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Education in Italy is compulsory for children from 6 to 16 years of age and public education in Italy is free to all children. The school system is regulated by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), which supports the enrollment of children 6 to 18 years of age. There are also private schools, which are recognized by the State, but these are fee-paying.
To enroll in the Italian education system, you will need to prepare the following documents:
- A certificate that shows how many years of schooling or titles attained, which must be signed by the school principal and legalized by the Italian diplomatic or consular authority in your country of origin;
- A Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore) issued by the diplomatic or consular authority. Please note that the Dichiarazione di Valore must be translated into Italian by a formal translation service. Contact your Consulate to get the Declaration and the translation;
- Health records from your country of origin including vaccination booklets or medical certificates.
You can receive assistance with enrolling yourself or your child in school:
- For children 5-13 years old, Contact “Poli Start” in your zone.
- For youth 14-25 years old, Email “Cerco-Offro Scuola” at ed.cercooffroscuola@comune.milano.it to book an appointment.
- To discuss post-high school education options, contact the Education and Labor Office of the Inclusion and Immigration Unit (Settore Formazione e Lavoro dell’Unità Politiche per l’Inclusione e l’Immigrazione) of the City of Milan by visiting via Scaldasole, 5, or emailing PSS.CentroCultureMondo@comune.milano.it
Pre-school comprises of two levels: daycare (asilo nido) and kindergarten (scuola dell'infanzia).
- Daycare (asilo nido) accepts children who are at least 90 days old. Costs vary according to the numberof hours children can attend and the particular nursery, but fees are usually lower when the facility is operated by the City of Milan. Priority is given to the children of parents who are unemployed or in a low-income bracket.
- Kindergarten (scuola dell'infanzia) accepts children who are 3-6 years old and have not yet attended primary school. Attendance at City-run kindergartens (scuola dell'infanzia) are free of charge although a contribution is requested from families for transportation and meals.
To enroll in daycare (asilo nido) or kindergarten (scuola dell’infanzia), children must comply with vaccination requirements.
The Italian education system is organized into three stages.
1 - The first cycle of education (primo ciclo d’istruzione) includes:
- Primary school (scuola primaria or scuola elementare), which lasts 5 years, is compulsory for all children who turn 6 years old before December 31 of the current school year;
- Lower secondary school (scuola secondaria di primo grado or scuola media), which lasts 3 years, is compulsory for children that have concluded primary school;
This first cycle of education ends with an exam (esame di licenza media) to attain the middle school diploma.
2 - The second cycle of education (secondo ciclo d'istruzione or scuola secondaria di secondo grado) lasts 5 years. One can choose to attend:
- high schools (licei)
- technical institutes (istituti tecnici)
- professional institutes (istituti professionali).
The cycle ends with an exam (esame per il diploma di maturità) to award the high school diploma needed to access post high-school education.
3 - Post high-school education (istruzione superiore) includes:
- University (Università)
- Higher Education in Art, Music and Dance (istituzioni dell'Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica)
- Advanced training courses (corsi di formazione superiore, ITS)
In Italy the school year starts in September and ends in June. School enrollment usually occurs in the first months of the year. Parents can check dates for enrollment and enroll their children in daycare by visiting comune.milano.it, “Nidi d'Infanzia e Sezioni Primavera: iscrizione” (Nurseries of Childhood and Spring Sections: Registration). For enrolling in kindergarten (scuola dell’infanzia), go on comune.milano.it “Scuola dell'Infanzia: iscrizione” (Nursery School: Registration).
For primary (scuola primaria), lower secondary (scuola primaria di secondo grado) and secondary (scuola secondaria di secondo grado) school, parents can enroll their children on “iscrizioni online” (online registration) of the MIUR website. School enrollment typically occurs in the first months of the year. Exact dates are subject to change so please check the website for up-to-date enrollment information.
There are 11 public and private universities in Milan, which each require their own application and have unique specialties, as well as advanced training courses. You can apply to these institutions from your country of origin and apply for a student visa once you are accepted, or you can apply to these universities once you have arrived.