Requirements

Eligibility for Foundation Year

To apply for the Foundation Year, students must meet the following mandatory eligibility requirements:

  • English language proficiency (B2 level): Applicants must hold a certified B2 level of English according to the CEFR;
  • completion of 11 years of schooling: Applicants must have completed the 11th year of their education, or be currently enrolled in the 11th year of high school;
  • high school diploma: Applicants must hold a full and final high school diploma, school leaving certificate, or an equivalent qualification issued upon completion of their secondary education;
  • students who are still enrolled in their final year of high school may apply with provisional grades. In such cases, admission to the Foundation Year is conditional upon successful graduation and submission of the final diploma.

School accreditation requirement
The high school attended must be legally accredited to offer the programme in which the student was enrolled. If our evaluation committee is unable to verify the school's accreditation, the student will be required to submit a certificate of comparability issued by CIMEA.

Education paths that do not meet the requirements

Students are not eligible for enrolment if they have only partially completed their high school education within the system they attended. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • having completed only individual IB courses (students must obtain the full IB Diploma or IB Bilingual Diploma);
  • having completed only O-levels, GCSEs, AS-courses, or IGCSEs (the full GCE A-level qualification is required);
  • having completed only 11 years of schooling in an education system that normally requires 12 or 13 years for completio.

Underage students (minors)

International students who are under 18 years old at the time of application may still apply for the Ca’ Foscari Foundation Year, as long as they turn 18 by December 31 of the academic year in which the programme starts. For the 2026/2027 academic year, this means applicants must be born on or before December 31, 2008.

Additional requirements for underage students

At the time of the application,  underage students are required to submit additional documentation:

  • consent form for enrollment signed by both parents
  • ID documents of both parents

If admitted, underage students are required to submit additional documentation in order to finalise their enrolment:

  • official nomination of a legal guardian residing in Italy, valid for the entire duration of the Foundation Year until the student turns 18 OR declaration attesting that one or both parents will stay in Venice with the minor until they turn18 years old
  • ID document of the nominated legal guardian;

Please note: students will not be able to complete their enrolment unless all required documents are submitted and approved.

Required documents

If you completed high school, you must submit the following documents in order for your application to be evaluated:

  • final high school leaving diploma:
  • final transcript of record.

If you are currently in your final year of high school, or if you recently completed it but have not yet received your final diploma, you may apply by submitting:

  • certificate of enrolment:
  • partial transcript of grades for the final year.

In this case, you must submit your final diploma and transcript of records no later than July 31st in order to finalise your enrolment.

All applicants must submit the following:

  • a valid passport (EU and Italian citizens may submit a valid ID card instead)
  • valid residency permit (only for non-EU applicants already residing in Italy)
  • a letter of motivation explaining your personal reasons for applying to the Foundation Year
  • final high school diploma OR certificate of enrolment
  • final transcript of records OR partial transcript of final-year grades
  • if you are under 18, you must also provide the consent form for enrollment AND your parents' IDs

Additional required documents by July 31:

  • English language certification at B2 level or higher, or proof of having completed at least one full year of high school in English (see our language requirements page for recognised certifications)
  • if applying to the Intermediate B2 language module:
    • a valid Italian A1 level certification, or
    • proof of registration in our online beginner Italian course
  • if you are under 18, you must also provide the additional documents for minors
  • if you applied with your partial school documents, final high school diploma AND final transcript of records
  • if applying to the Study Track in Humanities taught in Italian:
    • a valid B1 level Italian language certificate, or
    • proof of enrolment in the Intermediate B2 module