How Much Does the CILS or CELI Exam Cost in Italy?
Picture it: you’re booking the B1 exam for your citizenship file, and one Italian friend says she paid €65 while a colleague swears he paid €100. Both can be right. This guide explains what the CILS and CELI exams cost at Siena and Perugia, why another centre may charge differently, and what a failed section costs to retake.
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Why CILS and CELI Prices Vary From Centre to Centre
When I first went looking for a language certificate, I expected one national price list. That was naive. Two universities run the certificates. The Università per Stranieri di Siena issues the CILS. The Università per Stranieri di Perugia, through its CVCL certification centre, issues the CELI. But most candidates don’t sit the exam in Siena or Perugia. They sit it at a partner school, university or cultural institute near home, and that is where the money changes hands.
How the CILS Fee Works
For the CILS, Siena’s own guidance says you pay the exam fee at the exam centre you choose. Siena publishes a fee sheet for exams sat at the university itself. A partner centre in Turin, Palermo or abroad can set its own charge or add administrative costs on top. So treat Siena’s list as a solid reference point, not a promise for every centre.
In practice, ask your chosen centre for its fee before you register. Ask it in writing. I’ve watched a friend in Bologna turn up with the wrong amount and spend an anxious morning finding a bank branch.
How the CELI Fee Works
The CELI is even more explicit. CVCL states that each exam centre sets its own fee and tells candidates what it is. Perugia’s figures apply to exams sat in Perugia. Elsewhere, expect a fixed fee set by the certifying body plus a centre surcharge.
The Università degli Studi di Milano is a useful real example. For its February session, the B1 CELI 2 i citizenship exam cost €90: €65 fixed by the certifying body plus €25 in administrative costs. The A2 CELI 1 i cost €70: €50 plus €20. If you live in Lombardy and assumed you’d pay Perugia’s price, that difference matters.
For a wider look at which certificate suits which purpose, see Italian Language Certificates: CILS, CELI, and PLIDA Explained.
The Official Fee Tables for Siena and Perugia
These are the published prices for exams sat at the two issuing universities. If your centre is elsewhere, use them as a baseline and confirm the local figure.
CILS Fees at the Università per Stranieri di Siena
| CILS Level or Exam | Fee When Sat in Siena | Retake of One Failed Skill |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | €40 | €12 |
| A2 | €40 | €12 |
| A1/A2 Modulo Integrazione in Italia | €40 | No partial retake |
| UNO-B1 | €90 | €22 |
| B1 Adolescenti | €70 | €17 |
| B1 Cittadinanza | €100 | No partial retake |
| DUE-B2 | €105 | €23 |
| TRE-C1 | €135 | €30 |
| QUATTRO-C2 | €160 | €35 |
Note that at Siena the B1 Cittadinanza exam, at €100, costs more than the general UNO-B1, at €90. If you only need a B1 certificate for citizenship, the Cittadinanza version is built for that purpose. Just don’t choose it hoping to save money in Siena.
CELI Fees at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia
| CELI Exam | Fee When Sat in Perugia | Session Months |
|---|---|---|
| CELI Standard | €120 | March, June, November |
| CELI Adolescenti | €120 | Check the CVCL calendar |
| CELI Immigrati A1, CELI Impatto | €30 | February, May, September |
| CELI Immigrati A2, CELI 1 | €50 | February, May, September |
| CELI Immigrati B1, CELI 2 | €65 | February, May, September |
On the Perugia side, the picture flips. The CELI Immigrati B1 at €65 costs much less than CELI Standard at €120. That’s why so many citizenship applicants sitting in Perugia end up on the Immigrati track.
Comparing the Two Citizenship B1 Options
Here’s where the two certificates sit side by side for the exam most expats actually book:
| Feature | CILS B1 Cittadinanza | CELI 2 i, Immigrati B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Fee at the issuing university | €100 in Siena | €65 in Perugia |
| Example at another centre | Set by the centre you choose | €90 at the Università degli Studi di Milano |
| Partial retake | Not available | Failed written or oral part, 70% of the fee |
| Retake window | Not applicable | One calendar year |
The people asking “which is cheaper?” usually really mean “which is cheaper for me?” The answer depends on your city, which centre has a session that fits your deadline, and how confident you are of passing first time.
If the citizenship side is new to you, The Italian Citizenship Language Requirement (B1) Explained covers what the certificate has to prove.
What a Failed Exam Really Costs You
Budget for this part too. I know three people who failed one section of a B1 exam by a whisker. Their bills afterwards were very different, depending on which certificate they had chosen.
CILS Retakes and the 18-Month Window
At capitalisable CILS levels, you keep the skills you passed. Only the failed ones need retaking, within 18 months, and you can do it at a different centre. That flexibility is golden if you move house mid-process. A friend sat UNO-B1 in Siena, failed only listening, then moved to Naples. She retook that one skill locally without restarting the whole exam.
At Siena, retaking one failed skill costs €12 for A1 or A2, €17 for B1 Adolescenti, €22 for UNO-B1, €23 for B2, €30 for C1 and €35 for C2.
The exception matters. CILS B1 Cittadinanza and the A1/A2 Integrazione module have no partial retake. Siena marks them “No capitalizzazione”. Fail one part of B1 Cittadinanza, and you register and pay for the whole exam again.
CELI Partial Retakes at 70 Percent
The CELI works differently. It splits into a written part and an oral part. If you pass only one of them, you have one calendar year to retake the failed part for 70% of the fee. This applies to the CELI Immigrati B1 citizenship exam too.
The Milan example shows it in real numbers. There, the partial retake costs €63 for the B1 CELI 2 i and €49 for the A2 CELI 1 i. Both are 70% of the €90 and €70 full fees.
A Realistic Scenario
Take Marco, a Brazilian married to an Italian and living in Milan, applying through the route described in How to Apply for Italian Citizenship by Marriage. He’s weighing two options:
- He travels to Siena for CILS B1 Cittadinanza at €100. If he fails the oral, he pays the full fee again, plus another train trip.
- He sits CELI 2 i at the Università degli Studi di Milano for €90. If he fails the oral, he pays €63 to retake only that part.
If Marco feels shaky about speaking, the second route carries less financial risk. If he’s strong and Siena’s December session fits his deadline better, the first route might suit him. Neither is wrong. Just make the choice knowing the consequences.
Keeping Your Total Exam Budget Under Control
The exam fee is rarely your only cost. Preparation, travel and time off work add up quickly, especially if your nearest centre is a couple of hours away.
Choosing the Right Centre and Session
Steps I’d follow before paying anything:
- List every certified CILS and CELI centre within reasonable travel distance.
- Email each one asking for its fee, session dates and registration deadline.
- Match the session to your application deadline. CELI Immigrati runs in February, May and September at Perugia, while CELI Standard runs in March, June and November.
- Check whether your exam allows partial retakes before you register.
- Keep the payment receipt and registration confirmation with your citizenship paperwork.
If you’re on the long route covered in Italian Citizenship by Residence: The 10-Year Path, you probably have time to pick a convenient session rather than rushing the nearest one.
Preparing So You Only Pay Once
The cheapest exam is the one you pass first time. Speaking sections trip up confident readers more often than you’d expect. Formal exam conditions feel nothing like chatting with your barista.
Many expats book a few targeted sessions with an online tutor in the weeks before the exam. iTalki is a common choice because you can filter for teachers who list CILS or CELI preparation. Before you book, read the provider’s own page for current lesson prices, since tutors set their own rates. For a structured approach, CILS Exam Prep With a Tutor: Choosing Your Level and Timeline and CELI and PLIDA Prep: Format Differences and How to Practise Each walk through the formats.
If you’re unsure how many lessons to buy, Budgeting Tutor Hours for B1 Certification: How Many Lessons You Really Need helps you size it. Fair warning: a friend in Florence bought a big iTalki package, then realised she only needed oral practice, and had to rethink. Book a trial lesson, test your weak skill, then decide. Speaking Practice for Italian Oral Exams: Structuring Lessons Around the Format is worth reading before that first session. And if you’d rather study alone, How to Prepare for the B1 Italian Test for Citizenship lays out a self-guided plan.
Students and Other Purposes
Not everyone is sitting for citizenship. If a university wants proof of B2 or C1, the general CILS levels at Siena run from €105 for DUE-B2 to €160 for QUATTRO-C2. CELI Standard costs €120 in Perugia. Check exactly which certificate and level your programme accepts before paying. Preparing for an Italian University Entrance Language Test covers that path.
A Note for American Applicants
If you’re a US citizen working through citizenship or residency paperwork, this is often the season when everything administrative lands at once. Your US filing obligations don’t pause while you’re in Italy. Some Americans hand that part to a specialist firm such as Taxes for Expats so they can focus on the Italian side. Check the firm’s own site for its current service details. For an overview of what’s required, see Filing US Taxes From Italy: Which Forms You Actually Need.
The bottom line from someone who’s been through it: confirm the fee with your centre in writing, know whether your exam allows a partial retake, and prepare your weakest skill properly.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Laws, prices and regulations vary by location and change over time. Consult a qualified professional for guidance on your specific situation.
