years of secondary education. If the length of your secondary education cycle is less than 12 years, then the regulations set by the Italian Ministry of University and Research apply.

If in the country which has issued your qualification an aptitude test is required to gain access to higher education, you will need to include the results of that test when applying to our University. For some qualifications (e.g. UK and US qualifications), the Italian Ministry of University and Research has set specific admission criteria.

Based on if the country that issued your qualification is a signatory of the Lisbon Convention or not, you will either have to provide a Statement of Correspondence which you can download free-of-charge from the ARDI (Automatic Recognition Database - Italy), or have to provide a Statement of Comparability and a Statement of Verification issued by the Italian Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA) to prove that your qualification gives you access to the Italian higher education system.

Get in touch with our Advisory Service if you have any question.

Applying for a master programme

You can check which qualifications are required for admission in the page of the master programme in which you are interested. If your home university issues Diploma Supplements, you can apply with one.

If you don't have a Diploma Supplement, based on if the country that issued your qualification is a signatory of the Lisbon Convention or not, you will either have to provide a Statement of Correspondence which you can download free-of-charge from the ARDI (Automatic Recognition Database - Italy), or have to provide a Statement of Comparability and a Statement of Verification issued by the Italian Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA) to prove that your qualification gives you access to the Italian higher education system.

Checklist for your successful Application

  1. Apply online, following the guidelines detailed at the end of programme's page.
  2. If you see your name in the list of the admitted students, pay the first instalment of the tuition fees to secure your admission.
  3. Unless your qualification has been issued by an Italian institution, submit the required documentation to prove that your qualification gives you access to the Italian higher education system.
  4. Enrol and come to South Tyrol in time for the new semester start.

Your First Days in South Tyrol

After you have enrolled, you will need to follow a few steps in order to organise your life in South Tyrol.

Scholarships and financial help

Students can apply for an income-based study grant to the Ufficio per il diritto allo studio universitario after one year of regular residence in South Tyrol. These income-based study grants vary between €1,680 and €6,960 per year. If students obtain a study grant, they will also get a refund of the tuition fees. The student association sh.asus helps students with the application for this type of grant.

Those who, after the first year, get an average grade of 27/30 for their exams are eligible to apply for scholarships based on merit rather than income.