Palestinian students

Important. Most of the calls on this page are closed, but many universities repeat them every year, usually between April and September. Use the dates below to know when to look, and always read the current call on the university’s site. Corso Italy is not linked to any of these programmes or organisations.

1. The normal way to study in Italy

Palestinian students apply like any other student from outside the European Union. See our guides on how to apply and the study visa. What is specific to Palestinians:

• Where to apply for the visa: if you live in the Palestinian territories, at the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem, by booking on Prenot@mi. If you cannot reach the Consulate, you can apply at the VFS Global centre in Ramallah, by appointment. If you live in another country (Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt…), you apply at the Italian embassy or consulate there.
• Pre-enrolment: online on Universitaly. The university must validate it before you apply for the visa.
• Your diploma: the Tawjihi or your degree, with a CIMEA attestation or a Dichiarazione di valore, and a certified Italian translation.
• Language: B2 in Italian for Italian-taught programmes, or B2 in English for English-taught programmes.
• Money: you must show €10,179.85 a year, plus about €500 for the return flight. Bank statements must cover the last six months. A scholarship or a guarantor in Italy also counts. Cash and property do not.
• Deadline: apply for the visa by 30 November 2026 for 2026/27, and by 31 October 2027 for 2027/28.
• Fees: Palestine is not on the 2026 list of particularly poor countries (Ministerial Decree 176/2026). So you usually need an ISEE parificato (see costs), or you pay the fixed fee the university sets for your country.
• Italian Government scholarships (MAECI): students from Palestine can apply on the Study in Italy portal. The 2026/27 call closed on 26 March 2026.

2. Scholarships for Palestinian students

The national programme (IUPALS)

IUPALS (Italian Universities for Palestinian Students) was run by the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of University and Research, for 2025/26.

• It offered 97 scholarships at 35 universities, for bachelor’s and master’s degrees, to students living in the Palestinian territories.
• Each scholarship covered at least tuition, accommodation, meals, health insurance and the flight to Italy, plus an Italian course in Bethlehem and Ramallah.
• For 2026/27: the University of Padova states that no new edition is planned. The National Council of University Students (CNSU) has asked the ministries to fund it again.

University calls

These calls closed in 2025 and 2026. Most are for students who live in the Palestinian territories and are not yet enrolled at an Italian university.

For researchers

• Sapienza University of Rome: its “Solidarity in Research and Education 2026” call reserves 7 visiting grants for scholars from Palestine (€9,000 for 90 days).
• University of Florence: 5 research fellowships for researchers from the Palestinian territories (€4,800 for the year; closed 5 May 2026).
• University of Bologna: a 3-month visiting position for scholars and PhD students from the Palestinian territories (€10,000; closed 19 March 2026).
• University of Padova, PhD at Risk: 3 PhD scholarships for candidates at risk, including refugees (closed 5 June 2026). See our PhD guide.
• Scholars at Risk Italy: many universities in this network (for example Trento, Verona, Trieste, Pisa and Brescia) offer research fellowships to academics at risk.

3. Students from Gaza

Students from Gaza can only leave through evacuations organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for students who already have an admission or a scholarship from an Italian university. There is no form to apply for evacuation yourself: the university and the Consulate in Jerusalem coordinate the list.

• The route: the Kerem Shalom crossing, then the Allenby crossing into Jordan, a night at the Italian Hospital in Amman, then a flight to Rome.
• Numbers: 157 students in four operations between September and December 2025, 72 on 11 May 2026, 17 on 2 June 2026 and 25 in September 2026. In total, 271 students since September 2025.
• Pause: evacuations stopped between December 2025 and spring 2026. In February 2026 the Consulate had 165 requests.

The obstacles reported by universities, lawyers and the press:

• Each departure needs the approval of Israel and Jordan.
• Italian language: in June 2026 some students were blocked because a B2 certificate in Italian was asked for. A circular of 3 July 2026 told universities that the certificate is secondary for students from war zones.
• Money for the visa: being admitted does not give you the right to a visa. The scholarship must reach €10,179.85 a year, or a guarantor must cover the rest. In Genoa, for example, 84 students were admitted but only 18 could be funded.
• Family: evacuation does not include family members. After you get your residence permit, you can ask for family reunification at the Prefettura of the city where you live.
• Online tests: online admission tests are very hard to take from Gaza. For open-access programmes, a certificate of attendance was accepted instead.

4. Organisations that help

Official offices

• Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem: visas, and the list of students from Gaza who have an admission or a scholarship.
• Italian Embassy in Amman and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: they organise the evacuations.
• The international office of your university: most universities have a contact for Palestinian students (for example iupals@polito.it at the Politecnico di Torino).

Legal help

• ASGI (Association for Legal Studies on Immigration): its lawyers follow the cases of students from Gaza and requests for humanitarian visas, including appeals in the courts in Rome.

Housing and reception

• Diocese of Rome and the Community of Sant’Egidio: with Sapienza, free housing for students from Gaza until March 2029, and Italian classes.
• Caritas: accommodation for some students.
• ARCI, ACLI and Coop: among the groups that help fund the University of Milan’s scholarships.

Solidarity associations

• Assopace Palestina: supports students from Gaza in Italy. In August 2026 it hosted 50 of them for a week.
• Fiori dai cannoni: a campaign by the publisher Another Coffee Stories, asking for “educational corridors” and emergency visas for students from Gaza who have been admitted to Italian universities.
• PASS (Palestinian students support): an informal group of volunteers who help Palestinian students with paperwork, especially at art and music academies (AFAM).

Students

• National Council of University Students (CNSU): it asks for a new national scholarship programme, one website for all scholarships, and more flexibility on documents and language.

Our tips

• Watch for calls from April to September, and apply to several universities.
• Complete your Universitaly pre-enrolment and ask for the CIMEA attestation early.
• Check that your scholarship, or a guarantor, covers €10,179.85 a year, or the visa can be refused.
• If you are in Gaza and receive an admission or a scholarship, tell the university at once so that it can add you to the Consulate’s list.

This site gives general information only. Rules change often, so always check the official sources.