University of Milano-Bicocca IMAT 2026/27 Official Call for Applications (Bando) Guide
Exhaustive legal breakdown of Rector Marco Emilio Orlandi's decree for the English-taught Single-Cycle Master's Degree in Medicine and Surgery (LM-41): complete seat quotas (40 EU + 20 Non-EU), mandatory Apply@unimib portal evaluation, strict 11:00 AM convocation rules, 4-witness sealed box procedures, scoring metrics, and the definitive February 28 visa cutoff.
1. Executive Overview & Legal Regulatory Decrees
The competitive admission procedure to the first year of the Single-Cycle Master's Degree Programme in Medicine and Surgery (taught in English, Ministerial Class LM-41) for Academic Year 2026/2027 is officially enacted by the University of Milano-Bicocca through Rectoral Decree signed by Rector Marco Emilio Orlandi. The decree is governed by strict national and European legislation, ensuring procedural transparency, meritocratic equity, and absolute legal certainty across all testing venues:
- Law No. 241/1990: Administrative procedure standards and public access to administrative documents.
- Law No. 341/1990: Reform of university teaching regulations.
- Law No. 264/1999 (Art. 1 c.1 & Art. 4): National programming of access to medical degree programmes.
- Law No. 104/1992 & Law No. 17/1999: Guarantees and assistance for individuals with disabilities.
- Law No. 170/2010 (Art. 5 c.4): Provisions for diagnosed Specific Learning Disorders (SLD/DSA).
- Legislative Decree No. 286/1998 (Art. 39 c.5) modified by Law 189/2002: Immigration consolidated act and residency quotas.
- Ministerial Decree No. 270/2004: University didactic autonomy and degree structuring.
- Ministerial Decree No. 941 (10 July 2026): Regulatory guidelines on "Semestre filtro 2026/27" (Art. 1 c.3).
- Ministerial Decree No. 1005 (06 August 2026): National decree establishing modalities, test syllabus (Annex A), and recognized B2 certifications (Annex 3).
Note on legal hierarchy: The official decree is drawn up in Italian and deposited in the university's official notice board. In the event of any discrepancy or conflict between translated information and the original Italian text, the Italian decree will exclusively prevail in any administrative dispute or legal controversy.
2. Official Quotas, Seat Allocation & Equivalency Categories (Art. 1 & 2)
Reserved for Italian citizens, European Union member state citizens wherever residing, and non-EU citizens legally resident in Italy pursuant to Art. 39, c.5 of Legislative Decree No. 286/1998 as modified by Law 189/2002. Admitted candidates compete within the Single National Merit Ranking List.
Strictly reserved for non-EU international applicants residing outside Italy who require an official Italian student entry visa (Visto Studio). This contingent is evaluated exclusively within the Local Bicocca Merit Ranking List defined by the university, completely separated from the EU national pool.
3. Dual Registration Architecture: Universitaly & Apply@unimib (Art. 3 & 4)
Registration for the IMAT 2026/2027 at the University of Milano-Bicocca requires candidates holding foreign academic credentials to execute a strictly mandatory two-tier registration procedure. Completing only the Universitaly registration is NOT sufficient for candidates with international qualifications:
- Registration active from 26 August 2026 until 09 September 2026, 15:00 CEST sharp.
- Candidates enter personal biographical details, email address, and select their chosen examination test center (Italian or international venue).
- Permanence of Choice: Candidates enter their ranked list of university preferences. The university indicated as first choice is peremptory and determines the test sitting location for those taking the exam in Italy. No modifications to preferences are permitted after September 9 at 15:00 CEST.
- Payment of the admission test fee must be successfully processed via Universitaly. Unpaid registrations are null and void.
- Who must register: ALL candidates holding a foreign secondary school qualification (including Italian Maturità obtained abroad).
- Must register on
apply.unimib.itstrictly by September 9, 2026. - Mandatory Documents:
- Secondary school diploma (or certificate of enrollment if graduating in 2026).
- School transcripts / report cards for the last two academic years.
- National university entrance suitability exams (e.g., AP exams for US diplomas, A-Levels for UK, Gaokao for China, ENEM for Brazil, Vestibular, etc.).
- Valid passport or identity card.
apply.unimib.it by September 9, 2026 will result in disqualification and prevent matriculation, even if the candidate obtains an eligible score on the IMAT.4. Special Accommodations, Time Extensions & Disability/DSA Protocol (Art. 5)
Pursuant to Law No. 104/1992, Law No. 17/1999, and Law No. 170/2010, candidates with documented disabilities or diagnosed Specific Learning Disorders (SLD / DSA) taking the examination at the University of Milano-Bicocca may request tailored compensatory tools and additional test time:
- Entitled to additional time of up to 50% extra (maximum 50 additional minutes, total 150 minutes).
- Eligible to request physical aids, accessible classrooms, special seating, and professional reader assistance.
- Certification must be issued by the competent public health authority certifying the recognized disability percentage.
- Entitled to an additional time equal to 30% extra (30 additional minutes, total 130 minutes).
- Permitted compensatory aids: non-scientific basic calculator, video magnifier, or human reader/tutor.
- Certification must be issued within the last 3 years or after reaching age 18 by the National Health System (SSN) or accredited private clinic.
Candidates must send an email with the subject line TEST MEDICINE AND SURGERY - RICHIESTA SUPPORTI to supporti.ammissioni@unimib.it strictly by 09 September 2026. Candidates residing abroad must submit legalized certifications issued in their home country, accompanied by an official Italian or English sworn translation.
5. Examination Day Timeline & Convocation Strictness (Art. 7)
Candidates taking the test in Milan must present themselves at the designated university building at 11:00 AM. Venue, building, and classroom allocations will be announced on September 25, 2026, after 15:00 on the UNIMIB official website (https://www.unimib.it/didattica/corsi-studio).
- Original valid photo ID card or Passport (must match the exact document declared on Universitaly).
- Universitaly test registration confirmation receipt (to be shown upon request).
- Non-EU citizens: copy of valid Italian residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) or Italian entry visa for study purposes.
6. Classroom Witness Protocol & Answer Bubbling Rules (Art. 9)
The 4 Candidate Witnesses & Sealed Box Integrity Protocol
Before commencing the examination, the Classroom Manager (Responsabile d'Aula) must randomly draw four (4) candidates as official witnesses from the room. Together with the commission, these four witnesses personally inspect and verify the physical integrity of the sealed test boxes.
• 50 sealed envelopes containing candidate test packs.
• 1 envelope containing 60 barcode sticker pairs with matching alphanumeric codes.
• Formal integrity declaration signed jointly by the Room Manager and the 4 candidate witnesses.
• Candidate Data Sheet (Scheda Anagrafica) without pre-printed code.
• Question Booklet with envelope barcode + 2 blank draft sheets.
• OMR Answer Sheet (Modulo Risposte) with identical envelope barcode.
• Cover sheet confirming university and degree programme details.
Black Pen & Answer Correction Mechanics
Candidates must solely use the black ballpoint pen provided by the university commission. Using any personal pen, pencil, or correction fluid is strictly forbidden.
Mark choice with an X inside the box. A given answer can be modified only once by completely blackening the cancelled box and placing an X in the new box.
To explicitly omit a question, blacken the small circle beside the question number. Once blackened, no further changes are possible. Empty boxes are also scored as omitted.
At the end of the test, candidates proceed one by one to a dedicated desk placed at a distance from the commission. The candidate selects a pair of matching barcode stickers and applies one to the Candidate Data Sheet and one to the Answer Sheet under their exclusive responsibility. The candidate signs the data sheet confirming the barcodes match, deposits the data sheet in Box 1, and then deposits the answer sheet face down into Box 2 at the separate commission desk.
7. Mandatory Grounds for Annulment & Disqualification (Art. 9)
The Examination Board and Room Managers are legally mandated to declare the test completely invalid and disqualify any candidate found committing any of the following offenses:
8. Scoring Formula, Minimum Thresholds & Tie-Breaking Hierarchy (Art. 10 & 11)
• EU & Equivalent Candidates: Must score a minimum of 20.0 points out of 90. Candidates scoring below 20.0 are strictly ineligible and excluded from the national ranking list.
• Non-EU Residing Abroad: Must score greater than 0 points (> 0) and must have answered at least one question. Candidates scoring 0 or who left all questions blank are excluded.
9. National Rankings, ASSEGNATO vs PRENOTATO & 4-Day Enrollment Windows (Art. 12 & 13)
The candidate has won a seat in their absolute first choice university. The candidate MUST enroll within 4 days (including the day of ranking publication, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and Italian public holidays).
The candidate qualifies for a seat in a lower preference university while awaiting higher choices. Candidates have two options:
Option A: Enroll in the booked university within 4 days (forfeiting higher preferences).
Option B: Wait for subsequent scrolling rounds while confirming interest on Universitaly.
Within 5 days following ranking publication and each subsequent scrolling update, all candidates holding "PRENOTATO" or "IN ATTESA" status who wish to remain in the competition MUST confirm their interest via their Universitaly student dashboard no later than 12:00 (noon) on the fifth day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays). Failure to confirm interest causes definitive delisting from the national rankings.
10. Language Proficiency Mandates & Patient-Safety Italian Protocol (Art. 2 & Annex 3)
Non-native English speakers must hold an approved B2 language certification (Annex 3 DM 1005: IELTS ≥5.5, TOEFL iBT ≥46-71, Cambridge FCE, etc.).
Exemption: Native English speakers or candidates who completed an entire secondary school curriculum taught exclusively in English are exempt.
Non-native Italian speakers are not required to present Italian proficiency upon 1st-year admission. However, to undertake mandatory ward rotations and clinical clerkships from Year 3 onward, students must attain adequate Italian language proficiency to communicate safely with hospital patients.
Non-EU candidates residing abroad must obtain their formal Italian study visa (Visto Studio D) from the diplomatic mission no later than February 28, 2027. Inability to secure the visa by this date causes automatic and definitive forfeiture of the matriculation.
11. Administrative Appeals, Right-to-Study & University Contacts (Art. 14, 15 & 16)
Appeals against this Call for Applications or ranking decisions may be lodged before:
• TAR del Lazio (Regional Administrative Court): within 60 days of official publication.
• President of the Republic (Ricorso Straordinario): within 120 days of publication.
Enrolled students can apply for regional right-to-study scholarships (DSU - Diritto allo Studio Universitario) providing full tuition fee waivers, free university restaurant meals, and living stipends based on ISEE Parificato documentation.
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