Bachelor in Nursing at University of Palermo
Three-year English-taught L/SNT1 nursing degree at the University of Palermo, with 60 ECTS of clinical internships at IRCCS-ISMETT and a final exam that qualifies graduates to practise. Entry is by admission test, with 26 non-EU places in 2026/27.
Bachelor
3 years
Palermo
English
University of Palermo
Nursing is a three-year, 180 ECTS bachelor's degree (class L/SNT1) taught in English at the University of Palermo, with clinical training at IRCCS-ISMETT. Entry needs a school-leaving qualification after 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a place in the admission test ranking, with 26 places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Palermo's English-taught Nursing bachelor has a fixed number of places, filled by ranking in an admission test. You need a school-leaving qualification after at least 12 years of schooling, English at B2 and a test score above zero. For 2026/27 there were 26 places for non-EU applicants living abroad, ranked separately. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
School-leaving requirement
With a qualification obtained abroad, the call asks for at least 12 years of schooling and a diploma recognised as equivalent to the Italian school diploma, obtained or due by the end of the 2025/26 school year for the 2026/27 intake. All rules on access for foreign students follow the Ministry of University's regulations for 2026/27, which the call applies in full. [1]
The call sets no minimum grade and no required school subjects: your place depends on your admission test score. [1]
What this means for your school results
The call sets no minimum grade, so your test score decides your rank. The test leans on science: 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and maths questions out of 60. As a guide, based on the rules above:
- Usually a fit: Class 12 or Higher Secondary results after 12 years of schooling in a science stream with biology and chemistry (PCB or PCMB), or A levels in biology and chemistry.
- Check carefully: science streams without biology, such as PCM, since biology carries the most questions and a score below half the biology marks brings a first-year catch-up requirement.
- Often short: a Class 10 certificate on its own or any qualification after fewer than 12 years of schooling, and Commerce or Arts streams with no school biology or chemistry, since almost two thirds of the test covers those subjects.
English
English at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The 2026/27 call states the level but does not list accepted certificates or IELTS and TOEFL scores. [1]
Admission test and ranking
Places go by a ranking of admission test scores, under Ministerial Decree No. 1003 of 6 August 2026. [1]
- Format: 60 multiple-choice questions with five options each, in 100 minutes, taken in person in Palermo.
- Subjects: reading skills and knowledge from school studies (4 questions), logical reasoning and problem solving (5), biology (23), chemistry (15), and physics and maths (13).
- Scoring: 1.5 points for a correct answer, 0 for a blank and minus 0.4 for a wrong answer, up to 90 points. You need a score above zero to be ranked, and a blank paper is not ranked.
- Rankings: one list for EU applicants and non-EU applicants living in Italy, and a separate list for non-EU applicants living abroad.
- Ties: decided by the biology, chemistry, physics and maths, logic and reading scores in that order, then in favour of the younger candidate.
- Catch-up requirements (OFA): set in biology or chemistry if you score below half the maximum marks for that area, and cleared in the first year under the degree rules. No OFA applies to the other areas.
Places in 2026/27
The call set 26 places for non-EU applicants living abroad and 36 for EU applicants and non-EU applicants legally resident in Italy, both pending ministerial confirmation. Unused places reserved for non-EU applicants living abroad pass to EU students. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, the dates were: [1]
- Application on the UniPa student portal and online payment of the test fee by 24 August 2026.
- Requests for test adjustments for disability or specific learning disorders: by 24 August 2026.
- Admission test: 17 September 2026 at 11:00 in Palermo, with arrival at 8:00 for identification.
- Enrolment and fee payment for ranked winners: by 25 September 2026.
- Reallocation of remaining places: 29 September 2026, with enrolment by 6 October 2026.
All dates are final. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
Enrolment for non-EU applicants
If you win a place, you enrol on the UniPa student portal: you upload a passport photo, complete the enrolment form, pay the fees through the pagoPA system and send your documents online. Non-EU candidates living abroad need an ISEE parificato for enrolment. Winners who do not pay by the deadline are treated as having given up their place. [1]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- University of Palermo, School of Medicine and Surgery. Call for applications for the Bachelor's degree in Nursing (L/SNT1) of the health professions, taught in English, academic year 2026/2027, with Annex A on the admission test syllabus. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Nursing is a three-year bachelor's degree in class L/SNT1 (nursing and midwifery professions), worth 180 ECTS over six semesters and taught in English at the University of Palermo. It is run by the Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) in Palermo, and all three years are active.
The degree qualifies graduates to work as nurses. It suits school leavers with a good grounding in biology and chemistry who want to train for a nursing career in English and are ready for a large share of hospital-based practice.
What you will study
The first year builds the biomedical base and the foundations of nursing. The second year moves to pathophysiology, pharmacology and nursing care in medical and surgical areas, with research methods. The third year covers maternal and child care, critical and emergency care, and the legal and organisational side of the profession. Units in the current plan include:
- Human Anatomy and Histology, Physiology, and Biology and Genetics
- General Nursing and Medical Humanities (theory of nursing, bioethics, general psychology)
- Nursing Methodology and Techniques
- Pharmacology, Oncology and Palliative Care
- Research Methodology, Hygiene and Prevention in Nursing
- Nursing Methodology in the Critical and Neurological Area
- Specialist Nursing in the Maternal and Paediatric Area
- Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Health System Management
How the programme is taught
Classroom teaching in English runs alongside a guided clinical internship in each year, always with an English-speaking clinical tutor. Internships are worth 60 ECTS in total (15, 20 and 25 ECTS in years one to three) and take place at IRCCS-ISMETT, with tasks that grow in complexity as you progress.
To reach the final exam you need 174 ECTS. The exam starts with a practical professional test, at the bedside or as a simulation, followed by the discussion of a written thesis in English. It has the value of the state exam that qualifies you to practise.
Career paths
Graduates are responsible for general nursing care: prevention, treatment, palliative care and rehabilitation for patients of all ages, planning and evaluating nursing interventions, and applying diagnostic and therapeutic prescriptions in teams with other health professionals. The university lists these settings:
- Public and private hospitals and health facilities
- Community health services and home care
- Employed or freelance practice in Italy or other EU countries
- Further study in a master's degree in nursing and midwifery sciences
Fees and scholarships
For 2026/27, non-EU students living abroad choose between a fixed yearly amount by country of origin and an income-based fee using the ISEE parificato. ERSU Palermo awards regional scholarships on merit and family income, and UniPa lists a university fee waiver among the benefits, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Nursing has limited places and a competitive admission test. Under the 2026/27 call, candidates applied on the UniPa student portal by 24 August 2026, then sat the test in person in Palermo on 17 September 2026. Non-EU candidates living abroad had 26 places, pending ministerial confirmation, and a separate ranking. Winners had to enrol by 25 September 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
The call asks for a school qualification after at least 12 years of schooling and English at B2. [1] Alongside the test we complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and you apply for a type D study visa; at enrolment UniPa asks for a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement for your diploma. Non-EU students living abroad also need an ISEE parificato to enrol, and they pay the fees through pagoPA on the UniPa student portal. [1]
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your school results against Palermo's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your admission test application on the UniPa student portal and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ERSU Palermo scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
What school results do I need for Nursing at Palermo?
A school-leaving qualification after at least 12 years of schooling, recognised as equivalent to the Italian school diploma, plus English at B2. The 2026/27 call sets no minimum grade: your rank comes from the admission test, which is mostly biology and chemistry. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
Yes. A 60-question test in Palermo: 23 biology, 15 chemistry, 13 physics and maths, 5 logic and 4 reading questions in 100 minutes. Correct answers score 1.5 and wrong ones minus 0.4. For 2026/27 it was held on 17 September 2026, and you needed a score above zero. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
English at B2 of the Common European Framework. The 2026/27 call states the level but does not list IELTS, TOEFL or other accepted certificates, so we check which proof of B2 your file can use. [1]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, you applied on the UniPa student portal and paid the test fee by 24 August 2026, sat the test on 17 September 2026 and, if ranked, enrolled by 25 September 2026. The 2027/28 call sets the new dates. [1]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27 the call set 26 places for non-EU candidates living abroad, ranked separately, and 36 for EU and non-EU candidates living in Italy, both pending ministerial confirmation. Unused non-EU places pass to EU students. [1]
I studied Commerce or PCM in Class 12. Can I still apply?
Possibly. The call sets no required school subjects, so you can sit the test. But 23 of the 60 questions are biology and 15 are chemistry, and scoring below half the marks in either brings a first-year catch-up requirement, so preparing those subjects matters. [1]
Is the Nursing degree at Palermo taught in English?
Yes. Lectures are given in English, clinical training takes place with English-speaking tutors, and the final exam is written and discussed in English. The call asks for English at B2 level of the Common European Framework. [1]
Does the degree qualify me to work as a nurse?
Yes. The final exam includes a practical professional test and counts as the state exam that qualifies graduates to practise as nurses. Internships make up 60 of the 180 ECTS, and graduates can continue to a master's degree in nursing and midwifery sciences.
Can someone handle my whole application to Nursing at Palermo?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your school results against Palermo's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ERSU Palermo scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Nursing?
A Class 12 certificate after 12 years of schooling, with English at B2, can meet the school rule, and the call sets no minimum grade. Your rank comes from a 60-question test, mostly biology and chemistry. The steps are UniPa portal registration and payment of the test fee, the test in Palermo and the non-EU ranking, then Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Nursing are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: UniPa student portal registration and payment of the test fee, the admission test in Palermo and a place in the non-EU ranking, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Nursing are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: UniPa student portal registration and payment of the test fee, the admission test in Palermo and a place in the non-EU ranking. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Nursing are the same whatever your nationality, and your school results are assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: UniPa student portal registration and payment of the test fee, the admission test in Palermo and a place in the non-EU ranking, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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