EDUCATION
The Italian legal system grants foreign citizens, including minors without a residence permit and legally resident adults, the right to education and training.
Specifically, our legal system provides all foreign minors, even those with an irregular status, with the right to be enrolled in school, not only in mandatory schooling, but at all levels and at all times, even other than the official start of the school year.
Locally you will find state and private schools where you can study, obtain qualifications, and learn Italian, as well as universities and other training opportunities.
How is the Italian education system organized?
1. Nursery school (Age: 3 months to 3 years) – Pre-school (age: 3 o 6 years)
Not mandatory
2. Primary and secondary school
- First stage education
Primary school (age: 6 to 11 years)
Lower secondary (middle) school (age: 11 to 14 years)
> Get your “Middle School certificate”
- Second stage education
Upper secondary (high) school (age: 14 to 19 years)
> Get your “High School degree”
or
Three- and four-year vocational education and training courses (IeFP)
> Get your vocational qualification and diploma
3. Universities or other types of higher education offered by institutions of Higher Education in Art, Music and Dance (AFAM) and Higher Technical College (ITS)
PLEASE NOTE: Schooling is mandatory and free for all, from 6 to 16 years of age, including for foreign children. It includes eight years of the first stage education (“licenza media” - Middle School certificate) and first two years of the second stage (“biennio scuola superiore” - two years of high school; Law 296 of 2006), which can be attended in secondary school - state-run -, in regional vocational education and training courses, or through an apprenticeship contract for vocational qualification (art. 3, paragraph 1 Decree Law 14 September 2011; art. 43 Decree Law 15 June 2015).
After the age of 16, anyone who does not yet have the "licenza media" or the "biennio" can attend courses at the CPIA (Centro Provinciale per l’Istruzione degli Adulti - Provincial Centre for Adult Education) to fulfil their compulsory schooling and attend Italian language courses.
In addition, several organisations promote free or paid training courses every year, aimed at acquiring specific skills and enhancing one’s professional profile.
1. ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES – CPIA
You can learn Italian enrolling in literacy and Italian language learning courses for foreigners offered by the CPIA (Centro Provinciale per l’Istruzione degli Adulti - Provincial Centre for Adult Education), which is a service of the Ministry of Education for adults and minors (aged 16 and over), both Italian and foreign.
You may use certifications issued by the CPIA:
>To be exempted from the A2-level Italian language knowledge test - which is required to get a long-term residency permit - if it is required for your type of residency permit (Decree of 4 June 2010)
>To prove your knowledge of the Italian language, civic culture, and civic life in Italy in accordance with the Integration Agreement between the foreign citizen and the State, if provided for your type of residency permit (Presidential Decree 179 of 14/09/2011)
>Asylum seekers: showing CPIA certificates, even of pre-A1/A1 levels, to the Territorial Commission as a demonstration of one’s integration pathway is always useful
>Some CPIAs are also exam centres for the CILS and CELI certifications, including the B1 level that you will need to apply for citizenship.
CPIAs also offer:
a. First level education courses, in which you can get your Middle School certificate and the skills and knowledge for the “biennio” (first two years of high school).
Who can enrol:
>adults with no middle school certificate or the basic skills required by compulsory schooling for the first two years of high school (Ministerial Decree no. 139 of 2007 - in Italian)
>minors aged 16 and over who do not have a Middle School certificate
>unaccompanied foreign minors aged 15 or over, who have special and justified needs, and following specific agreements between the regional authorities and the regional education offices; also minors who are subject to criminal measures by the Juvenile Judicial Authority
b. Second level education courses, (Technical, Vocational and Art School), provided by technical, vocational, and artistic educational institutions leading to a “diploma” (High School degree)
Who can enrol:
>adults with a Middle School certificate
>minors who have reached the age of 16 and who, having already obtained their Middle School certificate, prove that they cannot attend daytime classes
Where: Each province has CPIA administrative headquarters. Lessons take place in the town schools of the various towns. See Useful Contacts section.
Cost: A small fee is required to register. For the school year 2020/21 only, no student fee is required.
How: Fill in the application form, attaching a copy of your residence permit and the proof of payment of fee. Send or hand in your application to the local CPIA office, or to a secondary school, if you are enrolling in second-level courses.
Ask your CPIA or visit the CPIA website
When: Deadlines are indicated by the CPIAs (usually between May and October). Exceptional cases could be considered.
2. NURSERY SCHOOL AND PRE-SCHOOL
Enrolment of children in nursery school (age: 3 months to 3 years) and pre-school (age: 3 years to 6 years) is part of the Integrated Education and Training System (0-6 years).
It is not mandatory, but it aims to ensure that all children, from birth to six years of age, have an equal opportunity to develop their potential by promoting continuity in their education and schooling.
NURSERY SCHOOL
(Age: 3 months to 3 years)
Enrolment in a public (municipal) nursery school:
How: The minor’s parent needs to fill in the application form with the child’s personal data and the “ISEE value” (Equivalent Financial Situation Index, to be requested from a Tax Centre - CAF), together with a copy of a valid residence permit and any proof of disability.
When: For enrolment in a public school, you must respect the deadlines indicated by your municipality. Consult your municipality’s website for detailed information on deadlines and annual enrolment.
Cost: The monthly fee varies according to the family’s income (indicated by your ISEE and stated in the application). Reductions and exemptions may be granted.
Enrolment in a private nursery school (not subsidised by the municipality): Ask the nursery school for the deadlines, costs, and enrolment requirements.
A “Bonus asilo nido” (nursery school bonus) can be applied for. It is a reimbursement for nursery school fees based on your ISEE.
For information ask a tax center (CAF) or welfare centre (Patronato) or visit the website:https://www.inps.it/nuovoportaleinps/default.aspx?iMenu=1&itemDir=54439
(in Italian)
See Useful Contacts page
PLEASE NOTE:
Children are required to have some mandatory vaccinations to enter the nursery school.
Ask your paediatrician or nursery school for detailed information. *
PRE-SCHOOL
(Age: 3 years to 6 years)
It is the first step in a child’s education, and it lasts three years. It is not mandatory, but it guides and prepares children for entry into primary school.
Pre-schools can be state-run, or officially or privately run.
Enrolment: you will need to hand in the filled in form to the school office of the chosen school, usually in January/February for the school year starting in the following September.
Cost: Attendance at the state pre-school is free; families will have to pay for the meal service and any other services such as school buses.
SCHOOL MEAL SERVICE
The school meals service is managed by the municipality where the school belongs, which draws up its own regulations for the service. Costs depend on the income stated in your ISEE. You can request the ISEE from a tax centre (CAF) or from an accountant; you can also get it online from the INPS website, if you are registered.
PLEASE NOTE:
Children are required to have some mandatory vaccinations to enter the nursery school.
Ask your paediatrician or nursery school for detailed information
For more information, please contact your municipality’s education and school services office or visit your municipality’s website.
See Useful Contacts page
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL
MANDATORY SCHOOLING: Schooling is mandatory and free of charge from 6 to 16 years of age.
Mandatory schooling includes:
- 8 years of the first stage of education at the end of which the “licenza media” (Middle School certificate) is obtained, completing lower secondary school also known as “scuola media” (Middle School)
- the first 2 years of the second stage of education (“biennio di scuola superiore” - first two years of high school; Law 296 of 2006). These two years can be completed in secondary school – “scuola superiore” - state school -, in regional vocational education and training courses, or through an apprenticeship contract for professional qualification (art. 3, paragraph 1 Degree-Law of 14 September 2011; art. 43 Legislative Decree of 15 June 2015) *
Instead, if you complete the five-year secondary school, also known as “scuola superiore,” you get a High School degree, which is required to enrol in university.
How does the Italian education system work?
ENROLLING (primary, lower secondary or upper secondary school):
Enrolment follows the same procedures as for Italian minors. It can be requested at any time in the case of arrival during the school year.
Enrolment is online for all initial classes in state-run primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools.
Some private schools and vocational education and training courses are part of the online enrolment process, so online enrolment is available.
Parents and those exercising parental responsibility (foster parents, guardians) access the online enrolment system, available on the Ministry of Education’s website (www.istruzione.it/iscrizionionline - in Italian) via SPID (Public Digital Identity System) or by registering on the site, filling in the form with personal details and information on educational option selected.
Foreign pupils/students without a tax code (codice fiscale) can also apply for enrolment online. A system function allows the creation of a “provisional code” which will be used until the definitive tax code is obtained and can be entered.
In the event of difficulties, please contact the offices of the schools to which the applications have been submitted to enrol directly with them.
Documents required for enrolment:
a) Residence permit, receipt of the application for a residence permit and the minor’s registration documents, if held.
Foreign minors without personal identification documents or with irregular or incomplete documentation will still have the right to enrol in school, based on the data declared (name and surname, date of birth, address, etc.)
b) The minor’s tax code (codice fiscale), if available
c) The minor’s educational records, if available, concerning the studies undertaken in the country of origin
d) Health documentation, on equal terms with Italian minors, including evidence of mandatory vaccinations.
In which class to enrol:
Minors in the mandatory schooling age group (6-16 years old) will be enrolled in the class corresponding to their age, unless the Teachers’ Board decides to enrol them in a different class, considering the minor’s previous school experience and the specific case.
https://www.interno.gov.it/it/temi/immigrazione-e-asilo/modalita-dingresso/cittadini-stranieri-minori-18-anni-tutela-e-definizioni (in Italian)
Search for state-run and private schools in your area on the “Scuola in chiaro” website or app” https://cercalatuascuola.istruzione.it/cercalatuascuola/ (in Italian)
PLEASE NOTE
Minors are required to have some mandatory vaccinations to attend school.
Ask your paediatrician or school for detailed information.
UNIVERSITY
In Sardinia, the two main universities are based in Cagliari and Sassari, and they include the branches of Oristano (Consorzio Uno), Nuoro, Alghero, and Olbia.
The Italian university system provides for three levels of university education:
1.
- Bachelor’s Degree Course (3 years)
- Single-cycle Degree Course (5 or 6 years)
2.
- Master’s Degree Course (2 years)
- 1st Level Professional Master’s Programme
3.
- PhD (3 or 4 years)
- Postgraduate School
- 2nd Level Professional Master’s Programme
PRE-REGISTRATION AND ENROLMENT
Enrolment in university and higher education courses, under the same conditions as Italian students (Art. 39, Consolidation Act on Immigration), is granted to:
1. Foreigners legally residing in Italy:
>for at least one year, holding a high school degree obtained in Italy, or secondary school degrees awarded by Italian state and private schools located abroad, or by international schools in Italy or abroad which have bilateral agreements or special regulations for the recognition of qualifications
>and holding a residence permit: EU long-term residents; employment or self-employment, family reasons, political asylum, subsidiary protection, religious reasons, social protection (art. 18 of T.U.I. - Consolidated Immigration Act), victims of domestic abuse (art. 18bis of T.U.I.), disasters (art. 20-bis of T.U.I.), victims of labour exploitation (art. 22, par. 12-quarter of T.U.I.), acts of particular civic value (art. 42-bis of T.U.I.), special protection (art. 32, par. 3, Legislative Decree 25/08)
2. Foreign citizens holding a valid residence permission for study purposes issued by another European Union Member State in which the foreign national is pursuing or has completed a higher education or training course
3. Students still residing abroad: once the University accepts the application, the foreign citizen must apply for an entry visa for Italy at the Italian Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin, proving the availability of adequate economic means of subsistence, health care and accommodation in Italy. When in Italy, they will have to apply for a student residence permit.
Pre-registration:
Once the course of study of interest has been selected, the foreign student will submit the application for pre-registration to the Italian university chosen on the Universitaly website (https://www.universitaly.it/index.php/students/stranieri) within the deadline. The applicant must attach Model A (available at https://www.studiare-in-italia.it/studentistranieri/) and the required documentation (e.g., academic qualifications translated into Italian, valid for admission to university courses). If the application is accepted, the student will have to apply for a visa at the Italian Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin.
PLEASE NOTE:
- For admission to a university course, foreign students will also need to take an Italian language test, unless they are exempt because they already have a suitable language certificate. Depending on the course chosen, there may be an admission test to enrol in the university course.
An entry visa will also be required for those who need to enrol in higher education courses held by AFAM (Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica - Higher Education in Art, Music and Performing Arts), professional training courses and internships.
For information on pre-registration and visa procedures, visit
https://www.universitaly.it/index.php/students/stranieri
https://www.studiare-in-italia.it/studentistranieri/
https://www.studiare-in italia.it/studentistranieri/moduli/2020/Circolare_2020_2021_EN.pdf
UNIVERSITY ENROLMENT
Enrolment in universities is carried out online, following registration on the university’s website. The student is issued with a “matriculation number,” an identification code required for all university procedures such as payment of fees and registration for examinations.
For specific information on admission requirements, enrolment, and courses on offer, visit the websites of the Sardinian universities.
FEES and STUDENT SUPPORT
For each year of enrolment at Italian universities, a fee is to be paid based on student’s income.
Scholarships exempting students from paying fees and contributions are available if they meet specific income and accomplishment requirements.
E.R.S.U., the regional authority for the right to university studies, carries out student support services. A variety of services such as meals, student accommodation and subsidies for participation in international mobility programmes (e.g., ERASMUS) are provided.
For further information, see Useful Contacts page
RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN STUDIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
Universities may recognise courses and periods of study undertaken abroad and foreign qualifications for the following purposes:
>Access to university higher education (university courses at various levels)
>Continuing university studies
<Obtaining Italian university degrees
If you hold an academic qualification obtained abroad, you may apply for its recognition as a similar academic qualification awarded by Sardinian universities.
If the foreign qualification is fully recognised, it will have the same value as the corresponding qualification issued by the Italian university for all intents and purposes; if it is partially recognised, it will qualify for the final examination, with total or partial validation of the examinations.
Per informazioni visita:
For information see:
University of Cagliari
https://segreterie.unica.it/medicinaechirurgia/riconoscimento-di-un-titolo-estero/riconoscimento-di-un-titolo-estero/ (in Italian)
University of Sassari https://www.uniss.it/guide/riconoscimento-titoli-esteri (in Italian)
Recognition of qualifications for admission to public competitions or access to regulated professions
CIMEA (Centre for Information on Academic Mobility and Equivalences) http://www.cimea.it/it/servizi/procedure-di-riconoscimento-dei-titoli/riconoscimento-dei-titoli-italiani-allestero.aspx
MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research) https://www.miur.gov.it/equipollenze-equivalenza-ed-equiparazioni-tra-titoli-di-studio (in Italian)
Forms of recognition of foreign qualifications http://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/Attualita/Approfondimenti/approfondimento/Pagine/Riconoscimento_titolo_pag-2.aspx
Recognition of qualifications - Refugees and holders of subsidiary protection status
In accordance with the provisions of the Lisbon Convention, Italy has adapted its legislation on the recognition of refugee qualifications (paragraph 3 bis of Art. 26 of Legislative Decree 251/2007)
«In order to recognise professional qualifications, degrees, certificates and other qualifications obtained abroad by holders of refugee status or of subsidiary protection status, the authorities concerned shall identify suitable assessment, validation and accreditation systems which enable qualifications to be recognised in accordance with Article 49 of Presidential Decree No 394 of 31 August 1999, even in the absence of certification issued by the State in which the qualification was obtained, if the applicant demonstrates that they are unable to obtain such certification.»
For this purpose, initiatives and services were promoted at national and regional level including the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari.
Find out Projects and Services
UNIVERSITY OF CAGLIARI (UNICA)
- “UniCa4Refugees”Project https://www.unica.it/unica/en/unica_refugees.page
Implementation of actions dedicated to refugees, holders of international protection and asylum seekers residing in Sardinia, with the aim of improving access to university, facilitating the recognition of foreign qualifications, and promoting job placement. The actions are managed through the SMILE information desk, set up by the Student Mobility Department.
See https://www.unica.it/unica/it/ateneo_s04_ss018.page
- The University of Cagliari joined the project for the “European qualification passport for refugees” – EQPR: it is a document providing an assessment of the academic qualifications of refugees who have obtained a final secondary school or university degree but lack the relevant documentation to prove it. This gives refugees who have applied for recognition of their qualifications the opportunity to continue their studies at the University of Cagliari.
Information at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/recognition-of-refugees-qualifications
UNIVERSITY OF SASSARI (UNISS)
- The University of Sassari joined the project for the “European qualification passport for refugees” - EQPR.
info at: https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/recognition-of-refugees-qualifications
- International projects include“Marco Polo” project for Chinese citizens, and “Formed” project for students from the Maghreb area.
Other services active in the field of recognition of qualifications of refugees and holders of subsidiary protection at national and international level:
1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) has activated a service to apply for a “Statement of Valour” (Dichiarazione di valore) for holders of international protection who, due to their status, are unable to go to their country of origin to obtain it.
What is the Statement of Value (Dichiarazione di valore)? It is an informative document describing the qualification acquired in the country of origin and its value, in order to allow the Italian University or the competent Ministry to assess it for the purposes of continuing studies in Italy or for professional practice.https://www.esteri.it/mae/en/politica_estera/cultura/universita/riconoscimento_titoli_studio/dichiarazionevalorerifugiati.html
2. CIMEA, through its service for certification and verification of foreign qualifications - Credential Information Service – Estero, which is free of charge, provides “Certificate of Comparability” (Attestato di comparabilità) of foreign qualifications to the holders of international protection. For further information about this service, write to: cis@cimea.it
Other iniziatives:
“European qualification passport for refugees” – EQPR Recognition of Refugees qualifications – A pilot project
MERIC-net: Mediterranean Network of National Information Centres on the Recognition of Qualifications
See the ENIC-NARIC website for further information on the recognition of qualifications in the European Union: https://www.enic-naric.net/recognise-qualifications-held-by-refugees.aspx
5. TRAINING COURSES
In addition to the regional vocational education and training (IeFP) courses to obtain professional qualifications and diplomas, every year several organisations offer training courses, either free of charge or for a fee, aimed at acquiring specific skills and enriching one’s professional profile.
For information on training opportunities and courses, you can contact the Job Centres or visit the “Work” section and the Useful Contacts pages.
