Admissions·Europe· 10 min read

How to Get Admission in Politecnico di Milano

A step-by-step guide to applying to Politecnico di Milano as an international student: PoliMi's own online portal, qualification evaluation, admission tests, English requirements, portfolios and application fees.

Last updated 3 July 2026

Key facts

University: Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) — Italy; engineering, architecture, design
Where you apply: PoliMi's own Online Services portal (not Universitaly-first)
Bachelor test: Engineering: TOL (+ alternatives / early-round standardised test) · Design: TOLD
Master route: Online application + qualification evaluation; up to two MSc choices; portfolio for Design/Architecture
English: Recognised certificate (e.g. IELTS/TOEFL/PTE) at PoliMi's level; English-medium waiver may apply
Fees, scores & deadlines: Set by the official calls and change yearly — verify on polimi.it

Why PoliMi's route is different

Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi) is Italy's leading technical university for engineering, architecture and design, with a large catalogue of English-taught programmes that attract international applicants. It is one of the most-searched Italian universities for these fields.

What makes its admissions distinctive is that you apply through PoliMi's own Online Services portal, and the university evaluates your qualification directly — rather than going Universitaly-first the way many general Italian admission guides describe. The visa/pre-enrolment step via Universitaly and the Italian mission still exists later in the process, but your admission decision is handled by PoliMi.

This guide walks through that PoliMi-specific path at a concept level. It does not quote grades, GPA cut-offs or fees, because those are set by the official calls and change each year — always confirm the current figures on polimi.it.

Italy's top technical university for engineering, architecture and design
You apply via PoliMi's own Online Services portal — not Universitaly-first
Grades, cut-offs and fees change yearly — verify on polimi.it

Step 1 — Choose your programme and check eligibility

Start by choosing between a Laurea (bachelor's, three years) and a Laurea Magistrale (master of science, two years), and identify the specific programme and its language of instruction — many are in English, some in Italian. Your prior qualification must be appropriate to the level and field you are applying to.

For a master's, PoliMi assesses eligibility partly on your bachelor's degree and its subject match to the chosen programme — applicants from an unrelated field may not be able to apply directly. PoliMi publishes country-specific requirements you should check for your qualification, and (for master's) minimum GPA-type thresholds that vary by programme and country.

Do not rely on secondhand numbers for these thresholds. Read the official programme page and the country-specific requirements on polimi.it for your exact qualification before you go further.

Pick Laurea (BSc) or Laurea Magistrale (MSc) and the programme's language
Master's eligibility is assessed on your bachelor's and its subject match
Check PoliMi's country-specific requirements for your qualification

Step 2 (Bachelor) — The admission test

Admission to a Laurea programme requires sitting an entrance test. For the Engineering schools, PoliMi's own test is the TOL (Test OnLine); the university also accepts certain alternatives, and in the earliest round international applicants can typically use a standardised test result in place of the TOL — check the current engineering call for exactly which tests and rounds apply.

For the School of Design, the required test is the TOLD (Test OnLine for Design), taken in the language of your chosen course — for example, the English-taught design course requires the TOLD in English.

The admission calls run in rounds across the year, often with an earlier and a standard phase; earlier rounds can be advantageous for international applicants who also need time for a visa. Register on the Online Services portal and follow the current call's calendar. The exact test names, accepted alternatives, minimum scores and round dates are published each year — take them from polimi.it, not from summaries.

Engineering: PoliMi's TOL, with accepted alternatives / an early-round standardised-test option
Design: the TOLD, taken in your course's language (e.g. English for the English course)
Admission runs in rounds — earlier rounds help with visa timing

Step 2 (Master) — Online application and evaluation

For a Laurea Magistrale, you register on PoliMi's Online Services to get credentials, then complete the online application form. You may apply for up to two Master of Science programmes at a time as a first and second choice, and applications run per semester — note that Design and Architecture master's programmes accept applications for the first semester only.

You upload your transcript, your bachelor's degree or an attendance certificate, and an English language certificate, along with any additional documents the programme lists. An application fee applies (it varies by application period, is non-refundable and cannot be waived), and — importantly — your application is only assessed for admission once the fee is paid, after which you cannot change the uploaded documents.

Because an evaluation of your qualification is central to the master's route, submit accurate, complete documents and respect the call deadlines. Follow the official application pages on polimi.it for the current fee, document list and calendar.

Register on Online Services, then complete the online application form
Up to two MSc choices; applications run per semester (Design/Architecture: first semester only)
A non-refundable application fee applies; assessment starts only after payment, and documents lock

Step 3 — English proficiency and (for Design/Architecture) a portfolio

For an English-taught programme you must demonstrate English proficiency, typically with a recognised certificate such as IELTS Academic, TOEFL or PTE Academic at the level PoliMi requires. If your previous degree was taught entirely in English, PoliMi may accept a university-issued certificate of English-medium instruction in place of a test — check whether this waiver applies to you.

Applicants to Design, Architecture and related programmes must also submit a portfolio of work samples as part of the master's application, within the file-size and format limits PoliMi specifies. Prepare this carefully — for creative programmes it is a core part of the assessment.

Exact minimum English scores, accepted certificates, waiver conditions and portfolio specifications are set by the official calls and can change; take them from the language-requirements and programme pages on polimi.it.

English-taught programmes need a recognised English certificate (e.g. IELTS/TOEFL/PTE) at PoliMi's level
An English-medium-instruction waiver may apply if your prior degree was fully in English
Design/Architecture master's applicants submit a portfolio within PoliMi's limits

Step 4 — After admission: pre-enrolment, visa and enrolment

Once PoliMi offers you a place, the Italy-wide steps come into play. Non-EU students complete pre-enrolment through the Universitaly portal and apply for a student visa (national type D) at the competent Italian mission for your region, providing the documents Italy requires. This is where the general Italy timeline and the embassy step fit around PoliMi's own decision.

You then finalise enrolment with PoliMi, providing legalised/apostilled academic documents and completing any remaining formalities and fee payments. Keep an eye on deadlines, because visa processing time has to fit within the enrolment window — another reason earlier admission rounds help.

Visa and immigration rules are official facts that change; this guide is general information, not immigration advice. Verify the current visa process on the official Italian government sources and your local mission, and the enrolment steps on polimi.it.

Non-EU: pre-enrol via Universitaly and apply for a type D student visa at the Italian mission
Finalise enrolment with PoliMi using legalised/apostilled documents
Visa rules change — verify on official Italian government sources; not immigration advice

Frequently asked questions

Do I apply to Politecnico di Milano through Universitaly or through PoliMi directly?

Your admission application goes through PoliMi's own Online Services portal, and PoliMi evaluates your qualification directly. Universitaly comes in later, for non-EU pre-enrolment and the student visa step, once you have an admission offer. This is different from the Universitaly-first flow used for many other Italian universities.

What test do I need for a bachelor's at PoliMi?

For Engineering bachelor programmes you sit PoliMi's TOL, with certain accepted alternatives and an early-round option for international applicants to use a standardised test. For Design you sit the TOLD in your course's language. Check the current engineering and design calls on polimi.it for the exact accepted tests, minimum scores and round dates.

Can I skip the English test if my degree was taught in English?

Possibly. PoliMi may accept a university-issued certificate confirming your previous degree was taught entirely in English as a waiver for the English-language requirement, instead of an IELTS/TOEFL score. Confirm the current waiver conditions on PoliMi's language-requirements page, as they can change.

Is a portfolio required for PoliMi?

A portfolio is required for Design, Architecture and related programmes as part of the application, within the file-size and format limits PoliMi specifies. Engineering programmes generally do not require a portfolio. Check your specific programme page for the exact requirement.

How much is the application fee and what are the deadlines?

The application fee varies by application period and is non-refundable and cannot be waived; your application is only assessed once it is paid, after which you cannot modify uploaded documents. Deadlines run in calls/rounds across the year. We do not quote the current figures here — check the official application pages on polimi.it.

Can I apply to more than one programme at PoliMi?

For a Master of Science you may apply for up to two programmes at a time, as a first and second choice, per semester (Design and Architecture master's programmes accept applications for the first semester only). Confirm the current rules and calendar on polimi.it before applying.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: Politecnico di Milano — Application (Laurea Magistrale, foreign qualification); Politecnico di Milano — Students with a foreign degree (Laurea programmes); Politecnico di Milano — Language requirements: English and Italian.

Last verified: 3 July 2026.