Politecnico di Milano

• ›How much will I actually pay in tuition as a Pakistani student on a Master of Science?

  Budget the top of the range. The published scale runs from 157.04 euro a year for an ISEE up to 22,000 euro to a maximum of 3,943.04 euro. But Politecnico states that a non-EU student on a study residence permit, holding a first-level qualification obtained abroad and admitted without any economic benefit, must pay the full all-inclusive contribution, and that in these cases the regional tax is always the maximum of 190 euro. Submitting an ISEEU parificato does not move you out of the top band in that situation.

• ›Is there an application fee, and can it be waived?

  Yes, and no. The fee depends on when you apply. For September 2026 entry the Early Bird window carried a 50 euro fee and the standard windows 150 euro. Politecnico states that the application fee is mandatory, non-refundable and cannot be waived, and that applications are only assessed once the payment is received.

• ›Can I use a medium of instruction letter instead of IELTS or TOEFL?

  Yes. Politecnico's document list for Master of Science applicants with a foreign qualification says that students who can prove English was the medium of instruction for their bachelor, for at least 3 years, are exempt from providing any English language certification. You must upload a document certified by your university confirming that at least 75% of the courses in your programme were taught in English. The admission requirements page makes the same point: if your bachelor was taught in English you may upload a document certified by your university attesting the teaching language instead of the certificate.

• ›Does Politecnico di Milano accept the Duolingo English Test?

  No. The accepted certificate list published for A.Y. 2026/2027 names ETS TOEFL, ETS TOEIC, Cambridge, IELTS, Trinity College, Pearson PTE Academic, Pearson PEIC and LanguageCert ESOL. Duolingo does not appear on that list, nor on the university's external bodies page. Plan for one of the listed tests, or the medium of instruction route.

• ›When do I apply, and when does the course start?

  There are two intakes, September and February. For September 2026 entry to Engineering, the first call ran from 1 October 2025 to 1 December 2025, a second call from 13 January to 26 February 2026, and a further call for EEA and non-EEA residents in Italy closed 31 March 2026. The February 2027 intake for Engineering opened 18 May and closed 18 June 2026. Architecture and Design accept applications for the first semester only.

• ›Are there scholarships from the university itself?

  Yes, merit-based international scholarships for Master of Science candidates. They carry a full tuition fee waiver, leaving a non-refundable administrative fee of about 170 euro, and some add a gross allowance of up to 10,000 euro a year. For 2026/2027 only candidates who submitted their admission application and paid the fee in the Early Bird window, 1 October to 1 December 2025, were eligible, and the English certificate had to be in by 21 February 2026. Note that Pakistan is not among the countries listed for the Invest Your Talent in Italy programme.

• ›What do I need for the study visa?

  Non-EEA citizens residing abroad need a study visa issued by the Italian diplomatic representative, and the request goes through pre-enrolment on the Universitaly platform. For Master of Science applicants, Politecnico confirms your name to the diplomatic representatives only once you have graduated and uploaded your final degree with a document confirming its authenticity. The university warns that validating your pre-enrolment does not guarantee you an appointment, and that issuing study visas is an exclusive responsibility of the diplomatic representatives. You may also be asked for a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement of comparability for your degree.

Anything not answered here is set per programme, not per university. Run the three-question check and it will tell you which level you would be applying for.