Skip to content

Study in Italy from South Africa: entry, visa and costs

Reviewed by World Study Team Updated

The National Senior Certificate is accepted for direct entry to an Italian bachelor's degree, with no bridging year and, at some universities, no English test. Public tuition runs €200–4,200 per year and living costs €900–1,300 per month. The catch sits at master's level, where a three-year Bachelor is not always enough without Honours.

Is Italy a good choice from South Africa?

For a matriculant, the numbers are the argument. Public universities charge €200–4,200 per year, banded by country income rather than by an Italian means test, with living costs of €900–1,300 per month on top. English is an official language at home and the usual medium of instruction, which removes a test rather than just making one easier.

Politecnico di Torino lists South Africa on its English-medium exemption annex, so NSC holders need no English certificate for its English-taught programmes. The trade-off is scale: only 155 South Africans were counted in Italy at the last by-origin release (2022), so the alumni network you can call on is thin. Italian-taught degrees, the majority, require certified B2 Italian. Compare the Italy country guide and what a year costs.

Entry with the NSC (Matric)

The NSC represents 12 years of schooling, which meets Italy’s ministerial minimum, so no integration year is required. Bocconi University names the South African NSC in its own diploma table and asks for the diploma, the final-year transcript and a Dichiarazione di Valore. Sapienza University of Rome accepts it directly with no extra exam. Politecnico di Torino, Padua and Naples Federico II also admit holders directly, with restricted-access degrees still routed through TOLC or IMAT.

At master’s level the rule tightens: Politecnico di Milano accepts only the NQF 8 Honours degree and will not evaluate a Level 7 qualification, because a three-year South African Bachelor does not give access to a master’s at home. Other universities assess three-year degrees case by case through CIMEA. See Italian universities and their entry rules.

The student visa from South Africa

Applications go through VFS Global under the Johannesburg or Cape Town consulate jurisdiction, with a VFS desk in Pretoria; the embassy in Pretoria itself takes only Namibia, Madagascar, Mauritius and Lesotho. The study rate is €50. Plan the timing around processing of up to 90 days, the Italy-wide statutory maximum, well beyond Italy’s indicative 6–13 weeks. Universitaly pre-enrolment comes first, and the Pretoria embassy also flags Italian-language proficiency. You must show €10,179.85 per year.

Biometrics are taken; no TB test or medical is required for Italy, unlike a UK application. South Africa is a Hague Apostille party, so DIRCO or the High Court apostilles your Umalusi certificate and there is no consular legalisation chain. Refusal rates are low: short-stay Schengen not-issued rates were 2.33% in Cape Town, 3.27% in Johannesburg and 5.68% in Pretoria. See Italy student visa requirements and the proof-of-funds guide.

Money: what a first year costs

A public bachelor’s is €200–4,200 per year and a public master’s €200–4,200 per year; private universities run €3,400–17,000 per year for a bachelor’s and €7,280–18,550 per year for a master’s.

Add the regional right-to-study tax and stamp duty of €140–160 per year, living costs of €900–1,300 per month, insurance at €135–700 per year with minimum cover of €30,000 for the visa, the €50 visa and €116.46 residence permit. South Africans are eligible for Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters and for Italian Government scholarships. See scholarships for South African students.

From South Africa to Italy: key facts

Where to apply VFS Global — Johannesburg consulate jurisdiction and Cape Town consulate jurisdiction
Who takes the application VFS Global
Apply without leaving South Africa Yes
Visa or permit fee €50
Processing time (national guide) 6–13 weeks
Refusal rate Cape Town 2.33%, Johannesburg 3.27%, Pretoria 5.68% (2025) — short-stay visas, not a student figure
School certificate National Senior Certificate
Certifying documents Apostille (Hague Convention member)
TB test Not required
Scholarships open to South African nationals Erasmus Mundus, MAECI grants
South African students in Italy 155 (2022)

Last verified 2026-09-09 against official sources (consdetroit.esteri.it).

  • Public tuition of €200–4,200 per year is set by country-income band, and South Africa is not in the top band at the universities checked for 2026/27.
  • Politecnico di Torino exempts NSC holders from a separate English certificate, so the IELTS 6 floor other applicants face need not apply to you.
  • The apostille through DIRCO or the High Court is one step, where non-Hague countries run a three-stage chain.
  • Refusal rates at the South African posts are low: 2.33% in Cape Town, 3.27% in Johannesburg and 5.68% in Pretoria for short-stay Schengen visas.
  • You can work 20 hours/week maximum without a permit, and stay 12 months after graduating on the job-seeker permit.
  • Processing of up to 90 days means the file has to be ready in early summer for an autumn start.
  • A three-year NQF 7 Bachelor is not accepted for a master’s at Politecnico di Milano; budget for an Honours year first.
  • Italian-taught degrees, the majority of what is on offer, require certified B2 Italian at pre-enrolment.
  • €10,179.85 per year has to be visible before the visa is issued, on top of fees, insurance and flights.
  • With 155 South Africans enrolled, few agents know this route, and bogus college and bursary offers are a documented problem at home: see how to spot a fake agent.
World Study

Our core guidance is free, funded by commission from the universities we place students with: checking whether your NSC subject profile and NQF level fit the programme, deciding whether an Honours year is needed before a master's, and vetting apostilled documents and funds evidence before submission. Premium Placement is optional and paid, adding hands-on work on the applications and the visa file. We do not sell guaranteed admission or visas.

Talk to an advisor

How to apply to study in Italy from South Africa

  1. Check your level against the programme

    For a bachelor's, confirm your NSC gives a Bachelor's pass. For a master's, check whether the university requires an NQF 8 Honours degree rather than a three-year Bachelor.

  2. Shortlist universities that name South Africa

    Prioritise universities that list the NSC or exempt South Africans from an English test, such as Bocconi, Politecnico di Torino, Sapienza, Padua and Naples Federico II.

  3. Apostille your documents

    Have your Umalusi certificate and degree apostilled by DIRCO or the High Court, with certified translations where the university asks for them. No consular legalisation chain is needed.

  4. Settle the language question

    For English-taught courses, confirm whether the university exempts South Africans or wants a test around IELTS 6.0. For Italian-taught courses, sit a CILS, CELI or PLIDA exam at B2.

  5. Pre-enrol on Universitaly

    Submit the Universitaly pre-enrolment with your qualification and language evidence and wait for the university to confirm it. The visa application depends on this step.

  6. Prepare the funds evidence

    Gather three months of bank statements, a notarised sponsor affidavit or a scholarship letter covering €10,179.85 for the year, plus money for the return travel home.

  7. Lodge the visa at VFS

    Book at the VFS centre for your consulate jurisdiction, give biometrics and pay the €50 study visa fee. Allow up to 90 days, the statutory maximum, for a decision.

  8. Register after arrival

    Apply for the permesso di soggiorno per motivi di studio in your first working days in Italy, paying €116.46, then register for health cover.

Frequently asked questions

A public bachelor's is €200–4,200 per year and a public master's €200–4,200 per year, plus €140–160 per year in regional tax and stamp duty. Living costs run €900–1,300 per month and insurance €135–700 per year. Private universities are a different market, from €3,400–17,000 per year.

Yes. It represents 12 years of schooling and meets Italy's ministerial rule. Bocconi names it in its own diploma table, and Sapienza, Politecnico di Torino, Padua and Naples Federico II accept it directly with a CIMEA statement or a Dichiarazione di Valore. Restricted-access courses still require their entrance test, usually TOLC or IMAT.

Not everywhere. Politecnico di Milano accepts only the NQF 8 Honours degree and will not evaluate a Level 7 qualification, because the three-year Bachelor does not give access to a master's at home. Other universities assess three-year degrees case by case through CIMEA against the credits the programme requires. An Honours year removes the question.

At VFS Global, under the consulate that covers your province: Johannesburg for Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (with a VFS desk in Pretoria), or Cape Town for the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape. The study visa is €50, and study applications are not fast-tracked.

€10,179.85 per year, tied to the Italian social allowance and recalculated each year. Accepted evidence is bank statements (your own or a parent's, usually covering the last three months), a notarised sponsor affidavit or an awarded scholarship, shown to the consulate and again to the Questura when you register.

Often not. Politecnico di Torino lists South Africa on its English-medium exemption annex, so no separate certificate is needed for its English-taught programmes. Other universities set their own rule, commonly around IELTS 6, and some accept a medium-of-instruction letter. Italian-taught degrees require certified B2 Italian regardless.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters and the Italian Government scholarship scheme both accept South African nationals. Regional DSU right-to-study grants are income-assessed by region, and eligibility for South Africa is not published as a national rule. A funded PhD is the best-paid route: a Dottorato di ricerca pays €1,354 per month.

The ministerial deadline moves forward by a month. Bachelor's and single-cycle master's applicants had until 30 November for 2026/27; for 2027/28 it becomes 31 October 2027, and university calls close between March and September 2027. With a 90-day processing time in South Africa, that pulls your whole document timetable into the middle of the year.

Free consultation