Italian Medical Schools: How To Apply from the UK

Italy is an excellent destination for studying medicine , and every year, a significant number of students from the UK decide to enroll at an Italian medical school. Here, you can find all the public and private universities in Italy that teach medical classes in English.

To register to study medicine in Italy, you must follow these steps:

• Step 1: Ensure that you meet all the eligibility requirements
• Step 2: Prepare the application documents, and wait for the IMAT applications to open Bonus tip: How to reduce your tuition fees
• Step 3: Register for IMAT Admissions test on the Universitaly website
• Step 4: Sit the exam in the test centre of your choice
• Step 5: Check your results and your rankings
• Step 6: Enrol at your Italian medical school

How to register for IMAT from the UK

Here you will find a comprehensive guide on how to apply from medical school in Italy from the UK.

Step 1: Ensure that you meet the requirements

Academic requirements for medical studies in Italy

Students registering for IMAT Admissions test from the UK (as long as it remains part of the EU) do not need to apply for pre-enrollment via the Italian Embassy. There is no need to provide GCSE grades, however you are required to submit proof of having passed at least three A-Level subjects.

Step 2: Prepare the application documents, and wait for the IMAT applications to open

To be able to enroll as a student at a later stage you will need a Declaration of Value (DV). This is an essential document describing all your qualifications obtained from educational institutions outside Italy. If you are applying to study medicine in Italy from the UK, you can request your DOV from the Italian Consulate in London.

Remember, when sending documents to the Italian Consulate you must first take them to a notary or solicitor in your country to have them certified. You will also need an “apostille” stamp from the authority issuing the documents.

Before you can apply to Italian medical schools, you must wait for the IMAT registration to open. The official date is announced every year by the Italian Ministry of Education around May.

Bonus tip: How to reduce your tuition fees

Italian universities offer tuition fee reductions based on the family economic status of their students. To apply for these social benefits, you must meet specific eligibility criteria, and submit a valid ISEE certification (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator). The ISEE is an indicator of the economic status of your family and it is used to assess your income. Your personal ISEE can be requested from INPS, the Italian main social security and welfare institute.

You can do this by yourself, or through one of the CAF (Fiscal Assistance Centre) centres in Italy. Since this process may take several weeks, requesting your ISEE as soon as you register to study medicine in Italy is usually recommended. When submitting your request, you must ensure that you request the ISEE “for University use”, which will be linked to your fiscal code. If you reside abroad, or if you live in Italy but you are not independent and your family lives outside Italy, you need an ISEE parificato .

Based on your personal situation, the INPS may ask you for several documents to review your circumstances. Once you get all the required documentation, you can book an appointment with a CAF centre in Italy.

Step 3: Register for IMAT on the Universitaly website

To register for IMAT and medical schools, you must create an account on universitaly.it . The website is available in Italian and English, and it gives you access to the IMAT and university registration forms.

Make sure you register for the exam in one of the test centres available in your home country. If you wish to sit your test in the UK, you can choose the IMAT centre in London. During the online registration for IMAT you will also need to select the medical schools of interest and rank them by priority. For more details watch our step-by-step video tutorial on YouTube .

Before you confirm your registration, you will be able to double-check the date and the time of your exam. Besides, as part of your registration process, you must pay an entry fee. The cost of sitting IMAT in the UK is £114. You will receive a confirmation email for your payment.

To find out more about the IMAT registration procedures, you can check out our blog!

Step 4: Sit the IMAT test in the UK

The IMAT exam only takes 100 minutes, but it is the most crucial step to ensure your future as a medical student in Italy. For this reason, knowing how to prepare for IMAT is essential.

All the information about the IMAT date and test centre will be available in your personal area on the Universitaly website .

Step 5: Check your results and your rankings

Once you have registered for IMAT from the UK, all you have to do is to wait. The rankings will be published on the Universitaly website. Based on your results, you will see one of the following statuses next to your name:

• Assigned : Congratulations! You have obtained a place in your first-choice medical school.
• Booked : You have obtained a place in an Italian medical school, but not in your first choice.
• Wait : At the moment there is no place available for you, and you need to wait. This is most likely to happen if you apply for a very popular university that only has a small number of free spots every year.
• Not Confirmed Interest : You didn’t confirm your interest in remaining in the rankings. For this reason, your application has been removed, and you are no longer competing for a place in an Italian university.

If you manage to obtain a place in one of the universities of your first choice, you must confirm your interest. If you fail to do so within four days, you will be removed from the rankings and you will lose your spot.

Step 6: Enroll at your Italian medical school

You are finally ready to move from the UK to study medicine in Italy !

On your university website, you will find all the information on how to proceed with your application. At the end of this process, you will be ready to collect your student ID and start your new life in Italy.

Several medical schools provide students with support on finding proper accommodation, as well as open days where they will tell you everything about their programs and projects for international students.

Buona fortuna!