Study in Italy Consultants in Pune (2027/28): Consulate, VFS, Documents and Costs

Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma, Student Success and Partnerships. Published 28 September 2026. Updated 28 September 2026.

In short

• If you are comparing study abroad consultants in Pune for Italy, start with the office that decides: Pune falls under the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai. VFS Pune in Wanowrie accepts your DOV, but the study visa goes only to VFS Mumbai or Cochin, followed by a video interview.
• A degree or school certificate from Maharashtra needs the state Higher Education Department attestation, then an MEA apostille on paper or through e-Sanad, which Mumbai accepts for the DOV. SDM stamps are refused.
• A year in Milan costs from about ₹10.2 lakh to ₹20.5 lakh before flights at 2026/27 prices, converted at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026 (1 EUR = 109.2605 INR). The visa also asks for proof of €10,179.85 a year, about ₹11.12 lakh.
• ApplyAZ has no office in Pune. Students in Pune work with our team in Milan and India online, from the eligibility check to the visa file.
• ApplyAZ, an independent study-in-Italy consultancy with offices in Milan and India, works only with Italian public universities and takes no commission from them. For eligible students, we handle the applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship application and the visa file.

Check your eligibility first. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Which Italian office handles your visa if you live in Pune?

The Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai handles both your study visa and your DOV if you live in Pune. Its own visa page lists Maharashtra among the eight states and territories it serves. Your home address decides the office, so a Pune address sends the file to Mumbai, not to New Delhi or Bengaluru.

Our guide to the Mumbai consulate walks through its checklist, and the Italy student visa guide explains the visa as a whole. For eligible students, we prepare that file and book the appointment.

What can you submit at VFS Pune, and what must go to Mumbai?

VFS Pune takes your DOV request before the visa stage, but never your study visa. The Mumbai consulate's June 2026 DOV checklist names Pune among four centres for DOVs filed early. Since 15 April 2024, study visas go only to VFS Mumbai or Cochin, by appointment, with a mandatory video interview.

Sources: VFS Global Pune, VFS Global Mumbai, Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, study page and its DOV checklist (revised June 2026), read 28 September 2026.

For a Pune family, the split usually means an early DOV at Wanowrie and one trip to Mahalaxmi for the visa. We plan both appointments around your admission dates and prepare every page that goes in. Students who live in Mumbai itself follow a shorter routine, covered on our Mumbai page.

Which documents from Maharashtra do you need for Italy?

You need your final degree and marksheets attested by the Maharashtra Higher Education Department and then apostilled by the MEA. The Mumbai consulate's June 2026 DOV checklist calls that state attestation mandatory and refuses SDM stamps. Bachelor's applicants follow the same chain with their Class XII certificate.

Only your family can obtain these documents. We tell you exactly which documents to get, in which order, and check every page before the visa appointment. Our guide to the Declaration of Value explains what each stamp proves, and DOV or CIMEA compares the two routes the Mumbai consulate accepts.

How do you get a Maharashtra degree attested for Italy?

A Maharashtra degree is attested in two stages: first by the state's Higher and Technical Education Department, then by the MEA with an apostille. MEA's list of Regional Authentication Centres places the Maharashtra department at Mantralaya in Mumbai. The Mumbai consulate accepts no shortcut, since it rejects SDM attestation outright.

One Pune detail is easy to miss. SPPU's Certificate Section offers its own "Certificate Attestation", but that university stamp is not the state attestation the consulate asks for.

Where a document sits in DigiLocker, the MEA stage can run online through e-Sanad instead of a paper deposit. We tell your family which route fits each document before anyone pays for either.

Is E-Sanad accepted for Maharashtra documents?

Yes, the Mumbai consulate accepts e-Sanad for the DOV. Its June 2026 checklist takes a digital degree or school certificate attested by the Higher Education Department and apostilled online through e-Sanad. The catch is the depository: e-Sanad works only for documents held digitally, and the MEA charges ₹50 per apostille there.

For Maharashtra, e-Sanad's own list of integrated issuers names the state board, through DigiLocker. SPPU degree certificates can also be pulled into DigiLocker, so we check how each SPPU, COEP Tech or board document can travel before choosing paper or online.

Paper documents take a different road: the state stamp first, then deposit with one of the MEA's outsourced service providers. The apostilled originals then come back through the same agency.

How much does it cost to study in Italy from Pune?

A year in Milan costs from about €9,372 to €18,729 (₹10.2 lakh to ₹20.5 lakh) before flights, using 2026/27 fees and Politecnico di Milano's living-cost ranges. Public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students through the regional DSU grant. When a region awards that grant, the total drops further.

Worked example with 2026/27 figures: an SPPU graduate starts an English-taught master's at the University of Milan and pays at most €402 in fees, the Area B rate. Living at the middle of Polimi's Milan ranges costs €920 a month, or €11,040 a year. Add €866.46 for health cover, visa and permit, and the year comes to €12,308.46, about ₹13.45 lakh before the flight.

Separately, the consulate wants to see at least €10,179.85 a year in funds, the amount the MUR circular sets for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Our page on the cost of studying in Italy breaks down each line, and the visa guide covers how funds are shown. The DSU scholarship guide explains how the grant works region by region.

What the DSU grant could add in the budget cities, from the 2026/27 calls (top amounts need an ISEE in the lowest band):

All five calls pay women studying STEM courses more: 20% more at the University of Milan, Politecnico di Milano, the University of Padua and DiSCo Lazio, and €8,455.33 at EDISU Piemonte.

Sources: the 2026/27 calls of the University of Milan, Politecnico di Milano (supplement to the call), the University of Padua, EDISU Piemonte and DiSCo Lazio, read 28 September 2026. The 2027/28 calls are pending. The 2026/27 calls closed or close between 22 July and 30 September 2026 (DiSCo Lazio 22 July, Politecnico di Milano 5 August for first-year students, EDISU Piemonte 4 September, University of Milan and University of Padua 30 September).

A budget only matters once you know which universities are realistic for you. Check your eligibility first, and if you are eligible, we take care of everything from the consultation onwards.

Are there direct flights from Pune to Italy?

No: the Airports Authority of India's Pune schedule for Thursday 11 June 2026 lists 101 flights, and the only international ones serve Dubai and Bangkok. None goes to Europe. On that schedule, reaching Milan or Rome from Pune takes at least one change of plane, at another Indian airport or an overseas hub.

Air India's booking pages list Pune to Milan Malpensa and Pune to Rome as bookable routes. We quote no fares, because they change daily. Our Milan, Turin and Rome city guides pick up from arrival.

Where can you take IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GRE or GMAT in Pune?

IELTS runs at two IDP venues in Pune, on Dhole Patil Road and in Shivajinagar. The British Council states that IDP has been the sole IELTS distributor in India since 25 July 2021. ETS offers the GRE and TOEFL at test centres or at home, and GMAT runs at a centre or online.

The next SAT dates still open for registration are 7 November (deadline 23 October) and 5 December 2026, then 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027, per the College Board. A few English-taught bachelor's degrees in our catalogue accept the SAT alongside Italian entry tests.

For English-taught courses, Italian universities must verify at least B2 English, and some accept a medium-of-instruction letter instead of a score. SPPU issues a Medium Certificate, so we check programme by programme whether it replaces a test. See studying in Italy without IELTS.

Where to start: English-taught programmes by level in our catalogue

We have no cleared data yet on what students from Pune choose, so this table shows catalogue counts, not a ranking. For graduates of COEP Tech and SPPU engineering colleges, the natural starting point is the 189 engineering and computer science programmes.

Counts from ApplyAZ's programme data (English-taught only), 28 September 2026; not a national total.

Public universities with the most English-taught programmes in our catalogue:

• University of Padua: 58
• Sapienza University of Rome: 34
• University of Bologna: 27
• University of Trento: 24
• University of Naples Federico II: 23
• University of Turin: 22
• University of Milan: 19
• University of Pisa: 18
• University of Pavia: 18

Politecnico di Milano and the University of Siena follow with 15 each; 13 of Politecnico di Milano's are in engineering, architecture and design.

Do you need a consultant to study in Italy?

No: you can apply alone, because Universitaly is the official pre-enrolment portal and each university decides admission itself. Applying alone suits an organised student with one or two programmes and simple documents. Help earns its fee when a Maharashtra file combines HED attestation, a DOV and the 31 October 2027 visa deadline.

Uni-Italia, a non-profit founded in 2010 by Italian ministries and the rectors' conference, assists students from its office inside the Mumbai consulate. The consulate's study page refers students to Uni-Italia for its assistance and fees. Our page on how ApplyAZ gets paid says plainly when applying alone is the better choice.

How do you choose between study abroad consultants in Pune?

Choose the one whose answers you can verify yourself. Find out who pays them, whether every university on the list is public, and whether they promise a visa. A Pune adviser who does not know that study visas go only to VFS Mumbai or Cochin, per the Mumbai consulate, should not be handling an Italian file.

Ten questions to put to any consultant, including us:

1. Do universities pay you a commission for each student?
2. Is every university on my shortlist a public one?
3. Which official page does each deadline come from?
4. Who, by name, handles my file at each stage?
5. Do you promise admission, a scholarship or a visa?
6. Will I approve every application before it goes in?
7. What happens to my money if no university admits me?
8. Are all fees and refund terms in writing before I pay?
9. Can you explain the DSU rules of the region my shortlist is in?
10. Where is your office, and does the address match your own website?

Red flags:

• A promise of admission, a scholarship or a visa.
• Commissions from universities, or no clear answer on who pays.
• A Pune office that exists only on a flyer, or an address nobody can visit.
• A shortlist made only of private universities.
• Pressure to pay everything upfront.
• Documents "attested" by an SDM or a notary instead of the state department.

Our guide to choosing a study in Italy consultant answers ten questions like these for ApplyAZ. The ApplyAZ Code of Practice lists the promises you can hold us to, and the consultant hub compares commission-based agents, "free" agents, applying alone, Uni-Italia and ApplyAZ.

Does ApplyAZ have an office in Pune?

No: ApplyAZ has offices in Milan and India, and none in Pune. Students in Pune work with us online, from the eligibility check to the visa file, so you never need to visit an office. Your in-person stops in Pune are usually VFS Wanowrie for the DOV and your test venue.

Read more about our team on the About ApplyAZ page.

How ApplyAZ works with students in Pune

It starts with the eligibility check at go.applyaz.com. If a public university in Italy is realistic for you, you book a one-to-one consultation on Zoom with one of our Italy experts, and parents are welcome to join.

From there we take care of everything for eligible students. That means the shortlist of English-taught programmes at public universities, applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship application, the visa file for Mumbai, and guidance on housing, your residence permit and arrival in Italy. Each stage has a named person on our side, and nothing goes to a university until you approve the programme.

When to start: the 2027/28 visa deadline is 31 October 2027, and the 2027/28 Universitaly pre-enrolment window is not yet published. The 2026/27 window was already open in early May 2026, so a Pune student aiming for 2027/28 gains most by starting the Maharashtra documents in autumn 2026.

We take no commission from any university; students and their families pay our fees, step by step as results arrive. The fee varies by country and is never shown as one figure. How ApplyAZ Gets Paid explains when each part falls due, and how it works shows the full sequence.

Reality check

The university decides admission, the region decides the DSU scholarship and the Consulate General in Mumbai decides the visa. Universitaly states that a validated pre-enrolment does not by itself secure a visa appointment or a visa.

What we handle for eligible students: the shortlist, applications, pre-enrolment, the DSU application, the DOV request and the visa file, with every page checked before your appointment. We never attest, apostille or issue a document; only your family can obtain those.

The usual Maharashtra mistakes, and what each costs:

• An SDM or notary stamp instead of the Higher Education Department: the Mumbai consulate refuses it, and the chain restarts at the state department.
• SPPU transcripts for some years only: SPPU issues one per year, and a gap can hold up a DOV that already takes up to 90 days.
• Treating SPPU's own "Certificate Attestation" as the state stamp: it is not, so the apostille stage has to wait.
• Arriving at VFS Pune with the visa file: Pune takes DOVs only, so the day is lost and the visa slot must be booked in Mumbai or Cochin.
• Booking the visa slot with a parent's email or phone: VFS Mumbai asks for the student's own, and an allotted slot cannot be rescheduled.
• Waiting for the DOV before booking the visa: with an SPPU or COEP Tech degree and a Pune address, the DOV can travel with the visa file at Mumbai or Cochin, instead of adding up to 90 days before it.
• A name spelled differently across passport, marksheets and degree: the DOV checklist then asks for proof that all of them belong to you.

Before any of these steps, find out where you stand. Check your eligibility, and if you are eligible, book a one-to-one consultation and we take care of everything from there.

Frequently asked questions

Will VFS Pune in Wanowrie accept my study visa file?

No: VFS Pune takes DOV requests filed before the visa stage, but the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai accepts study visa applications only at VFS Mumbai (Mahalaxmi) and Cochin, by prior appointment. A mandatory video interview follows submission. For eligible students, we book the Mumbai or Cochin slot and prepare the whole file.

Does the Mumbai consulate accept e-Sanad for a Maharashtra degree?

Yes, for the DOV: the consulate's June 2026 checklist accepts a digital degree or school certificate attested by the Higher Education Department and apostilled online through e-Sanad. The document must first sit in a digital depository such as DigiLocker. We check whether your SPPU, COEP Tech or board documents qualify before your family picks a route.

Is SDM attestation accepted for documents from Pune?

No: the Mumbai consulate's DOV checklist says attestations by an SDM on study documents will not be accepted, and that Higher Education Department attestation is mandatory. MEA's list places Maharashtra's department at Mantralaya in Mumbai. We tell you exactly which documents to get, in which order, and check every page before the appointment.

Can an SPPU Medium Certificate replace IELTS for Italy?

Sometimes: Italian universities must verify at least B2 English for English-taught courses, and each university decides which proof it accepts. Some accept a medium-of-instruction certificate like the one SPPU's Certificate Section issues. We check every programme on your shortlist and tell you whether you still need a test score.

What bank balance does a Pune family need for the Italian study visa?

The consulate expects proof of at least €10,179.85 for each year of study, roughly ₹11.12 lakh at the ECB rate of 25 September 2026. The MUR circular fixes this amount for 2026/27 and 2027/28, which works out at €848.32 a month. We tell you which bank and income documents to get and check them before the appointment.

When is the last date for a 2027/28 Italian study visa?

31 October 2027 for bachelor's and master's courses starting in 2027/28, as set by the MUR circular. Processing at the Mumbai consulate can take up to 90 days, and universities set their own earlier deadlines. We plan your file backwards from the course start, so the visa application goes in well before that date.

Do I have to travel to Mumbai for the study visa?

Yes, or to Cochin. Since 15 April 2024, the Mumbai consulate takes study visas only at VFS Mumbai (Mahalaxmi) and VFS Cochin, and every student then attends a video interview. VFS Mumbai asks students to book with their own email and phone number, and an allotted slot cannot be rescheduled.

Can I work with ApplyAZ from Pune without meeting in person?

Yes: every step with ApplyAZ happens online, from the eligibility check and the Zoom consultation to applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU application and the visa file. Our offices are in Milan and India, not Pune. The only in-person stops are VFS for the DOV and visa, and your test venue.

How does ApplyAZ charge students from Pune?

Students and their families pay our fees, and no university pays us a commission. After the consultation you pay step by step as results arrive: a starting fee, then admission, DSU and visa fees. The fee varies by country and is never shown as one figure; How ApplyAZ Gets Paid explains the terms.

Is a three-year SPPU degree enough for a master's in Italy?

It can be: the MUR circular admits a foreign first-cycle degree at EQF level 6 that gives access to a master's in the country that issued it. A three-year SPPU bachelor's does that in India. Each Italian university still assesses the degree itself, so we check yours against every programme on your shortlist.

Sources

• Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, Visas (jurisdiction and VFS centres), undated page, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, Study in Italy (VFS Mumbai and Cochin, video interview, 90 days), 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, Requisite documents for DOV for study purposes, revised June 2026, verified 28 September 2026.
• VFS Global, Italy Visa Application Centre Pune (address and hours), verified 28 September 2026.
• VFS Global, Italy Visa Application Centres in India (opening hours), verified 28 September 2026.
• VFS Global, Italy Visa Application Centre Mumbai (address and student booking rules), verified 28 September 2026.
• Ministry of External Affairs, Attestation and Apostille, verified 28 September 2026.
• Ministry of External Affairs, Regional Authentication Centres list (Maharashtra, row 20), verified 28 September 2026.
• e-Sanad, MEA online attestation and apostille (integrated issuers, fees), verified 28 September 2026.
• Directorate of Higher Education, Maharashtra State, Pune, verified 28 September 2026.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, NAD and DigiLocker, verified 28 September 2026.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, Certificate Section, verified 28 September 2026.
• COEP Technological University, home page, verified 28 September 2026.
• COEP Technological University, Student Transcript and Verification, verified 28 September 2026.
• Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Pune, verified 28 September 2026.
• IDP IELTS India, test centres in Pune, verified 28 September 2026.
• British Council India, IELTS in India (IDP sole distributor from 25 July 2021), verified 28 September 2026.
• ETS, GRE General Test registration (test centre or at home), verified 28 September 2026.
• ETS, TOEFL iBT at-home requirements, verified 28 September 2026.
• College Board, SAT dates and deadlines 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• GMAC, GMAT exam registration (online or test centre), verified 28 September 2026.
• Airports Authority of India, Pune Airport flights scheduled on 11 June 2026 (from https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/flights-schedule/pune), verified 28 September 2026.
• Air India, Pune to Milan flights booking page, verified 28 September 2026.
• Air India, Pune to Rome flights booking page, verified 28 September 2026.
• Universitaly, international students (visa deadlines 2026/27 and 2027/28), verified 28 September 2026.
• MUR circular for international students, 2026/27 and 2027/28 (funds, B2 English, master's access), verified 28 September 2026.
• Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata, Italian study visa checklist 2026/27 and 2027/28 (funds per month), verified 28 September 2026.
• Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, visa fees, verified 28 September 2026.
• Uni-Italia, Who we are (founded 2010), verified 28 September 2026.
• Poste Italiane, residence permit guide, verified 28 September 2026.
• Regione Toscana PAeSI portal, residence permit postal slip amounts, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, health insurance (SSN, 2026 calendar year), verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan, fees regulation 2026/27, Art. 6, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan, country groups 2026/27 (Allegato 2), verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua, Call for Student Fees and Exemptions 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, student contribution regulation 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, students with income and property abroad 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, cost of living, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Torino, cost of living (updated 3 June 2024), verified 28 September 2026.
• Sapienza University of Rome, International Student Guide (2024 file), verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan, regional scholarship call 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, Supplementation to the DSU call a.y. 2026/2027 (ISEE limit, brackets, amounts, STEM increase), verified 28 September 2026.
• Politecnico di Milano, DSU call 2026/27 main deadlines, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Padua, Regional Scholarship Call for Applications 2026/27, verified 28 September 2026.
• EDISU Piemonte, scholarship call 2026/27, Art. 5, verified 28 September 2026.
• DiSCo Lazio, Bando diritto allo studio 2026/2027, Table 6, verified 28 September 2026.
• University of Milan admissions news, Universitaly 2026/27 pre-enrolment open (6 May 2026), verified 28 September 2026.
• European Central Bank, euro reference rate for INR, 25 September 2026, verified 28 September 2026.

All INR figures use the ECB euro reference rate of 25 September 2026: 1 EUR = 109.2605 INR. Catalogue counts come from ApplyAZ's programme data on 28 September 2026.

Every Italian file from Pune starts in the same place: Check your eligibility. If you are eligible, you book a one-to-one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.

Further reading

• Italian study visa at the Mumbai consulate
• Declaration of Value for Italy
• DOV or CIMEA statement
• Cost of studying in Italy
• How to pick an Italy consultant, city by city
• Study in Italy from Mumbai