Can children start school in Italy without speaking Italian in 2026?

Families normally need a clear address path and residenza evidence for the comune catchment school. Bring identity documents, codice fiscale where issued, vaccination evidence and previous school reports when asked. Sworn translations of foreign reports help staff place an older child.

Primary and secondary schools then organise Italian L2 support according to local capacity. Recent national measures allow dedicated L2 teaching where classes have high shares of newly arrived pupils below A2, and schools may agree with CPIA centres to assess entry level and build personalised plans. Depth varies by province and school size in Milan, Rome or Bologna.

Parent-teacher meetings, circulars and electronic school portals run in Italian. Budget time to translate notices or bring language help: English in Italy and Bureaucracy without Italian. International schools are a paid alternative when curriculum continuity matters more than the public catchment: Expat families and Best places for families.

Under-three care is a different cost and language story: Childcare costs. Children’s friendships often form at school gates faster than adult expat mixers: Making friends.