Low-Cost Student Housing in Italy: A Step-by-Step Guide to University of Padua (ESU) Accommodation [2026]

This is a do-it-yourself guide. You can complete the entire process on your own by following the steps below. Read it once fully before you start, keep the official links open in another tab, and always double-check the current year’s dates on the official call for applications.

Housing vs Scholarship — Don’t Confuse Them

At the University of Padua there are two different things, and mixing them up is the most common mistake:

• Accommodation (housing): A bed in a hall of residence, run by ESU Padova. That is what this guide covers.
• Scholarship: Financial support, managed by the University of Padua. Different application, different deadline.

Applying for one does not apply you for the other. Both are worth doing — but you apply for them separately.

Step 0 — Before You Start: What to Get Ready

Gather these first so the application goes smoothly:

• A valid passport saved as a PDF.
• A passport-size photo — exactly 220 × 280 pixels, under 1 MB, in JPG format.
• Your bank account IBAN (for any deposit refund).
• Your financial certificate — the ordinary ISEE (if your income is in Italy) or, for most international students, the ISEE Parificato (if your income is abroad). Start this early — see the dedicated section below.
• For first-year master’s students: your bachelor degree certificate.

Are You Eligible?

Two things decide it: your status (how far you live from the university) and your family finances.

You also need your family finances under the limit: the income indicator (ISEE) must be no more than €26,306.25, and a separate assets limit (ISPE) also applies — check the current call for the exact figure. First-year bachelor and single-cycle students need only meet the financial requirement; first-year master’s students also need at least 150 credits from their bachelor; students in later years must also meet a credit (merit) requirement.

How Much Does It Cost?

It depends on the room type, your status and the residence. As a guide:

• Basic monthly fees start from about €55 for a shared double and about €68 for a single with a private bathroom at the reduced (scholarship-eligible) rate.
• All-in monthly costs for most double rooms typically fall around €105–€185.
• A refundable €380 deposit confirms your place and comes back after check-out if there is no damage.

Confirm the exact current fees in Annex 1 of the official call.

Key Dates for 2026/2027

Deadlines are strict — one minute late and the system closes.

Your Most Important Step: The ISEE Parificato (For Income Abroad)

If your family’s income and assets are outside Italy, you cannot be assessed without the ISEE Parificato — and it is the step students most often start too late. Here is how to get it, in order:

1. Contact the partner CAF, CONFEURO, as soon as it opens (from mid-July). For Padua this is the only accepted office — email iseparificatounipd@gmail.com or call +39 328 1419141 (Galleria Ognissanti 11, 35129 Padova; Mon & Wed 14:30–17:30).
2. Gather your family’s income and property documents from India, issued by the competent authorities, in local currency (INR).
3. Get them translated into Italian by a recognised translator and legalised as required by the authorities.
4. Upload everything to the CONFEURO portal (parificati.confeuropadova.it). This is the only accepted way — other delivery methods are refused.
5. Wait for the CAF to check and issue the certificate. If they ask for corrections, re-upload before the deadline.
6. Fill the “Application for benefits” in your Uniweb account so the CAF sends your ISEE value to the university.

How to Apply, Step by Step

The whole application is online, on the ESU Student Desk. Follow these steps:

1. Get your documents ready: Prepare a valid passport (PDF), a photo (220×280 pixels, under 1 MB) and your bank IBAN, and start your ISEE or ISEE Parificato early.
2. Register on the ESU Student Desk: Log in with SPID/CIE if you have Italian ID, or register with your passport (PDF) to get a username and password if you are international.
3. Open the housing application: Select the 2026/2027 academic year and open “Housing for students of Padova University”.
4. Fill in your details: Complete your profile, upload the photo, and enter your course. For “course location” choose the correct city (Padua for Padua-based courses).
5. Select OFF-SITE status: On the “student condition” page choose OFF-SITE (non-resident). Never choose on-site — it makes the application ineligible instantly.
6. Confirm the application: Enter your financial details and click CONFIRM. The application is only valid once confirmed.
7. Complete income data and upload the ISEE: Open the “income data” section, enter your ISEE or ISEE Parificato values, and upload your ISEE Parificato PDF. The application is not assessed until this is done.
8. Accept an offer and pay the deposit: Check the weekly rankings and your email. If offered a place, pay the €380 deposit within the short deadline to secure it.

What Happens After You Apply?

ESU publishes rankings (usually weekly). You check your status using your student code, on the Student Desk and by email — watch your inbox, including spam.

If you are offered a place, you must pay the €380 deposit within a short deadline; miss it and the place goes to the next student, with no second offer. Once accepted, you check in on the residence opening dates, present your ID, and sign the key-collection form.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Selecting “on-site” on the form — it makes you ineligible instantly. Always choose off-site.
• Missing the strict deadline — apply days early, not on the last morning.
• Starting the ISEE Parificato too late — start in mid-July.
• Using any office other than the official partner CAF (CONFEURO) for the ISEE Parificato.
• Forgetting to click CONFIRM or to complete the income-data section — the application is not assessed.
• Confusing housing with the scholarship — they are two separate applications.

Download the Official Documents (Attachments)

Want to read the full official rules and check every detail yourself? Download the official ESU / University of Padua documents below. These are the 2026/2027 versions, provided for your convenience. The English versions are “for information purposes only” — the legally valid version is always the current one on the official site, so use the official source link too.

Official Sources & Documents — Verify Everything Yourself

Every fact in this guide comes from these official sources. Use them to confirm the current-year details before you apply:

How KALINGAEURO Helps

You can do all of this yourself with the steps above. But if you would rather not risk a technicality — chasing documents across two countries, translating and legalising them, and hitting every deadline while also preparing for your entrance exam — that is exactly what we do. KALINGAEURO guides students from India through admissions, scholarships, the ISEE Parificato and accommodation, end to end.

Frequently Asked Questions