It depends a lot on the program. Many programs have open access (you enroll and start), while others have restricted access (numero programmato) with an admission test. The most competitive programs are Medicine and Dentistry (national test, very selective) and Architecture. For engineering you usually take TOLC-I, and for economics English TOLC-E. For Romanians, the basis is recognition of the Baccalaureate through the Universitaly file. A good Baccalaureate average plus a solid TOLC score secures your place in most programs.

As an EU citizen, you pay EU fees, and the annual contribution is calculated based on the ISEE certificate (family income). Low-income families can pay EUR 0, while the typical ceiling rises to roughly EUR 2,800 per year for higher incomes. Important: ISEE is mandatory for reduced tuition; without it you pay a higher flat fee. Cost of living in Rome: accommodation EUR 400 to EUR 700/mo, food EUR 250 to EUR 350/mo, transport EUR 25 to EUR 35/mo. Total cost of living: approximately EUR 9,000 to EUR 13,000 per year, drastically lower than the UK or USA.

ISEE (Indicatore della Situazione Economica Equivalente) is the official Italian certificate that measures your family's economic situation, based on income and assets. At Sapienza, the contribution you pay is calculated directly from ISEE: the lower the declared income, the lower the fee, down to EUR 0.

You obtain it free of charge from a CAF (tax assistance center) or on the INPS website, and it must be prepared at least 30 days before the pre-enrollment deadline. For Romanians whose income is in Romania, there is an ISEE procedure for income earned abroad. Without ISEE submitted on time, the university automatically applies the maximum flat fee, which is why submitting it is the key step to paying little or nothing.

Most of the more than 270 programs are in Italian (more than 240), but Sapienza also has around 59 programs taught entirely in English, at bachelor's and master's level, especially in economics, engineering, sciences and international relations. For Italian-taught programs you need B2 Italian level (CILS, CELI or PLIDA certificate), and for English-taught ones B2 English (IELTS 5.5-6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 or equivalent). Sapienza offers Italian courses for international students, useful if you want to settle quickly into life in Rome.

Sapienza is a global reference for classical studies and archaeology: it is number 1 worldwide in Classics and Ancient History in QS by Subject for the sixth consecutive year and in the top 10 in Archaeology and History of Art, the first Italian university with three disciplines in the global top 10. Other strengths: physics (Enrico Fermi taught here), engineering, medicine (with Policlinico Umberto I), plus law, economics, social sciences and architecture. For graduate employability, Sapienza is number 1 in Italy.

Yes. The Romanian Baccalaureate is recognized for admission to bachelor's programs, through the file submitted on Universitaly. You usually need the Baccalaureate diploma and transcript, plus, where applicable, a Dichiarazione di Valore (issued by the Italian consulate) or an equivalence certificate through the ENIC-NARIC / CIMEA network. For some programs the diploma must have been obtained after at least 12 years of schooling, a condition met by the Romanian system. Recommendation: start the recognition procedure in spring, before the end-of-June pre-enrollment deadline.

Codice fiscale is the Italian tax code, the equivalent of the Romanian CNP. You need it for almost everything in Italy: enrollment at Sapienza, rental contract, bank account, transport pass. It is issued free of charge by the Agenzia delle Entrate (tax authority) and can sometimes also be obtained through the Italian consulate in Romania before departure.

As an EU citizen, you do not need a study visa. For stays longer than 3 months you register with the Rome municipality (iscrizione anagrafica) and arrange health coverage through the European health card or private insurance.

Yes, as an EU citizen. Unlike the United Kingdom or the USA where you need a work visa, as a Romanian (EU) citizen you have the automatic right to work in Italy without a visa. Italy is the third-largest economy in the eurozone, and Rome and Milan are hubs for engineering, energy, fashion, tourism and the public sector. A degree from Sapienza, recognized across the EU, then lets you work anywhere in the European Union without visa formalities. The Romanian community in Italy is one of the largest in Europe, which makes integration easier.