Professor Alberto Mantovani
Scientific Director of the Humanitas Research Hospital and one of the world's most cited immunologists, known for his work on inflammation, innate immunity and the role of macrophages in cancer.
Humanitas University
A private medical university founded in 2014, with its own campus and residence south of Milan, its own online admission test and a research hospital next door.
1,500+ Students trust us
Italy
Country
Pieve Emanuele
Town south of Milan
€23,206 a year
Tuition, about ₹24.7 lakh
English
Medium, with Italian needed on the wards
For Indian Students
Can Indian students study MBBS in Italy?
Short answer: Yes, Indian students can study medicine in Italy. No, the Italian degree does not currently meet the NMC rules, so it does not lead to the FMGE or an Indian licence.
Admission is open to Indian students
Indian students apply for the non-EU places at public universities through the IMAT, which can be sat in India, while Humanitas University runs its own admission test. A qualified NEET UG result is still required before taking up a medical seat abroad.
Why the degree is not NMC compliant
The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 ask for a separate internship of at least twelve months after the course, in the same foreign institution. The Italian degree includes three months of practical training inside the course and no separate internship, so it does not meet this rule.
What this means if you want to work in India
As things stand, an Italian medical degree does not lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force). Italy is the right choice if you plan to practise in Italy, the EU or the UK, or to take the USMLE route.
Introduction
Humanitas University and Its Medicine and Surgery Programme
- Study programme:Medicine and Surgery: Laurea Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia (LM-41), equivalent to MBBS
- Language:English, with Italian needed for clinical work with patients
- Duration:6 years, 12 semesters, 360 credits, with clinical training from Year 3
- University type:Private Italian university in an EU member state, founded in 2014
- Per academic year fees:€23,206 · ₹24.7 lakh (approx.)
- Entrance examination:Humanitas's own online admission test, 60 questions in 120 minutes
- Admission test:Two rounds in March for the 2026/27 intake, taken from home
- International seats:90 non-EU places across two courses; 50 of 200 on Medicine and Surgery
Games room at the Humanitas University student residence, with a table tennis table and two students playing table football against a blue striped wall
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Recognition & Prestige
Rankings & Recognition
Humanitas University is young and small, and its medical side ranks ahead of the institution as a whole. It is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and accredited through ANVUR, the same national agency as Italy's public universities, which is recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education.
151 to 175
Times Higher Education 2026, Clinical and Health
251 to 300
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026
Clinical training runs at the Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano, a research hospital (IRCCS) beside the campus, whose Scientific Director is Professor Alberto Mantovani. A private Italian university awards the same LM-41 degree as a public one: EU Directive 2005/36/EC lists the Italian medical qualification at Annex V, point 5.1.1, and since 2020 the degree itself is the licence to practise in Italy. Because the school is listed in WDOMS, graduates can apply for ECFMG Certification and the USMLE. The GMC lists the Italian degree as a relevant European qualification, so UK registration is applied for directly, without PLAB. For India, the degree includes three months of practical training (the tirocinio) and no separate 12-month internship, so it does not currently meet the NMC rules for practising in India.
Accreditations and Recognition
WDOMS
Humanitas University is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools
WFME
Courses accredited by ANVUR, Italy's national agency, which is recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education
EU
Italy is an EU member state, and the Italian medical qualification is listed in Annex V, point 5.1.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC
Complete Information About Humanitas University
Get complete information about the Medicine and Surgery programme, including fees, scholarships, the admission test and recognition for Indian students.
Success stories
Student Success Stories
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Academic Excellence
Why Study Medicine at Humanitas University
Humanitas offers a large non-EU intake, an admission test taken from home, a campus with its own residence and a research hospital next door. Against that, it charges €23,206 a year, and the degree does not meet the NMC rules for practising in India. Both sides are set out below.
Fifty Places for Non-EU Students on Medicine
An Admission Test Taken From Home
A Campus With Its Own Residence
Stronger in Medicine Than Overall
A Research Hospital Next Door
Three Scholarships of €18,000 a Year
The Fee Is High
Plan Around the NMC Position
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How to Apply
Admission Process for Humanitas Medicine and Surgery
Admission runs through Humanitas's own online test, not the IMAT. NEET does not decide the Italian place, but a qualified NEET UG result is a separate Indian requirement before you take up a medical seat abroad.
Admission Timeline
- 1Before applyingQualify NEET UG
Indian students need a qualified NEET UG result before taking up a medical seat abroad, and the result stays valid for three years from its declaration. This is an Indian requirement, separate from the Italian process.
- 2Apply onlineRegister with Humanitas
Apply to Humanitas University directly for its admission test. Its MEDTEC course with the Politecnico di Milano has its own separate admission, so choose the course you want.
- 3March 2026 (for 2026/27)Sit the admission test from home
The test is 60 multiple-choice questions in English in 120 minutes, taken online from home. For 2026/27 it was held in two rounds in March 2026, and the better score counts.
- 4RankingCompete for the non-EU places
Non-EU candidates living abroad are ranked on their own list for 50 places on Medicine and Surgery. The three €18,000 scholarships are awarded from that list.
- 5After the resultEnrolment, visa, permit and health registration
Accept the place and pay the first instalment, then apply for the Italian type D study visa, showing at least €10,179.85 a year (about ₹10.8 lakh) and proof of accommodation. After arriving, apply for the permesso di soggiorno, the residence permit. Non-EU students on a study permit also register with the Italian National Health Service, at €700 a year (about ₹74,200) for a student without dependants.
Eligibility Criteria
Academic Qualification
Applicants need Class 12 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, after at least twelve years of schooling, backed by a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Declaration of Value. Under Indian NMC rules an Indian applicant also needs Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English at Class 12, with at least 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology for the general category, 40% for SC, ST and OBC candidates and 45% for general-category candidates with benchmark disabilities, together with a qualified NEET UG result.
Subjects:
PhysicsChemistryBiologyEnglish
Age Requirement
Under Indian NMC rules the candidate must be 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year, with no upper age limit.
- Minimum 17 yearsAge to be completed by 31 December of the admission year, under Indian NMC rules
Requirements
Two things govern a Humanitas application beyond the test.
A Private Fee
Tuition is €23,206 a year (about ₹24.7 lakh). Three scholarships of €18,000 a year bring it to €5,206 for the students who win them, so plan for the full fee and treat a scholarship as a bonus.
An Earlier Calendar Than the IMAT
The test runs in the spring, months before the IMAT, so a student applying to Humanitas needs to prepare earlier in the year.
Entrance Examination
Admission rests on Humanitas's own admission test.
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 60 multiple-choice questions in English, in 120 minutes |
| Delivery | Online, taken from home |
| Rounds | Two rounds, held in March 2026 for the 2026/27 intake; the better score counts |
| English | English at B2 is expected for admission |
Required Documents
To apply, students need to submit essential academic and identification documents:
- Class 12 certificate with a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Declaration of Value
- Humanitas online application and admission test registration
- Proof of English at B2, such as IELTS
- Valid passport and the documents the Italian consulate asks for
- NEET UG scorecard, required separately of Indian nationals
- + More
Admission Guidance & Document Checklist
Get the complete document checklist or admission guidance from our experts.
Programme Structure
MBBS Curriculum & Internship Structure
The degree runs six years and 360 credits across twelve semesters, taught in English. The first two years combine theory with work in the campus Simulation Centre, and clinical training begins in Year 3. The tirocinio, three months of practical training required by Italian law, sits inside the degree, and there is no separate internship after it, which is the point that matters for Indian students (see the FMGE section below).
Medicine Course
Total Duration:
6 Years, 12 semesters, 360 credits, with clinical training from Year 3
Degree:
Laurea Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia (equivalent to MBBS)
Curriculum Phases at Humanitas University
Years 1 to 2
Foundations With Simulation
Theoretical modules alongside practical exercises in the campus Simulation Centre, so practical training starts before ward placements:
Basic Medical SciencesLaboratory PracticeSimulation CentreYear 3
Clinical Training Begins
A progression from simulation through case discussion to work on the wards of the Humanitas Research Hospital:
SimulationCase DiscussionWard-Based TrainingYears 4 to 5
Clinical Disciplines
Clinical teaching across the medical and surgical specialties:
Medical DisciplinesSurgical DisciplinesClinical RotationsYear 6
Final Year and the Tirocinio
The tirocinio required by Italian law, then the degree exam that confers the licence to practise:
TirocinioFinal ExaminationThroughout
The Virgilio Programme
An optional research track alongside the degree, with a month of laboratory experience each year:
Biomedical ResearchLaboratory Placements
Clinical Training
Clinical training runs at the university's teaching hospital beside the campus:
| Clinical base | Role in training |
|---|---|
| Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano | The university's teaching hospital, a research hospital (IRCCS) beside the campus |
| The Simulation Centre | On the campus, used from the first year so that practical training begins before ward placements |
| The tirocinio | Fifteen CFU under Ministerial Decree 58 of 9 May 2018: one month in medicine, one in surgery and one with a family doctor, about three months in all, inside the degree |
Get the full curriculum
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European Framework
Recognition, the Italian System and the European Framework
An Italian medical degree sits inside a national and European framework, and a private university such as Humanitas is accredited under the same national system as the public ones. The table sets out what that means.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| World Federation for Medical Education | Italian medical courses are accredited by ANVUR, Italy's national agency, which is recognised by the WFME |
| EU Directive 2005/36/EC | Italy is an EU member state, and the Italian medical qualification is listed at Annex V, point 5.1.1. Automatic recognition across the EU applies to EU nationals, so an Indian graduate moves to another EU country through that country's own process for non-EU graduates |
| Licence to practise in Italy | Since Decree-Law 18 of 17 March 2020 (Article 102), the degree with its practical training completed is itself the licence to practise in Italy, with no separate state exam |
| UK registration | The General Medical Council lists the Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia as a relevant European qualification, so graduates apply to the GMC directly, without PLAB, with evidence of English such as IELTS or OET. The degree alone supports provisional registration; for full registration, graduates since March 2020 send the alternative evidence the GMC asks for, because the Diploma di abilitazione is no longer issued |
| WDOMS and the USMLE | The medical school is listed in WDOMS, which lets graduates apply for ECFMG Certification and take the USMLE |
| Health service registration | Non-EU students on a study residence permit register with the Italian National Health Service, at €700 a year for a student without dependants |
Understand the Recognition Framework
The table above sets out where an Italian medical qualification is recognised and on what basis.
Legacy
The People and the Institution
Humanitas has no centuries-old lineage. What it has is a research hospital with an internationally known scientific director.
Faculty
Humanitas University belongs to the Humanitas group, a private academic hospital group in Italy. Its campus at Pieve Emanuele has a Simulation Centre, teaching and laboratory space, sports facilities and a 240-bed student residence. It also runs MEDTEC, a joint degree in medicine and biomedical engineering with the Politecnico di Milano, which has its own admission.
Academic Expertise
THE 2026 Clinical and Health: 151 to 175
A research hospital (IRCCS) beside the campus
Professor Alberto Mantovani as Scientific Director
Accredited through ANVUR, like the public universities
Student Support & Mentorship
Fifty non-EU places a year on Medicine and Surgery
An admission test taken online from home
A 240-bed campus residence with published rates
Three €18,000 scholarships for non-EU students
About University
History Information
A Hospital First
Recognised as a University in 2014
Separate From the University of Milan
MEDTEC and the Campus From 2019
Get all information about Humanitas University in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine in Italy.
Role in medicine
Role in medical education
A University Built Around a Research Hospital
Simulation Before the Ward
A Private Route Into the Same Degree
Get all information about Humanitas University in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine in Italy.
Cost of living
Living Cost at Pieve Emanuele
Humanitas publishes its own residence rates, so the accommodation row below is a real figure rather than a market estimate. The campus is at Pieve Emanuele, south of Milan. Rupee figures are at about ₹106 to the euro (October 2026).
Monthly Living Cost
| Cost Component | Approximate Amount |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (campus residence, double in a shared flat to suite) | ₹84,100 to ₹1.56 lakh (€793 to €1,467) |
| Food | ₹37,100 to ₹47,700 (€350 to €450) |
| Public transport (Milan pass for under-27s) | ₹2,300 (€22) |
| Other expenses (internet, SIM, leisure) | ₹26,500 to ₹37,100 (€250 to €350) |
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Average monthly living cost
₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.43 lakh (€1,415 to €2,289)
Housing
Accommodation
Humanitas houses students on its own campus and publishes the prices.
The Mario Luzzatto Student House
What It Costs, by Room Type
Priority and Allocation
What the Campus Provides
Living Off Campus
Plan Housing Before the Visa
Need accommodation details?
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Food & Dining
Indian Food and Daily Life Near Milan
The campus is at Pieve Emanuele rather than in Milan, so the city's Indian food is a trip away rather than around the corner.
Pieve Emanuele is a separate town south of Milan. A student living on campus is in a suburb, and the city's restaurants and shops are a journey away.
Lombardy has a large, long-established Indian community, and Milan has Indian restaurants and grocery shops across the city.
The Consulate General of India in Milan covers Lombardy, so consular matters are handled in the same metropolitan area.
The residence has shared kitchens, and as Italy is in the EU, EU-wide online spice and grocery suppliers deliver without customs or payment friction.
Location
How to Reach Humanitas University
Address
Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele, Italy, south of Milan, beside the Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano. The student residence is on the campus.
Nearest Airports
Milan Linate for short-haul routes and Milan Malpensa for long-haul flights
Direct Flights From India
Air India flies nonstop between Delhi and Milan Malpensa
Your Roadmap to Success
Career Pathways After Humanitas University
Graduates receive the Laurea Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia (LM-41), the Italian primary medical qualification and the equivalent of an Indian MBBS rather than an Indian postgraduate MD.
Since Decree-Law 18 of 17 March 2020 (Article 102), the degree with its practical training completed is itself the licence to practise in Italy, with no separate state exam. The graduate registers with the Ordine dei Medici, the provincial medical council. Specialist training is entered through a national competitive exam (concorso), is paid, and usually lasts four to five years.
The Italian medical qualification is listed at Annex V, point 5.1.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC. Automatic recognition applies to EU nationals, so an Indian national with an Italian degree moves to another EU country through that country's own process for non-EU graduates.
The General Medical Council lists the Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia issued by an Italian university as a relevant European qualification, so graduates apply to the GMC directly, without PLAB, with evidence of English such as IELTS or OET. The degree alone supports provisional registration. For full registration the GMC also lists the Diploma di abilitazione, which Italy stopped issuing in March 2020, so graduates since then send the alternative evidence the GMC asks for.
The medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), so its students and graduates can apply for ECFMG Certification and take the USMLE, the route to residency in the United States.
The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 ask for a separate internship of at least twelve months after the course, in the same foreign institution. The Italian degree includes three months of practical training (the tirocinio) inside the course and no separate internship, so it does not currently meet the NMC rules for practising in India, and it does not lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force). Choose Humanitas if you plan to practise in Italy, the EU or the UK, or to take the USMLE route.
Understand the Medical Licensing Pathway
A clear overview of the exams and requirements after graduation.
Practising in India
FMGE (NExT Deferred and Not in Force)
To practise in India, a foreign medical degree must meet the NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 before its holder can take the FMGE (NExT is deferred and not in force). The Italian degree does not currently meet those rules, and the steps below explain why.
Step 1
The NMC Internship Rule
The regulations ask for a course of at least 54 months and a separate internship of at least twelve months after it, in the same foreign institution. The six-year Italian degree clears the course length.
Step 2
What the Italian Degree Contains
The degree includes the tirocinio, three months of practical training inside the course (one month in medicine, one in surgery and one with a family doctor), and no separate internship. Since 2020 the degree itself is the Italian licence to practise, so Italy has no internship after graduation at all.
Step 3
FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force)
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences runs the FMGE twice a year, with a pass mark of 150 out of 300. In December 2025, 42,872 candidates appeared and 10,262 qualified, a pass rate of 23.95%. Because the Italian degree does not meet the NMC rules, it does not currently lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE.
Step 4
Where This Leaves a Humanitas Graduate
Humanitas suits a student who plans to build a career in Italy, elsewhere in the EU, the UK or the USA. The degree licenses its holder in Italy, the GMC accepts it for UK registration without PLAB, and the WDOMS listing opens the USMLE route. If practising in India is your main goal, plan this with our counsellors before applying.
Student Life Style
Student life at Humanitas University
Most Humanitas students live on the campus where they study, in a town south of Milan rather than in the city.
Coloured houses and moored boats around the harbour at Portofino in Liguria
The Full Cost
A town on the shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy with mountains behind
Three Scholarships Change the Sums
The Grand Canal in Venice with historic palazzi and the dome of Santa Maria della Salute
Campus Life Rather Than City Life
The Colosseum in Rome lit up at dusk
Pieve Emanuele Is Not Milan
Safety
Getting Home
Money and Payments
Scholarship & Financial
Scholarship & Financial Aid
The fee is high, and three merit scholarships make a large difference for the students who win them.
Tuition for a non-EU international student is €23,206 a year (about ₹24.7 lakh, at about ₹106 to the euro, October 2026).
- €23,206 a year, about ₹24.7 lakh
- About €139,236 over six years, roughly ₹1.48 crore
- Health service registration of €700 a year (about ₹74,200)
Humanitas offers three partial scholarships of €18,000 a year to non-EU students entering Medicine and Surgery in 2026/27, awarded from the non-EU ranking and renewed each year until graduation if the conditions are met. With one, the yearly fee falls from €23,206 to €5,206 (about ₹5.5 lakh).
Italy's regional borsa di studio is based on family means, not marks, and is open to non-EU students. Here it is run by the university under Lombardy's right-to-study scheme. For 2026/27 the national minimum grant for a student living away from home is €7,171.11 a year (about ₹7.6 lakh), and grant holders are also exempt from university tuition. An Indian family shows its means through an ISEE Parificato, prepared from family income and property documents certified by the Italian consulate, so collect those papers before leaving India.
Compare
Compare Colleges
Compare Humanitas University with AIIMS New Delhi, India's top-ranked government medical college.
Quick Comparison:
Humanitas University vs AIIMS New Delhi
| University | Humanitas UniversityPieve Emanuele, Italy | AIIMS New DelhiNew Delhi, India |
|---|---|---|
| University Type | Private, founded 2014 | Institute of National Importance (government) |
| Medium | English, with Italian for clinical work | English |
| Course Duration | 6 years, 360 CFU, including a 3-month tirocinio | 5.5 years, being 4.5 years plus a 12-month internship |
| Admission | Own online admission test, 60 questions in 120 minutes, plus a qualified NEET result | NEET UG |
| Recognition | Listed in WDOMS; EU Annex V 5.1.1; licenses in Italy; not NMC compliant (no 12-month internship) | Listed in WDOMS |
| Non-EU places | 50 on Medicine and Surgery for 2026/27 (90 across two courses) | Allocated through NEET UG counselling |
| Global Ranking | THE Clinical and Health 151 to 175 (2026); THE World University Rankings 251 to 300 (2026) | NIRF Medical 1 (2025) |
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Articles that turn complex MBBS-abroad rules into simple, practical steps for students and parents.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions students and parents ask most often about studying medicine at Humanitas University.
Tuition for a non-EU international student is €23,206 a year (about ₹24.7 lakh, at about ₹106 to the euro, October 2026), about €139,236 over six years. Non-EU students also register with the Italian health service at €700 a year.
Yes. Humanitas is accredited through ANVUR, the same national agency as Italy's public universities, and awards the same LM-41 degree. EU recognition attaches to the qualification and the member state, not to whether the university is public or private.
No. Humanitas runs its own admission test: 60 multiple-choice questions in English in 120 minutes, taken online from home. For 2026/27 it was held in two rounds in March 2026, and the better score counts.
Medicine and Surgery admits 200 students a year, 50 of them non-EU candidates living abroad. Across its two English-taught courses, Medicine and Surgery and MEDTEC, Humanitas has 90 non-EU places.
Yes. Three partial scholarships of €18,000 a year go to non-EU students entering Medicine and Surgery in 2026/27, renewed each year until graduation if the conditions are met, bringing the yearly fee to €5,206 (about ₹5.5 lakh).
At Pieve Emanuele, a town south of Milan, beside the Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano. The campus has a 240-bed student residence, so most students live where they study.
The Mario Luzzatto residence on the campus has 240 beds, from €9,515 a year (about €793 a month) for a double room in a shared flat to €17,600 a year (about €1,467 a month) for a suite.
At the Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano, a research hospital (IRCCS) beside the campus. Practical training starts earlier in the campus Simulation Centre, and clinical training begins in Year 3.
Not as things stand. The NMC asks for a separate internship of at least twelve months after the course, in the same foreign institution. The Italian degree includes three months of practical training and no separate internship, so it does not currently meet the NMC rules for practising in India and does not lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force).
In the UK, the GMC lists the Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia as a relevant European qualification, so graduates apply to the GMC directly, without PLAB, with evidence of English such as IELTS or OET. In the USA, the school's WDOMS listing lets graduates apply for ECFMG Certification and take the USMLE.
No. The University of Milan's International Medical School is a different course at a different university, with admission through the IMAT. Humanitas University is a separate private university with its own test, fees and campus.
Venice photo: Dan Novac on Unsplash.