Study in Italy from Cameroon

Application to the university on its platform (file evaluation), then mandatory pre-enrollment on Universitaly ("Extra-EU citizen: Pre-enrolment application for a study VISA"), one program at one institution only, validated by the university. Access to a laurea: secondary school leaving diploma after at least 12 years of schooling (Baccalauréat or GCE A-Level). Places reserved for foreigners are limited per program. Outside Universitaly: ITS Academy (direct application) and language courses. Doctorate: university competition (bando), then pre-enrollment and visa before activities start.^[1][2][3][4]

Sources for filing^[4][5][6]

1. 1

   Choose the program and note the university's dates^[1][2][7][8]

   When: from fall 2026

   Each university sets its own places for students living abroad and its dates. Example for 2027-2028: Padua opened a first application window (foreign qualification) that closes on November 15, 2026. For 2026-2027, several universities (Pisa, Bari, Venice) closed pre-enrollment on September 30; numerus clausus programs close earlier.

2. 2

   Get a B2 language certificate^[1][4]

   When: before applying

   Italian B2 certificate (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, Roma Tre) for a program taught in Italian, or English B2 for a program taught in English; the university may also check the level itself. Italian exam centers in Cameroon not found (searched October 12, 2026).

   • Italian or English B2 certificate^[4]amount not found

     Price and center in Cameroon not found.

3. 3

   Apply to the university^[1][9]

   When: fall 2026 → spring 2027

   University's own platform: passport, Baccalauréat or GCE A-Level, transcripts, language certificate; for a Master's, bachelor's degree and course syllabi.

4. 4

   File the Universitaly pre-enrollment and get it validated^[1][2][3]

   When: before the university's deadline

   On universitaly.it, one program only; the university validates it (sometimes after its admission decision). Validation does not guarantee the visa.

5. 5

   Prepare local documents^{[1][4][10][11][12][13]}

   When: during pre-enrollment

   Have the Bac or GCE A-Level authenticated at MINESUP. For the visa, the circular requires CIMEA's comparability and verification certificates (Diplome platform) or a Dichiarazione di valore (declaration of value); the verification certificate replaces legalization. Otherwise, since Cameroon is not party to the Apostille Convention, the diploma is legalized (MINREX) and translated into Italian by a sworn translator. The checklist of the embassy in Yaoundé (August 2026) mentions neither CIMEA nor a declaration of value: ask the embassy or the university what they require. Gather the birth certificate (original and copy) and the family record book.

   • CIMEA certificates (comparability and verification)^[10]amount not found

     Prices shown on the Diplome platform, not recorded.

   • MINREX legalization^[11]amount not found

     Fee not found.

6. 6

   Gather funds, housing and insurance^{[1][4][14][15]}

   When: before the appointment

   Funds required by the circular: €10,179.85 per year (€783.06 per month of the academic year), i.e. 6,677,544 XAF at the fixed rate, plus the return trip; bank statements, property, pay slips of the student or close family, or an awarded scholarship. Cash, bank guarantees and guarantees from people outside the family are refused. Actual accommodation (hosting declaration or other) with a letter of commitment. Health insurance of at least €30,000 covering emergency hospitalization and repatriation, valid throughout the Schengen area.

   • €30,000 health insurance (Schengen)^[4]amount not found

     Price not recorded.

7. 7

   Appointment and submission at BLS^{[4][5][6][16]}

   When: as soon as Universitaly validates; no later than 31/10/2027 for a laurea

   Free online appointment; in-person submission of one set of originals and one set of A4 photocopies, biometrics, payment of fees.

   • National D visa fee^[6][16]33,000 FCFA

     €50, amount in XAF set by the embassy.

   • BLS service fee^[6][16]€13≈ 8,527 FCFA

     About €13, i.e. about 9,000 XAF according to the embassy; optional services extra.

8. 8

   Decision^[1][6][15]

   When: at least 3 months after submissionDuration: at least 3 months

   At least 3 months after the embassy receives the application (BLS transit not included). Interview or additional documents possible. 365-day multiple-entry visa.

9. 9

   Arrival in Italy^{[1][17][19][21]}

   When: September-November 2027

   Within 8 working days: apply for the « study » permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) with the postal kit (€116.46 for one year), then appointment at the Questura. Tax code (codice fiscale), health coverage (voluntary registration with the national health service: €700 per calendar year, or private insurance), completing enrollment (immatricolazione), bank account.

   • One-year residence permit (after arrival)^[17][18]€116.46≈ 76,393 FCFA
   • Voluntary registration with the national health service (after arrival)^[19][20]€700 / year≈ 459,170 FCFA

• National D visa form^[4]

  required

  Completed and signed.

• Recent photo, white background, ICAO format 3.5 × 4 cm^[4]

  required

• Passport valid for at least 15 months^[4][22]

  required

  With a photocopy of the first two pages.

  Local specifics: Requirement of the embassy in Yaoundé, stricter than the general rule (3 months after the visa ends).

• Copy of the ID card, or of the residence permit for other nationalities^[4]

  required

• Birth certificate (original and photocopy)^[4]

  required

• Livret de famille (family record book) or certificat de vie collective (original and photocopy)^[4]

  required

• Proof of means of subsistence^[1][4]

  required

  Amount per Tabella A of the directive of March 1, 2000; the circular sets €10,179.85 per year.

• Financial capacity of the student, parents or close household^[4]

  required

  Bank statements, real estate, pay slips, or recognized bodies.

• Accommodation in Italy and letter of commitment^[1][4]

  required

  A mere application for university housing is not enough.

• Photocopy of the Baccalauréat, Advanced Level or other diploma^[4][12]

  required

  Local specifics: MINESUP authentication.

• CIMEA statements (comparability and verification) or Dichiarazione di valore (declaration of value)^[1][10]

  required

  Required by the circular at the visa stage; not listed in the Yaoundé checklist.

• Italian B2 certificate (or English B2 for a program taught in English)^[4]

  requiredbachelor's, master's

• Certificate of validated university pre-enrollment (Universitaly)^[1][4]

  required

• Health insurance of at least €30,000, valid throughout the Schengen area^[4]

  required

  Emergency hospitalization and repatriation.

• Flight reservation^[4][23]

  required

  Do not buy a ticket before the decision.

• Visa fee (33,000 XAF) and BLS service fee^[6][16]

  required

Depending on your profile

• Legalization of the diploma (no apostille in Cameroon)^[1][10][11]

  Not needed if the CIMEA verification statement is provided.

  Local specifics: Legalization at MINREX.

• Sworn translation into Italian^[13]

  For documents that need translating (legalized diploma, parents' financial documents).

• Scholarship documents (amount and duration)^[1][4]

  Only an awarded scholarship counts.

1. November 15, 2026

   Padua: end of the first application window (foreign qualification)^[7]

2. September 30, 2027to be confirmed

   Universitaly pre-enrollment deadline at several universities (open-access programs)^{[2][8][24][25]}

   September 30 for 2026-2027 in Pisa, Bari and Venice; each university sets its own date, some as early as July

3. October 31, 2027

   visa application deadline (laurea, laurea magistrale, AFAM)^[1]

4. June 2027to be confirmed

   recommended BLS submission (at least 3 months of processing before the start of the academic year)^[6]

   calculated from the BLS processing time; not an official date

What differs from the general rule

• •Submission at BLS International, in Yaoundé or Douala, with a free appointment and mandatory personal attendance.
• •Passport valid for at least 15 months, birth certificate and livret de famille (family record book) required by the embassy in Yaoundé.
• •Insurance of at least €30,000 valid throughout the Schengen area required at submission.
• •Fees set in XAF: 33,000 XAF for the visa plus about 9,000 XAF BLS service fee.
• •The Yaoundé checklist mentions neither CIMEA nor the declaration of value, which the national circular requires: clarify with the embassy.
• •No apostille in Cameroon: MINREX legalization, or the CIMEA verification statement, which replaces it.
• •Cameroon is not on the 2026-2027 list of « particularly poor » countries (unlike Benin, Senegal and Togo): for the regional scholarship, you need proof of family income and assets issued by the Cameroonian authorities, translated and legalized.
• •BLS processing time of at least 3 months: submit well before the national deadline of October 31.

Pitfalls to avoid

Italian government scholarships awarded in Cameroon (2026)

15 recipients for 2026-2027 (embassy ranking, July 2026)^[27]

study visas issued to Cameroonians

No official figure found: Not found (searched on 12/10/2026).

Cameroonian students in Italy

No official figure found: Not found; DAAD ranks Italy as the 4th destination in one version of its fact sheet and omits it in the other.

1. [1]Procedure per l'ingresso, il soggiorno, l'immatricolazione degli studenti internazionali… a.a. 2026/2027 e 2027/2028 (circolare MUR-MAECI-Interno, copie hébergée par l'Université de Ferrare) — Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca / MAECI / Ministero dell'Interno, accessed October 12, 2026
2. [2]Preiscrizione su Universitaly — Università di Pisa, accessed October 12, 2026
3. [3]Foundation Course – Visa — Università di Pisa, accessed October 12, 2026
4. [4]Visto per studio – immatricolazione universitaria (check-list) — Ambasciata d'Italia a Yaoundé / BLS, accessed October 12, 2026
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6. [6]Italy Visa Application Center – Study — BLS International Cameroon, accessed October 12, 2026
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8. [8]Ammissione studentesse e studenti internazionali — Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, accessed October 12, 2026
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10. [10]Attestati CIMEA — Università degli Studi di Brescia, accessed October 12, 2026
11. [11]Status table — Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents — HCCH (Conférence de La Haye de droit international privé), accessed October 12, 2026
12. [12]Plaquette de la Sous-direction de la Diplomation et de l'Authentification (édition 2024) — Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur (MINESUP), Cameroun, accessed October 12, 2026
13. [13]Info visto studio immatricolazione 2026-2027 — Consolato Generale d'Italia a Valona, accessed October 12, 2026
14. [14]Studiare in Italia – Domande frequenti — Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, accessed October 12, 2026
15. [15]Requisiti per il Visto di Studio — Ambasciata d'Italia a Lusaka, accessed October 12, 2026
16. [16]Combien coûte le visa — Ambassade d'Italie à Yaoundé, accessed October 12, 2026
17. [17]Permesso di soggiorno per studenti e dottorandi — Università di Pisa, accessed October 12, 2026
18. [18]Permesso di soggiorno — Università degli Studi di Palermo, accessed October 12, 2026
19. [19]Assistenza sanitaria per gli studenti internazionali — Università di Bologna, accessed October 12, 2026
20. [20]Informativa su contributi iscrizione volontaria — ASL n. 1 Sassari, accessed October 12, 2026
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22. [22]Studio – Immatricolazione università — Ambasciata d'Italia a Maputo, accessed October 12, 2026
23. [23]Visto per studio – Immatricolazione universitaria — Ambasciata d'Italia ad Addis Abeba, accessed October 12, 2026
24. [24]Preiscrizione e visto studentesse e studenti non europei — Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, accessed October 12, 2026
25. [25]Procedura immatricolazione studenti richiedenti visto a.a. 2026/2027 — Università della Valle d'Aosta, accessed October 12, 2026
26. [26]Study visa – students enrolling in full Italian university programs — Ambasciata d'Italia a Helsinki, accessed October 12, 2026
27. [27]Graduatoria finale delle borse di studio assegnate dal Governo italiano per l'anno accademico 2026-2027 (Camerun) — Ambasciata d'Italia a Yaoundé, accessed October 12, 2026
28. [28]Bildungssystemanalyse Kamerun 2025 (Kurzfassung) — DAAD, accessed October 12, 2026
29. [29]Bildungssystemanalyse Kamerun (Langfassung) — DAAD, accessed October 12, 2026