PhD Programmes

Each PhD programme has a limited number of places. To apply for a PhD at the University of Verona, you must participate in a specific application round which is open to the public and published annually on each PhD university website page, on Euraxess and in the Gazzetta Ufficale (Official Journal of the university). The call for applications specifies how and by when to apply, the number of places available on each programme, type of funding, and any other details for each individual study programme.

To be able to apply for PhD admission, you must:

• Have an Italian laurea magistrale; laurea specialistica; or a laurea degree obtained prior to Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999;
• Have a foreign master’s level degree (e.g. Master of Science/Master of Arts) recognised as equivalent to any of the Italian degrees listed in (a), which would allow access to a PhD programme in the country where it was gained.

If your foreign degree has not already been recognised as equivalent to an Italian master’s level degree, you must attach supporting documentation to your application (i.e. bachelor’s degree certificate and academic transcript; master’s degree certificate and academic transcript; diploma supplement if applicable) so the authenticity and suitability of your studies can be verified. These official documents may be submitted in Italian, English, Spanish or French. Documents in any other language must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Graduand applicants: Current master’s degree students who expect to graduate by the date of their enrolment in one of our PhD programmes may also apply for PhD admission. If your application is successful, you will be made a conditional offer by the university. You will then need to submit your graduation certificate or a self-declaration to the PhD Office by the date of your enrollment or you will lose your place on the programme.

Applicants with a foreign degree:Applicants with a master’s level degree conferred by a foreign university may be admitted to the selection process. If your application is successful, you will be made a conditional offer. If your master’s degree was conferred by a non-EU university, you will then need to provide a "dichiarazione di valore in loco" (attestation of equivalent value) to confirm the degree would allow you to enrol in a PhD in the country where it was issued. If the degree turns out to be insufficient or invalid, you will be not be admitted to the PhD programme. Further information about the attestation of equivalent value can be found on the CIMEA website.

Most of places on the 16 PhD programmes we offer are financially supported by scholarships, to an annual value of €16.243,00 net of INPS social security contributions which are to be paid by the funding body. The scholarship is paid in monthly instalments in arrears. The expected net amount may vary due to the annual increase in contribution rates.
PhD scholarships are exempt from income tax under Art. 4 of Law no. 476/1984 and Art. 6 of Law No. 398/1989. Scholarships are, however, subject to INPS social security contributions under the "Gestione Separata" (INPS Separate Management) category, pursuant to Art. 2, para. 26 of Law no. 335/1995 and subsequent amendments.
Scholarship receivers must register for “INPS Separate Management”
Two-thirds of the INPS contribution is paid by the University and one-third is to be paid by the PhD student.
Registration for "INPS Separate Management" can be made online at https://www.inps.it/prestazioni-servizi/servizio/2501 starting from official starting date of your cycle.
Further information about INPS’s Gestione Separata can be found on the INPS web site.
INPS's freephone number is 803.164. The service in multiple languages. 

Al though scholarships are not subject to income tax for ISEE purposes, PhD scholarship recipients can apply for an annual statement of income, called the "Certificazione Unica" (CU or CUD). The CU/CUD can be viewed and downloaded from the UGOV platform using your GIA login.

Once you are offered a place on a PhD programme (with or without a scholarship), at the time of enrolment you will need to pay fees and contributions, the amount of which is set each year by university authorities.
PhD fees and contributions are as follows:
Students with a scholarship make a single payment which comprises "tuition fees", regional study tax contributions and stamp duty using the virtual stamping system.
Students without a scholarship make a single payment which comprises regional study tax contributions and stamp duty using the virtual stamping system.

Other than students without a scholarship, the following types of students are exempt from paying "tuition fees":

• PhD Students with a certified disability of at least 66% as attested by a relevant health authority, pursuant to Law no. 104/92;
• Foreign students receiving an Italian Government scholarship (the current application process is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.esteri.it;
• Recipients of a regional scholarship.

If you are a non-European citizen offered a place on a PhD programme, once you have paid your enrolment fees you should apply for a STUDY VISA, Type D (long duration, valid for stays longer than 90 days). To do that you are required to submit a specific VISA request using Universitaly Portal. The PhD Office will validate your request and issue you a specific invitation letter with details about your PhD programme, its duration, and any scholarship amounts, if applicable. This invitation letter will be sent out by the PhD Office to both you and the Visa Office of the Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country where you reside. Before applying for a study visa, we strongly recommend you first contact the Italian Embassy in your country, or the nearest Italian Consulate, to ask for information about the visa requirements of attending a three-year PhD programme in Italy.
For informational purposes, the documents that are typically required by the diplomatic authorities include:

• Passport, valid at least 3 months (for some countries at least 6 months) beyond the end of your stay in Italy;
• Documentation from the University of Verona confirming your enrolment in a PhD programme;
• Statement providing evidence of sufficient financial means for your stay in Italy (for students receiving a PhD scholarship, the documentation provided by the PhD Office should be sufficient);
• A statement providing evidence of suitable lodging arrangements (optional);
• A return travel ticket or proof of sufficient funds to buy a return ticket back to your country of residence

If you are a non-European citizen accepted to a PhD programme and you already have a residence permit issued by an EU country, before applying for an Italian study visa please contact the PhD Office to check whether or not you need an entry visa to Italy.

Residence permit for non-EU citizens
According to current Italian laws, PhD students with non-European citizenship must apply for a residence permit for study purposes within eight working days of arriving in Italy. This is the only legal document that legitimises your stay in Italy and it is issued by the relevant office of the Questura di Verona. The residence permit is an identification card where your personal data, ID photo and fingerprints are stored in digital format. It has the same duration as your visa (normally 12 months) and currently costs approximately €120.
Therefore, upon arrival in Verona, please visit the PhD Office to complete your university enrolment and collect the documentation needed to legalise your stay in Italy.
For assistance, you can make an appointment with the PhD Office (dottorati.ricerca@ateneo.univr.it) and the International Students Union of Verona (verona@isu-services.it) for help with administrative procedures in relation to your stay in Verona. Once you have obtained your residence permit (usually around 3-5 months after applying for it), you must provide a copy to the PhD Office (dottorati.ricerca@ateneo.univr.it).

PhD students who are EU citizens

If you are an EU citizen and have resided in Italy for at least five years, you are entitled to apply for the Attestato di Soggiorno Permanente (Long-Term Residence Certificate) in the municipality where you reside. This gives you the right to enrol in the Italian National Health System (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or SSN) and means you can choose a long-term general practitioner or family doctor (medico di base/medico di famiglia) close to where you live in Italy.
If you do not meet the conditions to apply for the <strong>Attestato di Soggiorno Permanente</strong>, in order to benefit from health insurance coverage in Italy as an EU PhD student, you should request a E106, E109 or S1 form from the relevant health authority in your home country. Having one of these forms means you can enrol in the SSN once you have arrived in Italy, and you can select a family doctor for the period stated on the form.
If you do not meet the conditions above but you have an Italian Health Insurance Card (Tessera Sanitaria Europea, or TEAM) issued by the relevant health authority in your home country, you can access all the necessary medical services such as occasional visits to a family doctor/general practitioner and specialist outpatient services.
In absence of the TEAM card, EU PhD students can take out private health insurance, which must be valid for the entire duration of your PhD programme (3 years) and must cover all health risks, including maternity. This option does not allow you to enrol in the SSN or choose a local family doctor. Please note that private health insurance policies usually require you to pay for any medical costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the insurance company. It is therefore important to check the terms and limits of refunds carefully before purchasing a policy.
Alternatively, you can apply for voluntary enrolment in the SSN, providing a self-declaration that you are a PhD student, The fee is a flat rate of €149.77 valid for one calendar year (1st January–31st December). Voluntary enrolment in the SSN as an EU PhD student requires you to officially register your residency in the Italian municipality where you are staying.

Health insurance for non-EU PhD students
If you are non-EU citizen and PhD student, you may apply for voluntary enrolment in the Italian National Health System (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or SSN), which allows you to choose a general practitioner or family doctor (medico di base/medico di famiglia) near where you live. The annual fee is €149,77 and registration is valid for one calendar year (1st January–31st December). As a non-EU PhD student applying for the voluntary enrolment in the SSN, you are not required to be registered as a resident in Verona or any other Italian municipality.

Please note: Registration with the SSN is valid for one solar year, from 1st January to 31st December of the same year. It is not possible to register beforehand for the following year. Therefore, if you arrive in September to begin a PhD commencing on 1st October, you should consider this option with care, because even though you will have to pay the full annual fee, your registration will only be valid until 31st December. For the months not covered by the SSN, you could decide to take out private health insurance (either in your own country or in Italy) which must cover all health risks, including maternity. Private health insurance is not in any way associated with registering in the SSN, nor with choosing a local GP. It simply means your insurance company will reimburse you for any medical fees specified by your policy.

Private health insurance policy
If you decide to take out private health insurance, the policy must satisfy the following requirements:

• Valid in Italy and in the Schengen Area
• Guarantees a coverage of at least €30,000
• Guarantees the policy holder’s return to their country in case of serious illness
• Provides full coverage for all healthcare risks, including maternity
• Covers expenses for emergency treatment and urgent hospitalisation
• Covers the entire duration of the policy holder’s stay in Italy (or the period not covered by the SSN)
• Specifies what formalities the policy holder must comply with in order to be reimbursed.

If you take out private health insurance before leaving your country, the insurance policy must be in English or translated into Italian and legalised by the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your home country. The cost of private health insurance is your responsibility.
To receive assistance when registering with the Italian National Health Service, or for further information about health insurance coverage in Italy, please contact the International Students Union of Verona (verona@isu-services.it).