Overview
The Arma dei Carabinieri, Italy's gendarmerie, recruits through separate public competitions (concorsi), each with its own announcement (bando). The Carabinieri site lists open competitions for several entry routes, including Carabinieri on a four-year enlistment, Ispettori (inspector rank), and officers through the Accademia and the technical and forestry officer roles.
This page describes the 2026 competition for 3,081 Allievi Carabinieri on a four-year enlistment (ferma quadriennale), the main route into the Appuntati and Carabinieri rank. Other competitions have their own rules, so read the bando of the one you want.
Who can apply
The 2026 bando splits the 3,081 posts into reserves, and a candidate may compete for only one of them, chosen on the application:
2,134 posts for volunteers in prefixed-term service (VFP) in the armed forces, serving or discharged.
915 posts for Italian citizens in general.
32 posts for candidates holding the bilingualism certificate (level A2) issued by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano: 22 from VFP volunteers and 10 from civilians.
Age and education depend on the reserve:
Civilians (and VFP volunteers serving since 1 January 2021): Italian citizen, aged 18 and not past their 24th birthday. A 17-year-old may apply with parental consent. They must hold, or be on course to obtain in the 2025/2026 school year, an upper-secondary diploma.
VFP volunteers, serving or discharged: not past their 25th birthday, with at least twelve months of service. Those serving or discharged by 31 December 2020 need only the lower-secondary diploma.
All candidates must also enjoy civil and political rights, have no conviction for intentional crimes or pending charges for them, have a clean conduct record, and not have been dismissed from public employment. Requirements must be met by the application deadline and kept until enlistment.
Exam pattern
The competition has five phases, in this order of the bando:
| Phase | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Written selection test | Multiple-choice questionnaire scored out of 100 |
| Physical efficiency test | Pass or fail; passing adds up to 3 points to the final ranking |
| Psycho-physical checks | Medical and psychophysical fitness for military service, at the national selection centre in Rome |
| Attitude checks | Assessment of motivation, behaviour and interpersonal skills, in two phases |
| Evaluation of titles | Extra points for qualifications and certificates, scored only for candidates who passed every earlier phase |
Syllabus
The written test covers general knowledge (Italian, history, geography, mathematics, geometry, science, the Constitution and citizenship), computer knowledge, the history and structure of the Arma, logic and verbal reasoning, and basic knowledge of one foreign language chosen from French, English, Spanish or German. Candidates with the bilingualism certificate may ask to take the test in German.
Marking and results
The written score decides who goes on to the physical test. For example, in the civilian reserve of 915 posts, the first 10,000 candidates are called, plus anyone tied with the last one. The Arma may call up to 15,000 candidates in total. The final merit rankings combine the written score, the physical test increment and the points for titles. Ties are settled by the legal preference titles listed in the bando.
Important dates
For the 2026 competition, the Carabinieri site lists the application deadline as 7 April 2026. The bando gives candidates 30 days from its publication on the inPA portal. Dates and venues of the written test are announced by notice on the Carabinieri site.
How to apply
Applications are online only, through the Area Concorsi on the Carabinieri site, with a notice published on the inPA portal. You need SPID (level 2) or an electronic identity card (CIE) in your own name. The form asks for an ordinary email address, a certified email address (PEC) and a digital passport-style photo. Paper applications are not accepted, and a submitted application cannot be edited: you must cancel it and file a new one before the deadline.
After the exam
Winners are admitted to the Allievi Carabinieri course at a training unit. They sign up for four years in the Arma and lose any rank held in the armed forces. After six months, and after passing the exams, they are appointed Carabinieri. Civilian-reserve winners are posted for at least eight years to the north-west, the north-east, Tuscany or the province of Rome, as set out in the bando. Candidates may also state a preference for specialist forestry, environmental and agri-food roles, and 123 of the winners are chosen for that training.
Preparation tips
The Carabinieri site publishes a bank of written-test questions before the exam, together with a practice platform that opens with the code on your application receipt. Use it to practise, and train for the physical test early.
What are the stages of the Allievi Carabinieri competition?
A written test, a physical efficiency test, psycho-physical checks, attitude checks and an evaluation of titles.
What is the age limit for civilians in the 2026 competition?
Civilians must be 18 and not past their 24th birthday. A 17-year-old can apply with parental consent.