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A six-year medicine degree taught in English since 2009, based at the Policlinico San Matteo teaching hospital in Pavia.
1,500+ Students trust us
Italy
Country
Pavia
City
€596 a year
Tuition and taxes, about ₹63,300
English
Medium, with Italian taught in the course
For Indian Students
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.
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.
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.
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
Large lecture theatre at the Campus della Salute in Pavia, with rows of seats under exposed timber roof trusses and the university crest on the screen
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Recognition & Prestige
The University of Pavia is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), its degree is the Italian medical qualification named in EU law, and its courses are accredited by ANVUR, Italy's national agency, which is recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education.
WDOMS
The University of Pavia's medical school 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 the Pavia Harvey Course
Get complete information about the Harvey Course, including tuition, college accommodation, the IMAT and recognition for Indian students.
Success stories
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Academic Excellence
Pavia has taught medicine in English since 2009, keeps 40 places for non-EU students, charges an Indian student about €596 a year and has a college system that answers the housing question. Against that, hospital work is in Italian, and the degree does not meet the NMC rules for practising in India. Both sides are set out below.
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How to Apply
Admission runs through the IMAT into 40 places for non-EU candidates living abroad. 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.
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.
Pre-enrol on the Universitaly portal and name Pavia, because a non-EU candidate living abroad competes only in the ranking of the one university named there. Arrange a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Declaration of Value for your Class 12 certificate at the same time.
For 2026/27, IMAT registration ran on Universitaly from 26 August to 9 September 2026, and India was one of the test countries. The 2025 reform that replaced the entrance test for Italian-language medicine with an open first semester did not apply to English-taught courses, so the Harvey Course still admits through the IMAT.
Sixty multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes: 4 reading, 5 logical reasoning, 23 biology, 15 chemistry and 13 physics and mathematics. A correct answer earns 1.5 marks, a wrong answer loses 0.4 and a blank scores zero, to a maximum of 90.
Places go in rank order of IMAT score. An Indian applicant competes only for the 40 places for non-EU candidates living abroad, not for the 103 places for EU candidates and residents of Italy.
Enrol and pay, 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).
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:
Under Indian NMC rules the candidate must be 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year, with no upper age limit.
Two things govern a Pavia application, and the second is about the calendar rather than marks.
Forty Places for Non-EU Applicants
The non-EU quota for candidates living abroad is 40 of 143 for 2026/27, under Ministerial Decree 1005 of 6 August 2026. Because you compete only in the ranking of the university you name on Universitaly, weigh this quota when you choose.
Housing Applications Come Early
College and EDiSU residence calls run in late spring and summer, before the IMAT result is known. Plan the first year's housing early, because the visa application needs proof of accommodation.
Admission rests on the IMAT score against the non-EU quota.
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | 100 minutes, 60 multiple-choice questions with five options each, maximum score 90 |
| Sections | Reading 4, logical reasoning 5, biology 23, chemistry 15, physics and mathematics 13 |
| Marking | Plus 1.5 for a correct answer, minus 0.4 for a wrong answer, zero for a blank |
| 2026/27 dates | Registration on Universitaly from 26 August to 9 September 2026; test on 29 September 2026 |
To apply, students need to submit essential academic and identification documents:
Admission Guidance & Document Checklist
Get the complete document checklist or admission guidance from our experts.
Programme Structure
The Harvey Course runs six years and 360 CFU, taught in English at the Campus della Salute inside the Policlinico San Matteo. Clinical traineeship totals 60 CFU across Years 3 to 6, which the course regulation equates to 1,200 hours. Within it sits the tirocinio, three months of practical training required by Italian law. There is no separate internship after the degree, which is the point that matters for Indian students (see the FMGE section below).
Total Duration:
6 Years, 360 CFU, with 60 CFU of clinical traineeship across Years 3 to 6
Degree:
Laurea Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia (equivalent to MBBS)
Year 1
The molecular and physical basis of medicine alongside the structure of the body and medical ethics:
Year 2
Physiology and laboratory medicine taught alongside immunology, general pathology and microbiology:
Year 3
The move to clinical medicine, and the year in which clinical traineeship begins:
Year 4
Clinical teaching organised by body system:
Year 5
Clinical pharmacology alongside the surgical disciplines and the health of women and children:
Year 6
Clinical medicine and oncology with public health, the tirocinio, the graduation thesis and an Italian language unit:
Clinical training is based at the university's teaching hospital in Pavia:
| Clinical base | Role in training |
|---|---|
| Policlinico San Matteo | A research hospital (IRCCS) founded in 1449, and the site of the Campus della Salute where the Harvey Course is taught |
| Clinical traineeship | 60 CFU across Years 3 to 6, which the course regulation equates to 1,200 hours |
| The tirocinio | Fifteen CFU under Ministerial Decree 58 of 9 May 2018: one month in medical wards, one in surgical wards and one with a family doctor, about three months in all, inside the degree |
Get the full curriculum
Download a free brochure to see detailed subjects, the course structure and everything you need to plan your studies.
European Framework
An Italian medical degree sits inside a national and European framework, and the terms are set nationally rather than by each university. The table sets out what that means for the Harvey Course.
| 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
Pavia produced Italy's first Nobel laureate in medicine, and the inventor of the electric battery held a chair here.
Worked and taught at Pavia and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 for his work on the structure of the nervous system, the first Italian to receive it. His silver staining method and the Golgi apparatus both carry his name.
Professor of experimental physics and Rector of the University of Pavia, and the inventor of the electric battery. His physics cabinet is preserved in the university's history museum.
Anatomist and surgeon at Pavia, whose anatomical preparations and instruments are held in the medicine section of the university's history museum.
A Pavia physician who developed artificial pneumothorax as a treatment for tuberculosis, a technique that shaped care for the disease for decades before antibiotics.
The University of Pavia traces its origins to a school of rhetoric set up at Pavia in 825 under the Emperor Lothair I, and became a studium generale in 1361. The Harvey Course states that more than forty per cent of its students come from outside Italy. Clinical teaching is based at the Campus della Salute inside the Policlinico San Matteo.
Medicine taught in English since 2009
Camillo Golgi won Italy's first Nobel Prize in Medicine here in 1906
Alessandro Volta held the chair of experimental physics
Taught inside the Policlinico San Matteo, founded in 1449
Forty non-EU places a year
A city of historic residential colleges
Ca' della Paglia residence for international students, €625 a month
An Italian unit at B1 level in Year 6
About University
Get all information about the Pavia Harvey Course in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine in Italy.
Role in medicine
Get all information about the Pavia Harvey Course in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine in Italy.
Cost of living
Pavia is a small university town in Lombardy, about 35 kilometres south of Milan, and its rents are moderate. The table uses the university's own figures for a room in a college or a private flat, converted at about ₹106 to the euro (October 2026).
| Cost Component | Approximate Amount |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (college room to a room in a private flat) | ₹26,500 to ₹47,700 (€250 to €450) |
| Food | ₹15,900 to ₹21,200 (€150 to €200) |
| Utilities/internet | ₹3,200 to ₹7,400 (€30 to €70) |
| Miscellaneous (books, etc.) | ₹5,300 to ₹10,600 (€50 to €100) |
Average monthly living cost
₹64,000 to ₹1.06 lakh (€600 to €1,000)
Housing
Pavia can answer the housing question with named residences and published prices, because of a collegiate system that is unusual in Italy.
Need accommodation details?
Get a full overview of housing options with our university guide, or reach out to an expert.
Food & Dining
Pavia is a small university town and its Indian food scene is small too, but Milan is about half an hour away by train.
Pavia has only a couple of Indian restaurants. Milan, a short train ride away, has a wide choice of Indian restaurants and grocery shops.
Regional trains run from Pavia to Milano Centrale in about half an hour, for about €4 (about ₹420), so anything Pavia lacks is a short trip away.
Pavia's colleges have their own dining halls, so for a student living in college much of the food question is answered by the college itself.
Italy is in the EU, so EU-wide online spice and grocery suppliers deliver without customs or payment friction, and Milan's Indian shops are within easy reach.
Pavia falls under the Consulate General of India in Milan, about half an hour away by train.
Location
Campus della Salute, Policlinico San Matteo, Viale Camillo Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy. The street is named after Camillo Golgi, the Nobel laureate who worked here. Pavia is about 35 kilometres south of Milan and about half an hour from Milano Centrale by regional train.
Nearest Airports
Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa; Malpensa has nonstop Air India flights to Delhi
From the Airport
From Malpensa, take the Malpensa Express to Milan and a regional train on to Pavia
Your Roadmap to Success
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 Pavia 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
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 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
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
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
Pavia 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
Pavia is a small university town in the Po Valley, where the university and its colleges shape daily life, with Milan about half an hour away by train.
A town on the shore of Lake Garda in northern Italy with mountains behind, a lake in the wider region rather than Pavia
Coloured houses and moored boats around the harbour at Portofino in Liguria
The Grand Canal in Venice with historic palazzi and the dome of Santa Maria della Salute
The Colosseum in Rome lit up at dusk
Scholarship & Financial
The fee is already low because India sits in Pavia's lowest bracket, and the regional borsa di studio, based on family means, can help with living costs.
An Indian student pays €390 in tuition plus €190 regional tax and €16 stamp duty, about €596 a year (about ₹63,300, at about ₹106 to the euro, October 2026).
Italy's regional borsa di studio is based on family means, not marks, and is open to non-EU students. In Pavia it is run by EDiSU Pavia. 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.
The Italian Government (MAECI) scholarships do not fund single-cycle degrees such as medicine, so a new medical student cannot enter that way.
Compare
Compare University of Pavia with AIIMS New Delhi, India's top-ranked government medical college.
Quick Comparison:
University of Pavia vs AIIMS New Delhi
| University | University of PaviaPavia, Italy | AIIMS New DelhiNew Delhi, India |
|---|---|---|
| University Type | Public, studium generale since 1361 | 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 | IMAT, 60 questions in 100 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 | 40 for 2026/27, from 1,362 nationwide | Allocated through NEET UG counselling |
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FAQ
Short answers to the questions students and parents ask most often about studying medicine at the University of Pavia.
Venice photo: Dan Novac on Unsplash.
