The document comes before the course
Anyone arriving in Rome for a pontifical university soon finds out that Italian is not only a matter of study: it is a matter of documents. Several universities ask, at the moment of enrolment, for the certificate of an Italian course, and still require an entrance language test. The university's own course, where it exists, comes later: the certificate is needed first, and a school has to issue it.
We issue the attendance certificate stating the level reached under the Common European Framework, in the format registrars accept, and we prepare you for the entrance test by working on the academic Italian that test actually measures.
The CELI certification, with us from start to finish
Accademia di Italiano is an exam centre authorised by the University for Foreigners of Perugia. You do not have to look for a third-party centre: you prepare with us and you sit the exam with us, with the same teachers who followed you. CELI is the official certification recognised by the Italian State, from A1 to C2.
Next useful session: standard CELI (A1-C2) on 11 November 2026, registration by 9 October. Exam fee 220 euro, paid when you register for the session. The exam is held at our exam centre in Milan: a day trip from Rome, and we follow the whole procedure with you, from registration to collecting the certificate. Certifications and exam calendar →
Who it is for
Seminarians and students of the pontifical universities
Academic Italian to follow lectures, take notes, sit oral exams and write papers. We work on the vocabulary of your discipline, not only on conversation.
Religious sisters and brothers living in Rome
Italian for daily life in the house, for pastoral service and for dealings with the parish, the neighbourhood and the public offices. Timetables that fit community commitments.
Superiors, bursars and secretariats
Administrative Italian: correspondence, contracts, banking, suppliers and public administration. Short, focused programmes, also for small groups from the same house.
Those arriving from abroad next year
You start online from your own country, with the same teachers, and continue in Rome after arrival. It is the most effective way not to lose the first semester of study.
How it works
Private lessons in Prati. At Via Boezio 4/C, by appointment only: goals, pace and timetable agreed with the teacher, from A1 to C2. It is the format used by those with lectures in the morning or service in the afternoon.
Live online courses. Private or in a group, with the same teachers as our campuses. You can start from your own country months before departure and carry on once in Rome.
In-classroom group courses: from January 2027. Enrolment opens in the months before. If your house or institute wants a dedicated group, we can arrange one earlier, also on your premises.
Visa-eligible courses: from January 2027. When the group courses start, Rome will also take enrolments for the long programmes (16 weeks or more) that entitle you to a study visa. Until then those programmes run at the campuses in Milan, Florence, Mantua and Turin.
The paperwork of the first weeks
Residence permit, tax code, declaration of hospitality, health card: these are the hurdles of the first weeks. Our student area has the step-by-step guides, the same ones we use with students at the other campuses. Student area → · Tax code → · Residence permit kit →
Frequently asked questions
Is your certificate valid for university enrolment?
We issue the attendance certificate stating the level reached under the Common European Framework, the document registrars ask for at enrolment. Every university has its own rules though: send us what they gave you and we will tell you straight away whether anything else is needed, before the course starts.
Where is the CELI exam held?
At our exam centre in Milan, authorised by the University for Foreigners of Perugia. It is a day trip from Rome. You prepare in Rome or online, and we handle the registration. The next standard CELI session is on 11 November 2026, registration by 9 October.
Do you also prepare for the university entrance test?
Yes. It is different work from conversation: understanding an academic text, written production, vocabulary of the discipline. We work on the model of your university's test, if you send it to us.
Where do the lessons take place?
At Via Boezio 4/C, Prati district, by appointment only. On request we can teach at your house or institute in Rome.
When do group courses start?
In-classroom group courses start in January 2027, with enrolment opening in the months before. Until then there are private lessons in Prati and online group courses.
Can I start from abroad, before arriving in Rome?
Yes, and we recommend it. Live online courses can be followed from any country and let you arrive in Italy already at a level that works for university.
Do you issue a certificate?
We prepare for the official Italian certifications and we are a CELI exam centre authorised by the University for Foreigners of Perugia. At the end of the course we issue an attendance certificate stating the level reached.
Do you have special terms for religious institutes?
Yes. For houses enrolling several people we prepare a single proposal, with one contact person and one invoice. Write to us saying how many people and with which goals.
Let's start from the document you need
Write to us saying which university you are enrolling in, what the registrar asked for and when you have to hand it in. We answer within one working day with the shortest path to get there: starting level, hours needed, the exam date that works.