Taking the IMAT is, of course, a fundamental part of your admission journey to medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine in a public university in Italy. However, this is only one step, and many students miss out on places due to incorrectly completing the required admission steps. Don’t let that be you!
Academic Requirements
It is a common rumor that regardless of your past studies, you can simply sit the IMAT and you will be considered for admission. It is true that your high school academics will not be directly taken into account in the rankings for medical school, but if you don’t meet the required criteria, you will not be considered in the first place.
In general, you will need to have:
- 12 years of total education
- Finished High School
- In some cases, have finished certain subjects
- In some countries, completed a general national admission test for university (this is not synonymous with the medical admission test in your country)
While for most countries there is no formal list of subjects you must have studied, this is not always the case.
We have listed some country-specific academic requirements below*:
UK Qualifications (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
- General Certificate of Education (GCE) or International General Certificate of Education (IGCE) if issued outside the UK, AND 3 A levels in fields relevant to medicine
- OR Cambridge Pre-U Diploma = 3 PreU Principal Subjects + Global Perspective and Research
- OR A combination of 3 different subjects between A-level and Pre-U Principal Subjects
USA Qualifications
- High School Diploma AND 3 US Advanced Placements (APs) with a score from 3 to 5, in three different subjects related to medicine
- OR High School Diploma with the addition of at least one year of University attendance, with passing all the exams required in the first year
IB Qualifications
- Diploma of the International Baccalaureate AND at least 24 points in six subjects of choice, 12 of which must be obtained at “Higher Level” AND a pass awarded in the three principal subjects: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) e Extended Essay (EE).
Brazil Qualifications
- In case of 12 years of schooling: Certificado de Conclusão de Ensino Médio or Certificado de Conclusão do 2° Grau concluded after 12 years of education AND Results of the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM) or Vestibular
- In case of 11 years of schooling, provide: Certificado de Conclusão de Ensino Médio or Certificado de Conclusão do 2° Grau concluded after 11 years of education + Results of the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM) or Vestibular
Turkey Qualifications
Provide one of the following:
- Lise Diploması (since 2009, 12 years of schooling)
- Lise Diploması (until 2008, 11 years of schooling)
- Mesleki ve Teknik Lisesi Diploması (since 2009, 12 years)
- Mesleki ve Teknik Lisesi Diploması (until 2008, 11 years)
All of these qualifications together with the certificate of successful completion of either the YKS exam (for Turkish National Students), or the YÖS (for non-Turkish students).
Regarding the YKS: minimum score 0,5 in both TYT and in AYT sections (same requirements for YDT section, when taken).
Other Countries
Each country has its own requirements, so it is best for you to check carefully if you are eligible. While many countries do not have a formal list of subjects required or certain minimum grades, this is not always the case.
What if you are not eligible?
If you are not eligible based on your current qualifications, the following can usually be done
- Complete a missing requirement in your home country
- If possible, complement a missing requirement with some university studies (check the possibility with your university)
- Complete a foundation program in Italy, where possible
*Please note that some universities may have additional requirements, and some might be more flexible on enforcement of these rules. If you are unsure, we suggest you contact your university to get clarification
Language Requirements
It is commonly misunderstood that you need to have proof of Italian language proficiency. This is false! Your course will be in English, and you only need to demonstrate English competencies.
The way to do this depends on the university. Some universities will require an English language certificate, while others will consider a passing IMAT score as sufficient proof. However, to be on the safe side, it is good to demonstrate
- An accepted language certificate OR
- At least one year of English taught education (this refers to the tuition language of the school, not simply studying English as a subject
You can learn more about the English language requirements and accepted certificates here: Studying Medicine in Italy: Language Requirements
Pre-Enrolment on Universitaly (Non-EU Only)
Pre-enrolment is a fundamental step for non-EU candidates. The point of this procedure is to get your qualifications reviewed by the university and to give you a pre-enrolment letter that is essential for the visa.
To learn more about the details of pre-enrolment, check out our dedicated guide:
Common mistakes people make with pre-enrolment
- Missing the deadline: Each university has its own deadline!
- Pre-enrolling if you are an EU candidate: Do not do this!
- Pre-enrolling at one university and not selecting it as your first choice: This can make you ineligible!
- Pre-enrolling and not pre-registering at the same university: This can also make you ineligible!
- Choosing the wrong consulate: When pre-enrolling, you must apply to the consulate or embassy that is responsible for your jurisdiction!
Pre-Registration At Your University
A common confusion students have is the difference between pre-enrolment at Universitaly and pre-registration on your university website.
Pre-registration (also called pre-evaluation) is required only by certain universities. This can be required only for non-EU students, but for some universities, it is also required for EU students!
Make sure to check well in advance if your university requires it! If you are an EU, you may have to complete this process at multiple universities!
The list of universities that require this step changes year to year. However, in the past, the following often had this requirement. Be aware that this list is not reflective of the actual universities that may require the step in 2026!
- Marche (Ancona)
- Turin
- Messina
- Bari
- Bicocca
- Pavia
- Potentially other universities
Pre-registration often costs a small fee (usually 15 euros) and requires you to submit certain documents like ID and qualifications.
Pre-registration dates are university-specific and can be announced early or very close to the exam. The application periods are often very short as well.
IMAT Registration
Registration for the IMAT takes place on Universitaly and typically costs around 150 euros
You can learn more about IMAT registration below.
While the exact setup for 2026 is not yet announced, the procedure is likely going to be similar to 2025. You will select IMAT as seen below on the Universitaly homepage
You will then be able to view the situation for the IMAT
When open, you will be able to apply for the test
The website will then ask you to select your university preferences*. You will then also select what test venue you want to take the test in, and you will be required to pay the fee. You will then receive an email with your receipt.
Have Questions?
Ask them below!
31 responses
Do they check your qualifications before allowing you to register for the imat?
To register for the IMAT itself, no. But if you are non-EU they will be checked during the pre-enrolment stage
how do i pre enroll and then apply and go through the entire process of securing an admission if my exam results for a levels/ high school only come out in mid august and i dont even get a diploma till june-july because that is when i officially graduate, and my school cannot provide a provisional diploma before then?
You should ask your school for a list of the subjects you are studying, previous school years and anything else the university might need. This usually solves the issue when you have not yet graduated
what will this prove exactly? my school doesnt give a provisional diploma. also, by when do i need to have graduated?\have a diploma?
You need to have your final diploma by the enrolment date as this needs to be submitted during enrollment
which universities consider foundation year students of a public italian university the equivalent of eu students (this allows the application to more universities)
University policy on this matter can be subject to change year to year, so it is something you will need to reach out to each university about. Make sure to include details about your residence permit and how long you have held it
Regarding academic requirements, in Brazil, the 12 years schooling certificate arrive at the end of december, could this cause me to lose my place at a university? Or can i send the diploma when I receive, which would take some time? Lastly, regarding the ENEM or Vestibular exams, do I need to send this years exams or one from previous years? Becouse the results only come out in January, and i´ve already taken the exam before.
You do need to have your diploma by the time of enrolment, usually in October. If you cannot get the diploma by this date then it is likely that your enrolment will be rejected. Regarding ENEM, the requirement is to have completed it, thus if you already have it that meets the requirement
but I will receive my diploma in december, wouldn´t there be any way to secure my place or provide other certificate instead?
I would suggest writing to your university about this and also seeing what kind of certificate you can have ready by the enrolment date.
Hello! Do I have to apply to universities before I pass my IMAT? Like should I do some registration for Uni in June? I’m bit scared that I miss some dates and Universities websites are bit confusing ( I’m EU student|)
Some universities do require you to pre-register on their website, even as an EU.
Hey.
What are the specific grade requirements for A-Levels?
For UK based qualifications, you generally require 3 A levels related to medicine with minimum grade E.
Do retakes affect admissions?
For Example, someone took their exams during the May/June session and then redid their exams in October/November and want to apply with those grades instead.
Retakes are not a problem. What matters is that you have the requirements listed by the university.
Where can I check my countries specific requirements, and is there a way to use your service perhaps to be informed as soon as a new piece of information is announced?
If you are referring to your country specific requirements regarding academic eligibility for university in Italy, you can find this on the website of your chosen university.
Hello,
How do i enrol if im in the uk but i have got an italian passport?
You will be considered an EU candidate as your Italian citizenship takes priority. You will thus need to follow the EU procedure. I should also mention that for Italians specifically you need to have your codice fiscale issued and memorized for the IMAT, and you also need to have SPID. If you dont have these, I would recommend obtaining them.
Hi, do I need to apply to each university individually or can I apply through Universitaly directly?
Thanks
When applying for the IMAT, EU candidates can apply to all universities at this stage. However, some universities have pre-evaluation requirements to be filled out on their websites as well.
Non-EU candidates can only apply to a single medical school
Hello, How do I pre register for university of milan? and I believe I have made a mistake regarding the pre enrollment, I pre enrolled a month ago for university of milan because I was worried about missing the deadline but I pre enrolled without my CIMEA statement of verification or my final marks (only with my predicted marks) what can I do? (I’m a non eu student)
This is usually fine for most universities, but if you want confirmation just send the university an email.
Hi, what are the academic requirements for students who graduated from private English-speaking schools in Cyprus?
It depends on what type of school. If it is a British curriculum school, then standard British requirements apply. If its IB, then IB requirements apply, and so on.
if I did bio, English literature and English language as my A level subjects and passed in all would it be a problem for unis? even if I do well on the imat and meet the specific uni’s cutoff?
Yes it can be a problem. The standard requirement for British A levels is that you must have 3 related to medicine (in your case the English literature and language A levels are the issue). Each university may enforce this differently, but many of them are strict and would not consider you eligible regardless of the IMAT score. I would recommend reaching out to the university you are interested in to see in advance if they will accept you. Make sure to let them know if you have done any study after high school that may be relevant.
Hi, which universities require a pre registration as a EU student? and what documentation should I have in order to have my enrollment when the IMAT grades come out