IMAT 2026: Test Costs and English-Taught Medical Universities in Italy

Anyone preparing for the International Medical Admission Test 2026 needs to understand 3 things first: how much the test costs, how much it can cost to study Medicine in English in Italy, and which universities are involved. In this guide, we cover the registration fee, the difference between public and private universities, annual tuition fees, scholarships, and available locations, in a clear and practical way.

IMAT 2026 cost: how much the test costs

For 2026, the official International Medical Admission Test fee has not been published yet.

When the new official ministerial decree is released, the fee will be shown in the registration instructions on the official platform.

For now, the correct information is:

• IMAT 2026 fee: not available yet;
• authority regulating the test: Italian Ministry of University and Research;
• technical management: CINECA Interuniversity Consortium;
• main platform: Universitaly;
• latest official reference: 2025 regulation.

In 2025, the official decree did not show a fixed public amount in the accessible text. It stated that payment had to be completed according to the instructions published on Universitaly when registration opened.

So, until the 2026 procedure is published, no fixed official amount should be reported.

When the test payment must be completed

Official 2026 dates are not available yet.

In 2025, registration had to be completed within the official window set by the Ministry.

The key rule is simple: registration is valid only if the online procedure and payment are completed before the official deadline.

The public documents do not mention a separate time limit, such as “within a certain number of hours after booking”. The certain deadline was the final registration deadline.

Payment methods and payment issues

Official 2026 payment methods have not been published yet.

In 2025, payment methods were shown during the online procedure on Universitaly.

The main points to remember are:

• the payment must be linked to the candidate’s registration;
• payment alone, without the online registration receipt, is not enough to take the test;
• if payment fails, the candidate must check the personal area and follow the instructions on the official platform.

The public documents do not include one detailed procedure for every case of failed payment, missing receipt or delayed confirmation.

For this reason, the personal area is the main place to check.

How to check that registration is complete

To consider registration complete, these elements must be correct:

• online procedure completed;
• payment registered;
• online registration receipt available;
• personal details correct;
• test location shown;
• preferences entered correctly;
• working email address.

Official communications are sent to the email address entered during registration, but the personal area remains the most important reference point.

Public and private universities: what changes in costs

The International Medical Admission Test gives access to Medicine and Surgery in English courses at public universities and some non-state universities.

The biggest difference is financial.

Costs at public universities

At public universities, annual tuition fees are not the same for everyone.

They usually depend on:

• student’s economic situation;
• Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator;
• available fee reductions;
• regional tax;
• the fee rules of each university.

The main advantage is that a public university can cost much less than a private one, especially for students eligible for reduced fees.

However, the exact cost must be checked on the chosen university’s website, because it is not set directly by the test.

Costs at private universities

At private universities, fees are higher and are often closer to a fixed annual amount.

According to official 2026/2027 data already available:

• Humanitas University lists annual Medicine and Surgery fees from about 10,206 euros to 23,206 euros, depending on the student category and economic situation;
• Vita-Salute San Raffaele University lists a 20,690 euro tuition fee for the International Medical Doctor Program for academic year 2026/2027 in the consulted call;
• Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome lists an annual Medicine and Surgery contribution of 19,000 euros, plus regional tax;
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore lists an annual Medicine and Surgery fee of 18,000 euros in its 2026/2027 international brochure.

These amounts are not the test fee. They are the annual university tuition fees after admission.

Other costs to consider

Besides the IMAT fee and university tuition, students should also consider:

• rent or accommodation;
• transport;
• study materials;
• regional tax;
• possible administrative fees;
• living costs in the chosen city.

Milan, Rome, Bologna, Pavia and the other locations can have very different costs, especially for accommodation.

This is why it is useful to estimate the total cost before entering preferences.

Scholarships and financial aid

Scholarships do not depend directly on IMAT.

They depend on:

• region;
• university;
• economic requirements;
• merit requirements;
• annual calls;
• submitted documents.

At public universities, students may access right-to-study benefits if they meet the required conditions.

At private universities, there may be internal scholarships, reductions or financial aid published directly by the university.

For 2026/2027, updated ministerial documents on the right to study already exist, but the specific IMAT 2026 decree is not available yet.

Where Medicine in English can be studied in Italy

The official 2026/2027 table with universities and available seats has not been released yet.

The latest available map is the 2025/2026 one.

The Medicine and Surgery in English locations listed were:

• Bari;
• Bologna;
• Cagliari;
• Naples, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”;
• Catania;
• Bolzano and Rome, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore;
• Pieve Emanuele, Humanitas University;
• Messina;
• Milan, University of Milan;
• Bergamo, University of Milan-Bicocca;
• Naples, University of Naples Federico II;
• Venice, University of Padua;
• Piacenza, University of Parma;
• Pavia;
• Ancona, Marche Polytechnic University;
• Rome, Sapienza University of Rome;
• Rome and Tirana, University of Rome Tor Vergata;
• Orbassano, University of Turin;
• Milan, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University;
• Rome, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome;
• Rome, Medicine and Surgery–MedTech, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.

The Tirana location was marked as undergoing accreditation in the 2025/2026 table.

Other English-taught courses linked to IMAT

The 2025/2026 table also included other English-taught courses in the same regulated admission area:

• Veterinary Medicine in English, at the University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia campus;
• Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics in English, at Sapienza University of Rome;
• Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics in English, at the University of Siena.

These details will also need to be updated when the official 2026/2027 table is released.

Test centres

The places where the test is held do not always match the places where students study.

In 2025, the Italian test centres listed were:

• Bari;
• Milan;
• Milan-Bicocca;
• Rome Sapienza;
• Rome Tor Vergata;
• Naples Luigi Vanvitelli;
• Naples Federico II;
• Bologna;
• Turin;
• Pavia;
• Parma;
• Siena;
• Messina;
• Padua;
• Ancona;
• Cagliari;
• Catania.

For 2026, the new official table must be published first.

Why the score can also affect costs

The test fee is the same for registered candidates, but the score can strongly affect the student’s financial options.

A higher score can help students get:

• more university choices;
• a better chance of entering a public university;
• more control over preferences;
• less risk of having to choose more expensive options.

This is why preparation is not only about passing the test, but about getting the best possible score.

With TestBuddy, students can start for free and prepare with simulations, exercises, a digital manual, statistics and the TB Score, so they can track their level while preparing for the International Medical Admission Test.

Official references used

Information on rules, registration, test management, payment, receipt, score publication and ranking comes from the official 2025 ministerial decree and its annexes.

Information on the ministerial reference page comes from the official Accesso Programmato portal.

Information on the registration portal comes from the official Universitaly IMAT page.

Information on right-to-study benefits and financial aid comes from the official Universitaly scholarships page and the Italian Ministry of University and Research right-to-study page.

Information on universities, course locations and available seats comes from the official 2025/2026 table of seats for English-taught courses.

Information on test centres comes from the official 2025/2026 table of countries and test centres.

Information on Humanitas University 2026/2027 tuition fees comes from the official fees and scholarships page.

Information on Vita-Salute San Raffaele University 2026/2027 tuition fees comes from the official International Medical Doctor Program admissions page.

Information on Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome 2026/2027 tuition fees comes from the official tuition and fees page.

Information on Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 2026/2027 tuition fees comes from the official 2026/2027 undergraduate international brochure.