MAECI Government Scholarships

The MAECI scholarship — “Borse di studio del Governo Italiano” — is Italy’s best-known grant for international students. Turkey is on the list of eligible countries, and the call opens each spring on the Study in Italy portal. The application itself is entirely online; the document side of things, as we’ll see, is not.

What Do You Get?

The core of the award is a €900 monthly stipend. That may sound modest until you add the rest: scholarship holders are exempt from university tuition fees (the university applies this itself — you present your award letter at enrolment) and health insurance is covered by MAECI. Payments arrive not monthly but in three-month instalments, into the Italian bank account you open on arrival — the first instalment tends to land in late October, so bring two months’ living costs with you.

Who Can Apply?

The programme covers master’s degrees (laurea magistrale), AFAM courses (conservatoires and fine arts), doctorates and research projects, and Italian language courses. It is not available for bachelor’s degrees — comfortably the most common misunderstanding. Age limits shift slightly from call to call but sit around 28 for master’s and AFAM, 30 for doctorates and 40 for research. The language requirement follows the programme: you can apply to an English-taught master’s with B2 English, while Italian-taught programmes ask for a B2 Italian certificate (CILS, CELI and the like).

How the Timeline Actually Works

Most years the call opens in early April and closes between mid-May and early June, with results announced towards the end of summer. On paper that looks relaxed; in practice it isn’t, because while you wait for the scholarship decision you need to run your university admission and Universitaly pre-enrolment in parallel. If lectures start in September, July is effectively your last window for the visa appointment, the Dichiarazione di Valore and the translations.

Documents and Translation

The application form itself is light on uploads; the heavy paperwork comes after you win, at enrolment and visa stage:

• Apostilled originals of your degree certificate and transcript, plus sworn Italian translations
• A Dichiarazione di Valore from the consulate (or a CIMEA statement, where the university accepts one)
• Language certificate, passport, biometric photographs

The question we hear most is: “Should I have the translations done in Turkey or in Italy?” The consulate’s Ankara and Istanbul missions accept notarised sworn translations produced in Turkey; using a court translator in Italy is both more expensive and simply not possible before you’ve arrived. Upload your degree certificate and transcript here and see the price instantly.

A note from experience: the motivation letter carries real weight in the assessment. A concrete letter that ties your choice of department to the work of specific Italian academics can lift an average candidate above the line. If you’re submitting it in Italian, have a native speaker read the final draft.