IMAT is the route most Pakistani students mean when they talk about studying MBBS in Italy. It is not a scholarship in the usual sense. The International Medical Aptitude Test is the entrance exam for English-medium Medicine and Surgery programs at Italian public universities, and your score alone decides whether you get one of the non-EU seats. The money side comes afterwards: low, income-scaled public tuition, plus a separate need-based grant called the DSU scholarship for students whose families qualify financially.
That split matters for how you plan. You win the seat with an exam, then you apply for the funding. This guide walks through both halves. For the summary version, see the full scholarship details, and if you are comparing options, browse all Italy scholarships.
Who the IMAT route suits, and who should think twice
This route is open to all international students worldwide, so Pakistani FSC students can apply. It suits a student who is strong in Biology and Chemistry, can prepare seriously for months, and is comfortable with a single high-stakes exam deciding the outcome. Selection is purely on IMAT score. There is no interview, no personal statement and no committee deciding who looks promising.
It is a harder fit if your plan depends on guaranteed funding from day one. The DSU grant is need-based, it is applied for after you enroll, and not every admitted student gets it. If your family cannot cover the first stretch of costs without it, think that through before you commit a year to preparation.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding type | Partial funding (low public tuition, plus need-based DSU scholarship if you qualify) |
| Level | Bachelor's: 6-year Medicine and Surgery (MBBS equivalent) taught in English |
| Country | Italy |
| Provider | Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), through public Italian universities |
| Deadline | Varies by exam session. Universitaly pre-enrollment opens months in advance (typically around June) and IMAT registration opens 15-25 days before the exam date |
| Official site | Universitaly portal |
What you actually pay, and what the DSU grant covers
Tuition at Italian public universities is set on a sliding income scale. For students who do not qualify for the full DSU exemption, it typically falls between €1,000 and €4,000 per year. That is far below what private medical colleges charge in most countries.
The DSU scholarship (Diritto allo Studio Universitario) is where the real support sits for families with limited income. For students who qualify, it includes:
- university dormitory accommodation
- a stipend of approximately €7,000 per year
- meal cards
Two things people miss. First, DSU is run by regional authorities (ESU or Erdisu) in each Italian region, not by the university, so the rules and process come from that regional body. Second, eligibility is measured through an ISEE certificate, which reflects your family's economic situation and comes from the Italian tax authority. Students from lower-income backgrounds in Pakistan often qualify, but nothing is automatic. You have to qualify on paper and apply separately once you have enrolled. Treat the stipend figure as approximate and confirm the current amount with the regional body for your university.
Universities on this route
English-medium Medicine is available at public universities including Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Milan, the University of Bologna (founded in 1088), the University of Pavia, the University of Padua and the University of Florence. You will not be applying to all of them, though. That brings us to the rule that shapes every other decision.
The one-university rule and why your choice matters so much
Non-EU applicants must pre-enroll in exactly one Italian university through the Universitaly portal before taking IMAT. Trying to enroll in more than one disqualifies you. This is strictly enforced.
So your choice of university is a bet on your expected score. Non-EU cutoff scores vary by university and change every year with the level of competition. As a rough guide, scores above 35 out of 90 are generally considered competitive, and scores above 45 out of 90 are very competitive for top universities such as Sapienza Rome and Milan. Historical cutoffs are published on each university's website after results come out.
My advice: look at at least five years of non-EU cutoffs for any university you are considering, and compare them honestly against your mock test scores. A student who picks Sapienza out of prestige while scoring in the high 30s in practice is taking a risk that a less famous university might not carry.
How the IMAT exam is built
The exam is 100 minutes long, with 60 multiple-choice questions and a maximum of 90 marks. The section split is uneven, and that should drive how you study.
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading skills | 4 |
| Logical reasoning | 6 |
| Biology | 22 |
| Chemistry | 15 |
| Physics and mathematics | 13 |
Biology and Chemistry together make up 37 of the 60 questions. If your FSC Biology and Chemistry are shaky, fix that before anything else.
Negative marking changes how you answer
A correct answer earns +1.5 marks. A wrong answer costs 0.4 marks. An unanswered question scores 0. This means random guessing hurts you on average. A sensible rule is to answer only when you have eliminated at least one incorrect option, and to leave genuine guesses blank. Practise this in timed mocks so it becomes habit rather than something you try to work out under pressure.
Eligibility and the papers behind it
To apply, you need:
- completed high school, FSC or equivalent
- a strong background in Biology and Chemistry
- pre-enrollment in only one Italian university via Universitaly before the exam
- a qualifying IMAT score for the non-EU seats at your chosen university
- a Declaration of Value (DOV) from the Italian Embassy or consulate in your country
- a medical fitness assessment
- an ISEE certificate if you want to apply for the DSU scholarship after admission
The documents list follows the same lines: a valid passport, your FSC or high school certificate, the DOV, a medical examination form, a bank debit or credit card for IMAT self-registration, and the ISEE certificate for the need-based scholarship. For general paperwork preparation, our international scholarship documents checklist is a useful companion.
The Declaration of Value is where Pakistani applicants lose a year
The DOV (Dichiarazione di Valore) is issued by the Italian Embassy or consulate in your home country. It certifies that your high school qualification is genuine and recognised as equivalent to Italian standards. You submit your certificates, pay a fee and wait for verification. Processing typically takes 4-10 weeks depending on the embassy's workload, and the timeline advice is to start 3-4 months before the exam.
The DOV is needed for Universitaly pre-enrollment. Missing that pre-enrollment window because the DOV is not ready is one of the most common and most avoidable reasons candidates lose a whole IMAT cycle. In Pakistan, the relevant office is the Embassy of Italy in Islamabad, which handles study visa applications, document legalization and IMAT pre-enrollment queries. Your certificates may also need local attestation first; our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide covers that side.
The application, in the order it happens
- Pre-enroll on Universitaly and choose one Italian university only.
- Upload your documents on Universitaly, including your FSC and Declaration of Value.
- Wait for the IMAT registration window, which typically opens 15-25 days before the exam date.
- Register for IMAT using your bank card and choose your exam centre. The Lahore centre fills quickly, so register as soon as the window opens.
- Sit the exam.
- Follow the rankings: anonymous, then official, then final. Each university publishes them on its website.
- If you rank within the non-EU quota for your university, complete formal enrollment.
- After enrolling, apply for the DSU scholarship with your ISEE certificate through your university's scholarship office.
- Apply for an Italian student visa through the Italian Embassy or consulate in your country.
A realistic year on the calendar
The general pattern looks like this, though exact dates change each cycle and you should confirm them on the official portal:
- 3-4 months before the exam: apply for your DOV
- April to June: Universitaly pre-enrollment
- 15-25 days before the exam: IMAT registration opens
- September: the IMAT exam
- within days of the exam: anonymous ranking
- October: official and final rankings
- October to November: enrollment and DSU application
- November to December: Italian student visa application
Notice how tight the end of the year is. Enrollment, the DSU application and the visa all fall within a few months. Gather your ISEE paperwork and financial documents before results come out, not after. If you are unsure what visa officers expect, read about common student visa rejection reasons well before November.
Preparation advice that actually moves your score
Serious candidates typically prepare for 6-12 months. Here is what tends to separate admitted students from the rest:
- Spend most of your time on Biology and Chemistry, studied to Cambridge A-Level or Italian Liceo depth rather than quick FSC revision.
- Work through every official IMAT past paper you can get. Question style, difficulty and topic spread stay fairly consistent from year to year, so past papers are the most effective single resource. Official papers are available on the Italian Ministry's website and the Cambridge Assessment website.
- Sit full-length timed mocks regularly, and score them with the negative marking applied.
- Register the moment the IMAT window opens. Late registrants can end up at less convenient centres or miss registration entirely.
The most common mistakes are predictable: starting the DOV too late, choosing a university by reputation rather than cutoff history, guessing wildly on exam day, and assuming DSU money is guaranteed. Avoid those four and you are ahead of many applicants.
What the degree is worth after six years
An Italian medical degree is an EU medical qualification. Graduates can apply for medical registration across all 27 EU member states, subject to local licensing processes. Graduates also meet the academic eligibility to sit the USMLE (USA), PLAB (UK) and AMC (Australia). If you plan to return to Pakistan, recognition follows the standard foreign degree evaluation process used by national medical licensing authorities, as it would for any internationally qualified doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is IMAT a scholarship?
No. IMAT is a merit-based admission test. Funding comes separately through low, income-scaled tuition and, for students who qualify financially, the need-based DSU scholarship.
Can I apply to more than one Italian university?
No. Non-EU students must pre-enroll in only one university through Universitaly before the exam, and attempting more than one leads to disqualification. Pick based on historical non-EU cutoffs.
What score do I need?
It varies by university and by year. Scores above 35 out of 90 are generally seen as competitive, and above 45 out of 90 as very competitive for top universities like Sapienza Rome and Milan. Check each university's published cutoffs.
Will every admitted student get the DSU scholarship?
No. DSU is need-based and run by regional authorities. You need an ISEE certificate showing your family's economic situation, and you apply separately after enrolling.
How long does the Declaration of Value take?
Typically 4-10 weeks, depending on the embassy's workload. Start 3-4 months before the exam so it is ready for Universitaly pre-enrollment.
Is there an HEC option for Italy as well?
Some Pakistani applicants look at an HEC bilateral Italy scholarship track alongside or instead of the self-funded IMAT route. Check current calls on the HEC scholarship portal.
Before you plan anything, check the current cycle and dates on the official Universitaly portal and the Ministry of University IMAT page, then review the full IMAT Italy scholarship page.