MBBS in Italy for Indian Students 2026/27: Fees, IMAT, Universities and NMC Rules

MBBS in Italy is the six-year degree in Medicine and Surgery, taught in English at 17 public universities in 2026/27, 16 of which offer places for non-EU applicants living abroad: 525 in all. Entry is through one admission test, the IMAT, and fees are set by each university. Every figure below comes from MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026, the universities' own fee rules and the rules of India's National Medical Commission (NMC).

In short

• The degree: Medicine and Surgery (class LM-41), six years and 360 ECTS, taught in English. Italy does not award a degree called MBBS, and graduating with the course's practical internship qualifies you to practise in Italy.
• Places: 525 on 17 English-taught courses at 16 public universities in 2026/27 for non-EU applicants living abroad, from 11 at Bari to 61 at Messina (MUR Decree 1005, Table B).
• Entry: the IMAT, which took place on 29 September 2026; anonymous scores follow on 8 October. Non-EU applicants living abroad compete only in the ranking of the one university they chose.
• Cost: a first-year student from India pays from about €146 (₹16,000) to over €3,500 (₹3.8 lakh) a year, depending on the university and, where fees follow income, the family's income. Study can be tuition-free for eligible students through a regional DSU scholarship.
• ApplyAZ: ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, takes care of the whole process for eligible students from countries like India: university checks, applications, Universitaly pre-enrolment, the DSU scholarship and the visa file.

What is MBBS in Italy?

MBBS in Italy means the single-cycle degree in Medicine and Surgery (Medicina e Chirurgia), class LM-41: six years and 360 ECTS. The English-taught courses belong to the same degree class as the Italian-taught ones, and the final exam counts as the state exam that licenses you to practise medicine in Italy.

The TPV splits into a month each in surgery, internal medicine and general practice.

Source: MUR Decree 8 of 2 April 2020. Verified on 28 September 2026.

What do you study in each year of MBBS in Italy?

Years 1 and 2 cover the basic and biomedical sciences, year 3 adds clinical foundations and the first hospital traineeships, and years 4 to 6 move through the clinical specialties, surgery and public health. The course ends with the practical evaluative traineeships and a thesis. The Harvey course at Pavia shows the pattern for the 2026/27 cohort.

Source: University of Pavia, Harvey course study plan, 2026/27 cohort. Each university sets its own plan, and we compare it with the NMC's Schedule I for every course we shortlist.

Who can apply for MBBS in Italy?

You can apply with a school-leaving qualification that gives access to university, assessed through a Declaration of Value or a CIMEA statement, and your place then depends on your IMAT result. Indian citizens and OCI holders who plan to practise in India also need NEET-UG, and non-EU applicants living abroad pre-enrol on Universitaly for the study visa.

For the visa, the 2026/27 checklist of the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata asks, among other items, for two copies of the Universitaly pre-enrolment summary, medical insurance with at least €30,000 of cover for the first six months and proof of accommodation for at least 30 days.

Source: Kolkata study visa checklist, items 4, 7 and 9.

We prepare this file with you. Our Declaration of Value guide and study visa guide cover each document.

Which public universities teach medicine in English in 2026/27?

Seventeen public universities teach Medicine and Surgery in English in 2026/27, and 16 of them have places for non-EU applicants living abroad: 525 on 17 courses. Messina has the most (61) and Bari the fewest (11). The table adds the last score admitted in each university's own 2025 non-EU list, where the university published one.

Sources: MUR Decree 1005, Table B for places; each university's own 2025 non-EU ranking or enrolment notice for scores; each university's 2026/27 fee rules, linked in the table. Fees include regional tax and stamp duty where the rules state them. Verified on 28 September 2026.

Florence also lists an English-taught course, with no places for non-EU applicants living abroad in 2026/27, and Tor Vergata's 320 places in Tirana sit outside Italy. Several universities keep a few places for China's Marco Polo programme, for example Cagliari (2 of 18) and Pavia (5 of 40). Where a university does not publish its non-EU list, we track the results for the students we work with; our IMAT results guide sets out the 2026 calendar.

Our list of medical universities in Italy gives the full version of this table for every course, adding 2024 and 2023 scores where published, DSU bodies and QS ranks.

How do the medical universities rank?

Sapienza (=111) and Bologna (=123) rank highest among the universities in this guide in the QS World University Rankings 2027, followed by Padua (204) and Milan (=270). Rankings measure the whole university, not the medical course, so places, past lists and fees matter more for your choice.

Sources: QS World University Rankings 2027, published 18 June 2026 and THE World University Rankings 2026, Italy. THE publishes its 2027 edition on 30 September 2026, and we update this table then.

How much does MBBS in Italy cost over six years?

Over six years, MBBS in Italy costs roughly €62,000 to €80,000 (about ₹68 lakh to ₹88 lakh) for a student from India at the fee levels below, living on the visa's minimum means of support. Families in Cagliari's top fee band pay more. A DSU scholarship can cut the cost sharply, and study can be tuition-free for eligible students.

Living costs use the minimum the consulate asks you to show, €10,179.85 a year (about ₹11.2 lakh), as a floor, not a full budget; rent differs a lot between cities. Rupees use the FBIL reference rate of 21 September 2026, €1 = ₹109.90.

Sources: Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata, study visa checklist 2026/27, item 6, FBIL reference rates, MUR Directorial Decree 175 of 10 February 2026 and the fee rules above.

A DSU grant is decided each year by the region, on your family's income and assets and, after the first year, on your credits, so the last row shows what is possible, not what is promised. Our MBBS in Italy fees guide breaks down each line of an Italian fee bill.

How does the IMAT work for MBBS in Italy?

The IMAT is a 100-minute test of 60 multiple-choice questions, held once a year: on 29 September in 2026. A correct answer scores 1.5 points, a wrong one loses 0.4 and a blank scores 0, for a maximum of 90. Biology carries the most weight, with 23 questions, and centres run in Italy and abroad, including in India.

Our IMAT exam guide covers the syllabus and scoring in depth, the IMAT results guide covers the ranking rounds, and our IMAT cut-off scores by university page links each past figure to its official list.

Why does your choice of university decide your chances?

Your choice decides your chances because non-EU applicants living abroad are ranked only by the university they picked when registering for the test. There is no national list for this group and no second choice, so the same score can win a place at one university and miss at another. The choice became final at 15:00 on 9 September 2026.

Demand differs sharply. In 2025, Messina ranked 341 non-EU applicants for 56 places and Catania 402 for 60, while Bari admitted 11 from a corrected list of 44. Last admitted scores ran from 50.90 at Bari to 67.60 at Parma.

Sources: Messina enrolment notice 2025/26, Catania non-EU list of 13 October 2025, Bari corrected list 2025 and Parma non-EU list 2025; Decree 1005, Allegato 2, point 3.

We weigh places, past lists and fee rules with you before the choice is locked, and we handle the Universitaly pre-enrolment and test registration for eligible students. Our guide to a good IMAT score turns these official lists into score bands by university group.

Is MBBS in Italy valid in India?

An Italian MBBS can lead to registration in India only if every condition of the NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 is met, and the NMC decides that, not the Italian university. The six-year English-taught degree meets the rules on length and language; the one condition to weigh most carefully is the 12-month internship.

Sources: NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021, NMC Screening Test Regulations, NMC information for students studying abroad, NMC notice of 13 July 2023 on the National Exit Test and MUR Decree 8/2020. Verified on 28 September 2026.

The NMC keeps no list of approved foreign universities and says so on its own page, so no Italian university can be called NMC approved. Its rules can change, and we check the current text at the time you decide. We never describe an Italian degree as valid in India without these conditions attached.

Is NEET required for MBBS in Italy?

Yes, for Indian citizens and OCI holders. Italy does not ask for NEET, but the NMC does: those who start a medical degree abroad on or after May 2018 must have qualified NEET-UG to practise in India later. The NMC says the result is valid for three years, so the timing of your NEET and IMAT matters.

Sources: NMC Screening Test Regulations, reg. 4(2)(A) and NMC information for students studying abroad.

MBBS in Italy or MBBS in India: which fits you?

MBBS in India is the simpler route if you plan to practise in India and your NEET rank wins a seat you can afford. MBBS in Italy suits students who want a public European degree in English at low fees and who accept the extra NMC steps and Italian for the clinical years.

Sources: MUR Decree 1005, Table B; MUR Decree 8/2020; NTA press release on NEET (UG) 2026 results, 16 July 2026; NMC seat matrix 2026/27 as on 18 September 2026; NMC CBME Curriculum 2024, p. 27; NMC Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, regs 21 and 23; National Medical Commission Act 2019, s. 10(1)(i); FMGL 2021.

Verdict: if NEET gives you an affordable seat in India and you plan to practise there, India is the shorter path. If it does not, Italy's public universities offer an English-taught degree at low fees, with the NMC internship question to weigh first.

What does the MBBS in Italy timeline look like?

An MBBS in Italy application runs for most of a year: DSU scholarship calls and Universitaly pre-enrolment in summer, the IMAT in late September, rankings in late October, then enrolment and the visa by the end of November. The 2026/27 dates below show the pattern; the 2027/28 decree and calls are not published yet.

For eligible students, we handle each step in this table: the Universitaly pre-enrolment, the test registration, the DSU application, the enrolment and the visa file. Our study visa guide covers the consulate side.

Can a DSU scholarship pay for MBBS in Italy?

Yes, a DSU scholarship can cover much of the cost for eligible students. It is need-based: your family's ISEE parificato must be under the regional limit, and after the first year it also depends on the credits you pass. Winners are usually exempt from tuition and receive a yearly grant, often with housing or meals.

Sources: each body's 2026/27 call, set out with its links on our body page; national limits in MUR Directorial Decree 175 and 176 of 10 February 2026. Verified on 28 September 2026. Pavia, Milano-Bicocca and Messina have their own bodies, and their pages are being added.

India is not on the list of particularly poor countries used in the DSU calls, so an Indian family needs documents on income and assets abroad to claim the grant. We prepare those documents and the application with you. The DSU scholarship guide explains how the grant works, and our guide to MBBS scholarships in Italy sets out the DSU body, family ISEE limit and top grant at each medical university.

Do you need Italian for MBBS in Italy?

You do not need Italian to be admitted to the English-taught courses, but you will need it once clinical work brings you into contact with patients, and to practise in Italy after graduating. Teaching and exams on these 17 courses are in English, so starting Italian in the first year makes the ward years easier.

What can you do after MBBS in Italy?

After graduating, the LM-41 degree qualifies you to practise as a doctor in Italy, since the final exam counts as the state licensing exam. To practise in India, you follow the NMC route: the FMGL 2021 conditions, the screening test and a supervised internship of at least 12 months. Other countries set their own rules for foreign graduates.

Sources: Decree-Law 18/2020, art. 102(1), and MUR Decree 8/2020, art. 1; FMGL 2021, regs 4(c) and 4(d).

What should you weigh before choosing MBBS in Italy?

Weigh four things before choosing MBBS in Italy: how few places there are, the one-university ranking, the NMC's 12-month internship rule and the Italian you will need with patients. Fees also vary widely between universities, from about €146 to over €3,500 a year for a first-year student from India.

What does the path look like for a student from India?

Harshit Chaudhary, from New Delhi, studies Medicine and Surgery in English at the Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, a public university. A regional DSU scholarship pays him €6,000 a year. We handled his process, from entrance-test preparation to the DSU application and the student visa.

Read Harshit's full story.

How does ApplyAZ handle MBBS applications?

For eligible students, we take care of the whole MBBS application. We shortlist public universities against their places, past lists and fee rules, check your NEET and the NMC conditions, prepare the Declaration of Value, complete Universitaly pre-enrolment and the IMAT registration, and handle the DSU application and the visa file.

We work only with Italian public universities, and we do not promise outcomes: the university decides admission, the region decides the DSU scholarship, the consulate decides the visa and the NMC decides registration in India.

Frequently asked questions

Is MBBS in Italy valid in India?

Only if every NMC condition in FMGL 2021, regulation 4, is met. It asks for 54 months of study in English, a 12-month internship in the same institution, a licence in the degree country and a 12-month supervised internship in India. Italy's six-year English degree meets the length and language rules, while its 3-month internship is the point to weigh.

How much does MBBS in Italy cost for Indian students?

Tuition for a first-year student from India runs from about €146 (₹16,000) to over €3,500 (₹3.8 lakh) a year in 2026/27, by university and family income. With the visa minimum of €10,179.85 a year for living, six years come to roughly €62,000 to €80,000, or ₹68 to ₹88 lakh at the FBIL rate of 21 September 2026.

Is NEET required for MBBS in Italy?

Yes, for Indian citizens and OCI holders who want to practise in India. Italian universities do not ask for NEET, but NMC Screening Test Regulations, regulation 4(2)(A), require NEET-UG for Indian citizens and OCI holders who start a medical degree abroad on or after May 2018. The NMC says the result is valid for three years.

Is MBBS in Italy taught in English?

Yes, at 17 public universities in 2026/27, all entered through the IMAT, and 16 of them take non-EU applicants living abroad (MUR Decree 1005, Table B). Teaching and exams are in English. Clinical years bring contact with patients who speak Italian, so learning Italian from the first year pays off.

How many years is MBBS in Italy?

Six years: the Medicine and Surgery degree, class LM-41, carries 360 ECTS credits and includes a 3-month practical internship worth 15 credits. The final exam counts as the state exam that licenses you to practise in Italy (MUR Decree 8 of 2 April 2020). At Pavia, for example, the internship sits in years 5 and 6.

Can MBBS in Italy be tuition-free?

It can be tuition-free for eligible students. Winners of a regional DSU scholarship are usually exempt from tuition and receive a yearly grant, with a national minimum of €7,171.11 (about ₹7.9 lakh) for students living away from home in 2026/27 (MUR Directorial Decree 175 of 10 February 2026). The region decides it each year on income and credits.

Which universities teach medicine in English in Italy?

Seventeen public universities in 2026/27, and 16 take non-EU applicants living abroad: Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Catania, Messina, Milan, Milano-Bicocca, Naples Federico II, Padua (two courses), Parma, Pavia, Marche Polytechnic, Sapienza, Tor Vergata and Turin. Together they offer 525 places, and Florence's new course has EU places only (MUR Decree 1005, Table B).

What IMAT score do I need for MBBS in Italy?

It depends on the university you choose. In 2025 the last non-EU applicant admitted scored 50.90 at Bari, 58.20 at Messina, 61.60 at Catania and 67.60 at Parma, out of 90, in each university's own list. Non-EU applicants living abroad need only a score above zero to be ranked (MUR Decree 1005, article 3(3)).

Do I need to learn Italian for MBBS in Italy?

Not to be admitted: the courses in this guide are taught and examined in English. You will need Italian for clinical work with patients and to practise in Italy after graduating, and Pavia, for example, teaches Italian to foreign students in years 1 and 2. For eligible students, we handle the application from the shortlist to the visa file.

Can I work as a doctor in Italy after MBBS in Italy?

Yes: the degree qualifies you to practise medicine in Italy once you pass the course's practical internship, because the final exam counts as the state licensing exam (Decree-Law 18/2020, article 102(1), and MUR Decree 8/2020, article 1). You will need good Italian to work with patients. Other countries, including India, set their own rules for foreign graduates.

Sources

• MUR Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026, with Table B and Allegati 1 to 3
• MUR Decree 8 of 2 April 2020, class LM-41 and Legislative Decree 71 of 15 May 2025
• NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021, Screening Test Regulations and notice of 13 July 2023
• NMC MBBS seat matrix 2026/27, CBME Curriculum 2024 and NTA NEET (UG) 2026 results release
• Universitaly, international students and Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata visa checklist
• University fee rules 2026/27 and 2025 non-EU lists, linked in the tables above
• Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Last updated 29 September 2026; figures last verified 28 September 2026.

Further reading

• IMAT exam 2026: date, scoring, seats and cut-offs
• IMAT results 2026: dates, ranking and scorrimento
• MBBS in Italy fees, 2026/27
• DSU scholarship in Italy, 2026/27
• Declaration of Value for Italy
• MBBS in Europe compared