The Application Process Officially Begins for IMAT Candidates
The official Universitaly procedures for international students have been published. These procedures explain the rules for entry, visa applications, enrolment, and diploma evaluation for international students applying to higher education in Italy for the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 academic years.
If you are preparing for the IMAT, this announcement is especially important. Universitaly procedures are usually one of the earliest and clearest official signs that the international application cycle is starting.
In short, the process is no longer something to watch from a distance. Things are officially starting.
Note: This article is specifically prepared for international candidates who will take the IMAT and want to study Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine in English in Italy. In other words, we will only focus on the parts that concern English-taught Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine programs.
What does this mean for you?
Here are the most important things you need to know right now:
- The official procedures for international students have been published for the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 academic years.
- Students who need a visa must submit their pre-enrolment application only through the Universitaly portal.
- For the 2026/2027 academic year, study visa applications must be submitted by 30 November 2026 at the latest.
- For the 2027/2028 academic year, study visa applications must be submitted by 31 October 2027 at the latest.
- Completing pre-enrolment or having your Universitaly application validated by the university does not automatically give you the right to obtain a visa.
- The final decision on the visa always belongs to the competent Italian diplomatic-consular authority.
- Obtaining a visa also does not mean that your university enrolment is final. The final decision on enrolment is made by the university.
That is why you should not think of the IMAT process only in terms of the exam date and exam result. The official application, pre-enrolment, visa, and enrolment steps are also important parts of the process.
Study visa application deadlines
According to the official procedures published on Universitaly, for the 2026/2027 academic year, study visa applications must be submitted to the competent Italian diplomatic-consular authority by 30 November 2026 at the latest.
For the 2027/2028 academic year, the deadline is 31 October 2027.
But there is a very important point here: these are general deadlines.
Universities may set earlier deadlines according to their own academic calendars. This means that a university may announce an earlier pre-enrolment or visa submission deadline for its English-taught Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine program.
Attention: It is not enough to check only the general Universitaly deadline. You must also check the official call published on the English program page of the university you plan to apply to.
Universitaly pre-enrolment is required
For international students who need a visa and live outside Italy, the application process for Italian higher education programs starts with pre-enrolment.
This procedure must be completed only through Universitaly. Universitaly is the official and free application portal of the Italian Ministry of University and Research.
After the student completes the pre-enrolment application on Universitaly, the relevant university digitally evaluates and validates the application.
At this stage, the university reviews the academic documents submitted by the candidate. It also enters into the system which documents have been checked for authenticity and which documents are required for its own evaluation.
New procedure: The 20% validation limit
Starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, universities will be able to validate pre-enrolment applications only up to a maximum of 20% more than the number of places reserved for international students.
When this limit is reached, the Universitaly system will alert the university, and the university’s ability to validate additional pre-enrolment applications will be suspended. If a candidate’s study visa is refused, the university may be given the possibility to validate one additional application.
Do not overlook this: This rule should not be read as “the program is completely closed.” The +20% rule limits the number of pre-enrolment applications a university can validate; it does not increase the number of available non-EU seats.
One-program rule: the visa and residence permit are linked to one program
Even though there may theoretically be some cases in Italy where dual enrolment is possible in higher education, for international student procedures, the visa and residence permit application cannot be processed through two separate programs.
For IMAT candidates, the practical result is this: the Universitaly pre-enrolment application is processed through one main program.
This program can be Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine in English.
University validation does not guarantee a visa
This is one of the clearest points emphasized in the official documents.
The university validating your pre-enrolment application, reviewing your documents, or giving you a preliminary acceptance does not guarantee that you will obtain a visa.
The authority to issue a visa belongs entirely to the Italian diplomatic-consular authority.
The consulate does not only check documents. It also evaluates whether the student is genuinely going to Italy for educational purposes and whether there is any migration risk.
Attention: Do not confuse the three different stages of the IMAT process: exam success, visa approval, and final university enrolment are separate processes.
Language requirement for English-taught programs
If you are applying to an English-taught Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine program and your native language is not English, you may need to prove your English proficiency at a level not lower than B2.
Do not overlook this: Always check which English certificates are accepted in the official call of the university you are applying to. The Universitaly document provides the general framework; universities may announce their own admission requirements separately.
High school diploma and the 12-year education requirement
To apply to English-taught Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine programs, you normally need to have a final high school diploma obtained after at least 12 years of education.
It is not just about “graduating from high school.” Your diploma must give you the right to enter university in the education system of the country where it was issued.
Also, if your country requires a university entrance exam or an academic eligibility requirement, you may also be asked to provide proof that this requirement has been met.
Important note: If your school system is shorter than 12 years, the university may ask for additional documents to compensate for the missing year or years. You must check which documents are required in the official call or portal of the university you are applying to.
Candidates with a US High School Diploma, A Levels, or IB Diploma
Universitaly has also published Allegato 1 and Allegato 2 for foreign educational qualifications.
For IMAT candidates, diplomas from international systems such as the US High School Diploma, A Levels, and IB Diploma may be especially important.
For detailed information about the eligibility requirements of these diplomas, the Allegato 1 document published by Universitaly should be reviewed.
Do not overlook this:
- Allegato 1 explains the general eligibility requirements for foreign qualifications.
- Allegato 2 explains the special status of some Italian, foreign, or international school diplomas and exemptions from the Italian language test.
Important note: The final evaluation of diploma eligibility belongs to the university. If your diploma type is a US High School Diploma, A Level, IB, European Baccalaureate, or an international school diploma with special status, you must also check the documents required in the official call of the university you are applying to.
Academic documents required for the visa application
For English-taught Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine programs, the following academic documents are normally required for the visa application:
- Final high school diploma: An official high school completion diploma obtained after at least 12 years of education.
- Diploma eligibility or verification documents: CIMEA comparability and verification documents, or, where required, a Dichiarazione di valore.
- Proof of university entrance eligibility: A document proving that this requirement has been met if required in your country.
- Translations: Italian translations of documents, where required.
- Additional documents: Documents required to verify the authenticity of the diploma.
- English language certificate: Minimum B2 level or higher for English-taught programs.
- Validated Universitaly pre-enrolment summary: The summary validated by the university.
Important note: A visa application can normally be submitted only with a pre-enrolment application validated by the university. Exceptions, known as conditional pre-enrolment, are limited to missing physical diplomas with temporary certificates or the need to travel for an entrance exam.
Which visa is issued?
Candidates who have regularly completed pre-enrolment on Universitaly may receive a Type D study visa.
This is a national visa issued for university enrolment purposes, valid for 365 days, and allowing multiple entries.
Do not overlook this: Receiving a Type D study visa does not mean that your enrolment in Italy is automatically complete. The enrolment process must still be finalized by the university.
Financial requirement for the visa
For the visa, the student must show financial resources of €10,179.85 per year.
These resources must be legal and traceable.
They should preferably be in the student’s own name or provided by the student’s family unit, meaning relatives up to the 4th degree of kinship.
Active bank accounts or linked/blocked accounts are preferred.
Attention: Simply being a candidate for a regional scholarship is not enough. Without an official award document, the scholarship is not counted as part of the financial resources.
Accommodation and health insurance
Accommodation
The student must show that they have suitable accommodation in Italy.
Simply applying for university accommodation or being found eligible is not, on its own, considered valid proof.
Health insurance
The student must have suitable health insurance covering medical treatment and hospitalization.
This must be shown during the residence permit application.
Do not overlook this: Health insurance should not be thought of only as travel insurance. The official document requires appropriate coverage for medical treatment and hospitalization.
Conclusion: The IMAT process is not only about the exam
If you are preparing for the IMAT, you must check the pre-enrolment deadlines directly from the official call of the university you plan to apply to.
Official calls may include deadlines earlier than the general Universitaly timeline.
If you have not chosen your university yet, you can take a look at our Italian Medical Schools page on IMAT Guide.
Here is what you should be doing right now:
- Continue studying for the IMAT.
- Start following the official calls of universities.
- Check the Universitaly portal regularly.
- Confirm pre-enrolment instructions from your chosen university.
- Start preparing documents, such as your diploma and language certificate.
- Plan your visa documents early, including financial resources, accommodation, and insurance.
The IMAT process is not only about the exam. At IMAT Guide, we are following this process very closely. As soon as an official update is published, we will share what has changed clearly and quickly.
