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There is no single price for studying in Italy: each state university sets its own fee, and for a family from Kazakhstan it is calculated not by the Italian ISEE but either at a fixed rate for citizens of non-EU countries or by the ISEEU parificato, which is issued through an accredited CAF on the basis of legalised documents on the family’s income (Politecnico di Milano, students with income abroad, Verified: 2026-09-23). For 2026/2027 Padova charges such a student 2 998 or 3 198 EUR per year including the first instalment, Bologna 1 157,04 EUR when the minimum number of credits is met, and Politecnico di Milano from 880,04 EUR for the first instalment up to a maximum of 3 943,04 EUR. Below, every figure comes with its source and the year it refers to.
The short answer: three universities, three ways of counting
| University, 2026/2027 | How it assesses a student from Kazakhstan | Fee per year | First instalment and what it contains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Università di Padova | fixed rate for citizens of non-EU countries with family outside Italy | 2 790,00 EUR group A (humanities), 2 990,00 EUR group B (sciences and primary school teacher education); total per the bando 2 998,00 and 3 198,00 EUR | 208,00 EUR = 192,00 regional tax + 16,00 stamp duty |
| Università di Bologna | fixed rate for citizens of non-OECD countries, Kazakhstan is on the published 2026 list | 1 000 EUR in the first year or when the minimum number of credits is earned; 1 200 EUR without the minimum | 157,04 EUR = 140,00 regional tax + 16,00 stamp duty + 1,04 insurance premium |
| Politecnico di Milano | ISEEU parificato through a CAF; without it, the top bracket | from 0 to 3 003 EUR second instalment, maximum per year 3 943,04 EUR for a 46-74 ECTS plan | 880,04 EUR at enrolment |
Sources: Padova, contribuzione studentesca, Bologna, reduced fixed fee for non-EU non-OECD, PoliMi, how much does it cost, Verified: 2026-09-23. All three figures are for 2026/2027; they are revised for the following year.
Why ISEE does not apply to you, and what replaces it
The Italian ISEE is calculated from Italian data and does not apply to a family living abroad. Universities handle this in two ways. The first, as at Politecnico di Milano: the student must obtain an “ISEEU parificato” through an accredited CAF on the basis of legalised and translated documents on the family’s income and assets; without it the top bracket is assigned (PoliMi, Verified: 2026-09-23). The second, as at Padova and Bologna: a fixed rate for citizens of non-EU or non-OECD countries, with no income assessment.
The difference in money shows at the upper limit. In Bologna the maximum all-inclusive fee for standard first-cycle programmes is 2 040,00 EUR, for single-cycle programmes 2 244,00 EUR, and higher on certain programmes, for example Odontoiatria 4 080,00 EUR; it is paid by those who do not fall under the fixed rate and have not submitted income documents (Bologna, table of maximum amounts 2026/27, Verified: 2026-09-23). For a citizen of Kazakhstan with family outside Italy, the fixed rate of 1 000 EUR is less than half the maximum, and it does not have to be proven with income documents.
In Milan, with an ISEE up to 22 000 EUR only the fixed part of 157,04 EUR is charged, from 22 001 to 30 000 EUR the fee follows a formula, and above 30 000 EUR it goes by brackets up to 3 943,04 EUR (PoliMi, Verified: 2026-09-23). For a Kazakhstani family the question comes down to whether it is worth gathering the documents for an ISEEU parificato or accepting the maximum.
Sapienza in Rome assesses by country group and publishes the amounts for the new academic year after 30 September, so its figures for 2026/2027 were not yet published on the date of this check and are not given here (Sapienza, standard registration fee amounts, Verified: 2026-09-23).
The regional tax for the right to study
It goes not to the university but to the regional agency for the right to education, and everyone pays it regardless of their fee rate. The region sets the amount.
| Region, 2026/2027 | Tax | Where it is shown |
|---|---|---|
| Lazio (Rome) | 140,00 EUR | Lazio DiSCo |
| Emilia-Romagna (Bologna) | 140,00 EUR, inside the first instalment of 157,04 EUR | Bologna |
| Veneto (Padova) | 192,00 EUR, inside the first instalment of 208,00 EUR | Padova |
| Lombardia (Milan) | brackets by ISEE, always the maximum of 190 EUR for a student with income abroad | PoliMi |
Verified: 2026-09-23. In Bologna the regional tax is refunded only through ER.GO, while the 16,00 EUR stamp duty and the 1,04 EUR insurance premium are never refunded (Bologna, FAQ, Verified: 2026-09-23).
What happens if the visa is refused
This is worth finding out before the first payment, because universities answer differently. Politecnico di Milano says it plainly: if the visa is refused or not issued in time, study is impossible and “you will be refunded the amount of the first instalment paid”, provided bank details were entered in advance (PoliMi, apply for a student visa, Verified: 2026-09-23). Padova’s bando 2026/27 says the opposite: fees, including the pre-registration and pre-enrolment fees, “di norma, non sono rimborsabili”, even if the student never attended classes; a refund is given only for a double or undue payment, and visa refusal is not named as a ground (Padova, bando contribuzione 2026/27, Verified: 2026-09-23). Bologna’s FAQ does not mention visa refusal at all (same source, FAQ). What the embassy requires, and by when, so that it never comes to a refusal: student visa for Italy.
Health: 700 EUR a year or a private policy
After arrival the student has two options. The first is voluntary registration with the national health service SSN for a fixed contribution of 700 EUR a year; Bologna specifies that registration runs for the calendar year from 1 January to 31 December, a shorter period cannot be paid pro rata, and for family members the minimum is 2 000 EUR a year (Bologna, medical assistance for international students, Verified: 2026-09-23). The second is a private policy; Padova requires it to cover expenses of at least 30 000 EUR and to come with a sworn translation. None of the four universities publishes the price of a student policy on its pages, so it is not given here either (PoliMi, health insurance, Verified: 2026-09-23). Which policy the embassy accepts at the visa stage: insurance for a student visa.
Living costs: only what the universities themselves publish
The cost of living here is taken only from the universities’ own pages. The universities do not date these pages and themselves call the figures a guide, so they should be read as an order of magnitude, not as a budget.
| City | Housing per month | Food | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bologna | single room around 400 EUR plus utilities, a place in a double room around 300 EUR plus utilities | groceries around 60 EUR a week, lunch in the canteen 4,50-6,00 EUR | SSN registration around 700 EUR a year |
| Padova | single room 300-600 EUR plus expenses, double room 250-400 EUR plus expenses | groceries around 60 EUR a week, lunch in the canteen 2-8,50 EUR | transport pass from 8,80 EUR a week to 247,50 EUR a year |
| Milan | 400-700 EUR | 150-200 EUR a month | leisure 100-200 EUR a month |
Sources: Bologna, living costs, Padova, costo della vita, PoliMi, cost of living, Verified: 2026-09-23. For Rome neither Sapienza nor Lazio DiSCo gives a published estimate, so there is no row for Rome.
Regional agency residences are cheaper than the market but are allocated by competition. ER.GO in Emilia-Romagna publishes, for 2026/2027, the period from 16 September 2026 to 15 September 2027, the rates for students who made the ranking by income and merit: in Bologna, Residenza Carducci, 241,00 EUR a month including utilities, 205,00 in December and January, 120,50 in September (ER.GO, bando DSU 2026/2027, Verified: 2026-09-23). This is the rate for those who passed the competition; the rate for everyone else is not given in this text. Which scholarships and benefits are available to a Kazakhstani: grants and scholarships in Italy.
What else is paid around studies
The visa fee, the VFS service fee and the components of the residence permit cost are covered in the visa guide and are not repeated here: student visa for Italy for a Kazakhstani. How these payments fall on the calendar: route and calendar for admission to Italy. A money comparison with Poland and Czechia: Poland, Czechia or Italy.
What EEC does
EEC calculates the budget for a specific university and year, not from averages: it takes the bando of the chosen university, checks whether the family falls under the fixed rate or should gather an ISEEU parificato, and finds out the refund terms before the first payment. We do not name prices the university has not published, and we do not promise a place in a residence: that is awarded by the regional agency’s competition. The full route is on the Italy page.