The University of Verona is offering 104 funded PhD scholarships for 2026/27, and Nigerian applicants are explicitly eligible. The XLII cycle call is open from May 11 to June 9, 2026, at noon Italian time. At €17,602.57 per year, this is among the higher stipend rates in Italian doctoral education. The application fee is €10.
About the Programme
The University of Verona is located in northeastern Italy and runs one of the country’s more structured doctoral programs. Its doctoral programmes are organised within a PhD School spanning four areas: Life and Health Sciences, Law and Economics, Natural Sciences and Engineering, and Arts and Humanities. The XLII cycle for 2026/27 is the university’s latest annual call, offering 104 funded positions. Fields covered include Computer Science, Economics, Medicine, Literature, Biotechnology, and Engineering. The full list of XLII cycle programmes and positions for each programme is published on each programme’s webpage.
What You Actually Get
Every detail in this section matters. Read it carefully.
Annual scholarship stipend: €17,602.57 gross (before INPS social security deductions). The monthly take-home increase over the previous cycle is €100 net, a modest but confirmed rise. After INPS contributions, your net take-home will be lower than the gross figure. Deduction rates vary.
Research budget: Every doctoral candidate receives a minimum annual research budget of €1,760, equivalent to 10% of the scholarship, to support academic activities, fieldwork, conferences, and research-related expenses.
Study abroad bonus: Students undertaking approved study or research abroad can receive a 50% increase in their scholarship for up to 12 months. If this applies to XLII, the gross stipend during qualifying periods abroad would reach approximately €26,404.
Registration fee exemption: The XLII cycle introduces a new benefit: scholarship holders are exempt from the standard €250 annual registration fee. This is a change from the previous cycle and reduces enrolment costs.
Pre-registration fee: At enrolment, you pay €208 once (€192 regional tax for the right to study and €16 stamp duty paid virtually). The €208 is not a tuition fee. It is a one-time administrative charge at enrolment.
Application fee: €10 per application, non-refundable. You may submit up to three applications across different programmes, paying €10 per submission.
What this looks like in naira: At current exchange rates (approximately ₦1,700–1,750 per euro), the gross annual stipend of €17,602 converts to roughly ₦29.9–30.8 million per year, or approximately ₦2.5 million per month. A single room in shared accommodation in Verona runs roughly €400–600/month. Groceries for one person average €200–300/month. The numbers work.
Full Eligibility
Who can apply:
- Applicants of any nationality and any age, Italian or international
- Holders of a Master’s degree (or equivalent) from a recognised Higher Education Institution that permits access to doctoral study in the country where it was awarded
- Final-year Master’s students who have not yet completed their degree, provided they complete all requirements before October 1, 2026
Who cannot apply:
- Holders of professional degrees, such as an MBA or MBBS, unless that specific qualification formally grants doctoral access in the country where it was awarded.
- Applicants who already hold a PhD degree will not be admitted to any programme with similar research topics.
- Applicants who have already received a PhD scholarship or any part of one, regardless of where or when, are not eligible for another scholarship.
- Applicants currently enrolled in a Verona PhD programme may transfer only to a programme offering a position without a scholarship.
Grade thresholds: Some programmes require minimum academic grades. In the prior cycle, Computer Science required a final mark of at least 106/110, and Nanosciences required at least 102/110. Confirm the threshold for your chosen programme in the XLII information sheet.
Language: Individual programmes vary between Italian and English instruction. Confirm the language of your chosen programme before applying.
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Documents Required
The specific documents required vary by programme. Always read your chosen programme’s information sheet first. Based on the call and prior cycles, prepare the following.
Documents that take the longest - start with these now:
- Official transcripts with certified translations if your degree was issued in a language other than Italian or English, certified translation and legalisation (apostille) can take 4–8 weeks from Nigeria. Start immediately.
- Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore) for Nigerian applicants. This document is issued by the Italian Embassy in Abuja and confirms that your degree is equivalent to the Italian Laurea Magistrale for doctoral access. It is not required at the application stage; it is optional then. However, if you are selected, you will need it before enrolment. The process takes several weeks. Contact the Italian Embassy in Abuja now.
- Research proposal typically 2,000–10,000 characters depending on the programme. This is your most important application document. Draft it with your target supervisor’s published research in mind.
Documents ready within 1–2 weeks:
- Europass CV: academic background, publications, research experience, and skills.
- Degree certificates, Bachelor’s and Master’s, in PDF format.
- Two academic reference letters from professors or researchers who know your work.
- Motivation letter is required by some programmes, optional for others
- Proof of English or Italian proficiency check language requirements per programme.
- Payment receipt for the €10 application fee — generated via PagoPA inside the application portal
Timeline for Nigerian applicants: Applications close June 9. As of publication, you have 25 days. The Declaration of Value is your longest lead-time item. Contact the Italian Embassy in Abuja this week. Begin your research proposal immediately after. CVs and transcripts can be prepared in parallel.
Is This Open to Nigerians?
Yes, confirmed. The call states explicitly that applicants of any nationality and age may apply.
Practical steps for Nigerian applicants:
- Visa: Non-EU PhD students admitted to Italian programmes apply for a Type D student visa at the Italian Embassy in Abuja. You will need documentation from Verona confirming your enrolment, plus evidence of financial means for scholarship holders, documentation from the PhD office is generally accepted for this purpose.
- Residence permit: Non-European PhD students must apply for an Italian residence permit for study purposes within eight working days of arriving in Italy.
- Health insurance: Non-EU PhD students may apply for voluntary enrolment in Italy’s National Health Service at an annual fee of €700. Factor this into your budget.
- Scholarship payments: Italian doctoral stipends are paid monthly via Italian bank account. Open one after arrival. Wire transfers home carry exchange rate costs, plan accordingly.
- Declaration of Value: The Italian Embassy in Abuja issues this document. It is optional at the application stage but required if you are selected for enrolment. Start the process now, regardless.
- NYSC: Not relevant to this listing.
How to Apply
Applications are open from May 11 to June 9, 2026, at 12:00 noon Italian time (GMT+1).
- Apply using the apply button.
- Register for an account if you are a new user.
- Log in and navigate to “Registrar’s Office → Admission test → Admission test”
- Select your chosen PhD programme from the menu.
- Complete the application form, uploading all required documents in PDF format. Name each file clearly. The portal requires a nomenclature that describes the document’s content.
- Pay the €10 fee using the PagoPA slip generated automatically in the portal. The fee must be paid before the deadline.
- Submit. You may submit up to three applications for different programmes, paying €10 each time.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Uploading poorly scanned or unreadable documents**,** each PDF must be clearly legible.
- Choosing a programme without reading its individual information sheet requirements varies significantly across programmes.
- Submitting a generic research proposal not connected to your chosen programme’s active research areas. Find a potential supervisor’s recent publications and frame your proposal around a gap their work opens up.
- Missing the noon deadline, the portal closes at 12:00 Italian time, not midnight. Set an alarm for the morning of June 9.
GizPulse Verdict
This is one of the more accessible funded PhD calls in Europe for international applicants. The eligibility is genuinely open, the stipend has increased for this cycle, the research budget is specified rather than vague, and the abroad mobility bonus is substantial. For a Nigerian researcher weighing European doctoral options, Italy has a practical advantage: the Italian Embassy in Abuja has an established student visa process, and Verona has institutional experience handling international doctoral students.
Who this is perfect for: A Nigerian or African researcher who has completed a Master’s degree in a field aligned with one of Verona’s doctoral programmes, especially Life Sciences, Computer Science, Economics, Law, or Humanities and who has a clear research question they want to spend three years answering.
Who should skip this cycle: Anyone whose Master’s degree certification and translations cannot be ready by June 9, or whose MBBS/MBA professional degree has not been confirmed as granting PhD access in the country where it was awarded. Apply in the next cycle instead.
One tip to stand out: Contact a potential supervisor by email before you apply. Introduce yourself, share a one-paragraph description of your proposed research, and ask whether your idea fits their current work. A brief positive reply does not guarantee admission, but it means your file arrives with context. Most applicants do not do this. It costs 30 minutes and separates you from the bulk of the field.
