In Italy the first payment is small but urgent: the application fee. Politecnico di Milano, for example, charges a lower fee if you apply early and a higher one after the deadline, and the payment deadline can’t be extended. Then come the first tuition instalment at enrolment and, at private universities, an advance payment to secure your place.
Unlike some countries, Italian public universities collect all their fees through one national system, pagoPA, which accepts international cards online. This guide explains each payment and how to make it with a Mehbit virtual Mastercard funded with USDT. The full step-by-step process for any country is in our tuition payment guide.
Application fees
Some examples from the universities’ own pages:
| University | Application fee | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Politecnico di Milano (master’s, foreign degree) | €50 early bird (1 October to 1 December), €150 from 2 December | pagoPA, by credit card or PayPal; non-refundable, deadline can’t be extended |
| Sapienza University of Rome | €30 per application, up to two per intake | No waiver under any circumstances |
| Bocconi University (MSc) | €100 | In the Apply2B application portal |
| NABA | Application fee by credit card | NABA takes cards for the application fee only, not tuition |
- Apply early where it’s cheaper. For Politecnico di Milano’s September 2027 intake, the €50 early-bird window runs from 1 October to 1 December 2026.
- Leave margin on the card. Politecnico di Milano warns that online payments from some countries can run into difficulties and asks you to make sure your card balance covers the fee plus any charges.
pagoPA: how public universities collect fees
- One system for everything. Politecnico di Milano says every payment to it must go through pagoPA, and Pavia says the same for all university fees. You get a payment notice in the student portal and pay it online.
- Foreign cards work online. Padova’s pagoPA guide says a notice can be paid from abroad only online, with American Express (up to €9,000), Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Postepay. It also asks you to check that your card is enabled for online and foreign payments.
- Euros. pagoPA charges in euros. Your Mehbit card is in dollars and the card network converts the amount, so load a little more than the euro figure.
What non-EU students pay at public universities
Fees at Italian public universities depend on family income (ISEE). Families living abroad can get an equivalent ISEE (“ISEE parificato”); without one, many universities charge non-EU students a fixed fee. Some examples:
| University | First instalment | Non-EU without income documents |
|---|---|---|
| Politecnico di Milano | €880.04 at enrolment | The maximum, up to €3,943.04 a year |
| University of Padova | €208 (€192 regional tax + €16 stamp duty) | Fixed fee: €2,790 humanities, €2,990 sciences; lower for some countries |
| University of Pavia | €176 or €206, depending on country group | Iran and China: €1,020 humanities, €1,520 sciences; Russia: €3,550 and €4,550 |
| Sapienza University of Rome | By country of residence | €300 to €1,500 a year |
The rest is paid in instalments through the year. At Pavia, for example, three more instalments are due in December, February and April. Every instalment is a pagoPA notice you can pay by card.
Private universities
- Bocconi: fees are paid through Flywire, by credit card, bank account or other methods, and pagoPA is also offered. MSc tuition is €19,300 a year for 2027–28. To enrol you pay an advance (€3,710 for 2026–27, to be confirmed), which is not refunded except in special cases, and a refund keeps €250 for administrative costs.
- NABA: the non-EU bachelor’s fee is €22,250 a year including regional tax, paid through Flywire or by bank transfer. NABA takes direct card payments for the application fee only.
- Others: IED also uses Flywire. Check each school’s fees page for the deposit and refund terms.
If the visa is refused
- Politecnico di Milano refunds the first instalment if your visa is denied or not issued in time. Update your bank details in its online services so the refund can be paid.
- Università Cattolica (one-year specialising master’s) may refund after a first visa refusal, minus €400, case by case.
- Bocconi refunds the advance only in exceptional cases, within set deadlines, minus €250.
Universitaly and the student visa
- Pre-enrolment is free. Universitaly, the official portal for international students, charges nothing. For 2026/27 degree programmes, visa applications must be filed by 30 November 2026.
- Visa fee: €50 for a type D study visa, paid at the consulate in local currency under its rules.
- Proof of funds: €10,179.85 a year, from legal and traceable sources. The Italian Embassy in Tehran asks for a bank statement covering at least the last six months, in English, and doesn’t accept cash or a bank guarantee. Money for the return trip comes on top.
Paying an Italian university with a Mehbit card
- Open the payment in the university’s portal (pagoPA notice), the application portal or Flywire, and note the amount in euros. Flywire shows a Mehbit card the dollar figure before you confirm; on pagoPA the card network converts it, so load a little more.
- Deposit USDT (BEP20, TRC20 or ERC20) into your Mehbit wallet.
- Issue a United Kingdom or Singapore Mastercard. Issuance takes about 5 minutes.
- Load the card. You can load up to $50,000 a day per card; for a larger bill, load over two or more days.
- Pay by card, with the card’s country as the payer country if asked, and keep the receipt for your enrolment and visa file.
What it costs: a 5% card load fee, $0.35 per card transaction, 2 USDT per wallet deposit and a one-time card issuance fee. Worked examples are in the cost table in our tuition guide, and current prices are on the pricing page. See the Education & study abroad section for the services we have tested.
Checklist
- Note each application deadline and whether there is a cheaper early-bird fee.
- Pay the application fee by card before the deadline; it can’t be extended or refunded.
- After admission, pay the first pagoPA instalment or the private university’s advance by card.
- Check whether you can get an ISEE parificato or will pay the flat non-EU fee.
- Prepare the €10,179.85 proof of funds and apply for the visa by the deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay an Italian university application fee with a foreign card?
Usually yes. Politecnico di Milano takes it through pagoPA by credit card or PayPal, and NABA takes cards for the application fee. Make sure your card balance covers the fee plus any charges.
Does pagoPA accept foreign cards?
Yes, online. University pagoPA guides list Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express for payments from abroad.
How much do non-EU students pay at Italian public universities?
It depends on income and the university. Without an ISEE parificato, many charge a fixed fee, for example €1,020 to €4,550 a year at Pavia depending on country group, and up to €3,943.04 at Politecnico di Milano.
Does Bocconi accept card payments?
Yes. Bocconi collects fees through Flywire, which takes credit cards, bank transfers and other methods.
What if my tuition is more than $50,000?
You can load up to $50,000 a day per card, so load over more than one day and start early.
