Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT) Scholarships 2026
- Omran Aburayya
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
If you are an outstanding student from the developing world looking for a chance to pursue a postgraduate degree in Italy, the Invest Your Talent in Italy (IYT) Scholarship offers just that opportunity. For the academic year 2025-2026 (often referred to as the 2026 edition), the IYT program is will open to applications by January, this article will just help you get prepared. Established by the Italian government, this scholarship gives you access to master’s programs in Engineering-High Technologies, Economics-Management, Architecture-Design, along with a mandatory internship component. It aims to foster internationalization, intercultural dialogue, and the development of your future career by combining academic excellence with professional experience.
🎓 IYT Scholarship Summary
Location: Italy
Host Institution(s): Italian Higher Education Institutes (state-owned or legally recognised), participating universities in the IYT Program.
Level of Study: Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale or Master Universitario)
Nationalities Eligible: Students from selected 18 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America: Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Brazil; Colombia; Egypt; Ethiopia; Ghana; India; Indonesia; Iran; Kazakhstan; Mexico; People’s Republic of China; Republic of Korea; Tunisia; Türkiye; Vietnam.
Fields of Study: Engineering & Advanced Technologies; Economics & Management; Architecture & Design. Specific master’s programmes vary by university.
Award Value / Coverage:
A monthly allowance of €1,000 for nine months.
Full exemption from tuition fees for the selected Master’s programme (state or legally recognised institution) under IYT.
Free Italian language course in many cases.
A mandatory internship with an Italian company.
Student support services at host university.
Duration: 9 months, starting from October of the academic year
Applications Start: January 2026
Application Deadline: February 24, 2026 by 12:00 noon Italian time.
Eligible To: Applicants who satisfy the nationality, age, academic qualification, and language criteria (see below). Cannot be students who already have an Italian degree or are currently studying in Italy at Bachelor’s or Master’s level under certain conditions.
📚 Scholarship Overview
The ITY program is an initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Universities and Research, the Italian Trade Agency, and Uni-Italia. Its mission is to:
Promote the internationalization of Italian higher education.
Encourage intercultural dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and professionalism.
Let talented students gain both strong academic training and professional experience.
Here’s how the structure works:
Academic component: You enroll in a master’s programme (Laurea Magistrale or Master Universitario) in one of the eligible fields at an Italian university participating in IYT. Many programmes are taught in English.
Italian language and culture course: Offered to help with integration and intellectual / social participation in Italy. Mandatory in many universities.
Internship / On-job training: A mandatory internship in an Italian company is part of the programme. This gives you work exposure in the local environment.
Seminar on gender equality and combating violence against women: Starting with recent editions, this is also integrated into the path.
🎁 Scholarship Benefits
Tuition Fees Exempted: You do not pay tuition fees for the Master’s programme under IYT. However, other fees like the regional tax for “diritto allo studio”, stamp duty, insurance liability, health insurance policy are not covered.
Monthly Allowance: €1,000 per month for nine months. Payments are made quarterly to the student’s Italian bank account.
Italian Language Course: Free (in many universities) to support linguistic integration.
Internship: A practical training component with an Italian company as part of the programme.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the ITY Scholarship, you must meet these requirements:
Nationality / Residency: Must be a citizen and resident of one of the eligible countries listed above.
Academic Qualification: You should have a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) that is sufficient for enrolment in the selected Master’s course. Candidates who have completed their Bachelor’s degree but are awaiting the Diploma may submit a certification to that effect.
Age: You must have been born on or after January 1, 1999 (this age limit may not apply to renewal candidates).
Language Proficiency:
English certificate at least B2 level (CEFR) is required. Tests like IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC are accepted.
Italian language certificate is optional but will be considered in selection.
Other Conditions:
You must submit a pre-application (or admission / pre-application) to the Master’s programme of your choice before or alongside IYT application via the university’s website.
You can apply for only one course (with rare exceptions for “backup” or second choice if allowed by that particular course / university.
Applicants who already have an Italian degree or are enrolled in an Italian university for that level may be excluded.
✍🏻 Application Procedure
Here are the steps you need to follow, and the documents needed:
Check Master’s Program and University: Review the list of universities and master courses participating in IYT for the academic year 2026. You must choose a course included in the IYT catalogue
Pre-application (or University application): You must submit your admission or pre-application to the university offering your chosen master’s programme, according to that university’s own procedures.
Submit IYT application via Official Platform: Applications are done online through the IYT portal (My-App / IYT application platform).
Deadline: Submit by February 24, 2026 (Italian time, midday) with all required documents.
📂 Required Documents
Bachelor’s degree certificate / equivalent qualification (or a university’s attestation if diploma not yet issued) and full transcript of exams and grades.
Valid passport.
CV / Resume.
English language proficiency certificate (e.g. IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC).
Italian language certificate (optional but beneficial).
A short motivation video (no longer than 1 minute).
Translations: If any documents are in a language other than English, Italian, French or Spanish, they must be officially translated.
ℹ️ Additional info
The first installment of the allowance is paid after you enroll in the university and submit all required documents.
Incompatibility: You cannot hold this scholarship alongside any other scholarship or funding from the Italian Government or public Italian institutions for higher education (including regional grants for education).
Renewals: For multi-year master’s programmes, it may be possible to renew the scholarship under certain conditions (e.g. passing required number of credits, attendance, etc.).
