Student Visa for Italy: Application and Eligibility

Who needs to apply?

Non-EU citizens need to apply for a visa to enter the country for any period of time, Non-EU countries exempt from Schengen Visa do not need to apply for a visa if their program lasts less than or equal to 90 days but if it lasts more than 90 days, they are required to obtain one. All students, including EU citizens, need to apply for a student residency permit if they wish to stay in the country for more than 90 days. They must make an application upon the first 8 days of arriving in Italy at the post office. The permit will last as long as your studies but it can be renewed if there is just cause. The student visa is simply a gateway into Europe but does not guarantee a stay; thus, the residence permit application should be made to ensure your stay. For information on how to do that click here

Important: It is crucial to make a visa appointment and attain a visa before entering the country or booking flights, as without a visa often times you won’t be allowed to enter, and once within the country on a short-term Schengen visa, you will not be allowed to apply for a long term one within Italy, so you must travel to your home country.

Types of Visas

There are 2 types of student visas for entry into Italy.

Short-stay visa or Visa Type C

For those whose course duration does not exceed 90 days, they are able to make repeated entries to Italy within the 90-day time frame. Those exempt are EU nationals and countries and those to whom the Schengen visa does not apply. They do not need a residency permit but may be required to create a codice fiscale, a tax code, and postal code To find out more about a codice fiscal application, click here.

Long-stay visa or Visa type D

This is the more common visa for single university courses that last more than 90 days. This visa is required for all students, except EU nationals. All students wishing to study for more than 90 days must apply for a residency permit.

You can only start your visa application after your place within an Italian education institution has been secured, as within the application you will have to prove your enrollment. You can check your higher education application through UniversItaly’s portal.

Documents needed to apply

-Visa Application Form

-Passport with at least 2 free pages and valid for at least three months after leaving Italy

-Proof of admission into an Italian higher education institution. You can do this through a confirmation letter given by your university or through your account on UniversItaly.

-2-4 recent passport-sized photos

-Proof of accommodation within Italy, whether that be placement within university halls or private accommodation lease agreement

-Proof of financial means to support your studies and stay as a general at least an income of € 467,65 per month for the academic year, a total of € 6.079,45 per year. this can be shown through bank statements regular income checks bank balances and transactions

-Health insurance or health coverage in case of illness or prior health insurance,

Note: Those who will be in Italy for over 90 days have access to the national health care services provided by the government as long as they pay an annual fee. For more information on eligibility, click here and for the application process for the Italian healthcare card Tessera Sanitaria, click here.

Sufficient language knowledge for your desired course of Italian or English is not necessary for your application but is often a requirement for your desired course, in which case it is useful to attach it to your application. 

 For minors, they must have a legalized, translated birth certificate and a document allowing for expatriation signed by all parents or legal guardians.

For those visa C short-term visas, a return date or journey should be booked.

All documents must be officially translated into English or Italian.

For a comprehensive checklist of documents, click here

How to Apply

1. Locate the closest Italian embassy to you; if you wish to find the nearest one, click here. Book a visa appointment with them, as it usually takes a few days to process, and you will probably have to wait until your meeting.

2. Fill out an online application form You can find it on your relevant embassy’s website; alternatively, you can find the application form here. Fill in your nationality, the reason for your purpose,  and the duration of your studies, after which the website will generate an adequate application suited to your purposes. Another version of the online form can be found here. They will usually ask you about your nationality and other personal information, as well as past criminal records, enrollment and accommodation in Italy.
3. Gather documents, generally, the required documents for every nationality may vary, but these are the ones required by all.
4. You must now pay the visa application fee, which varies but is around  €40-116 You will find out the exact amount upon completing your application form.
5. After this, submit all your documents to your local Italian embassy when your appointment has been assigned. They will either conduct an interview immediately or ask you to return for an interview where they will ask you for your reasons for studying and any technical and practical information.

If denied, you won’t get reimbursed for the fee but will be able to reapply. They will issue a letter of rejection outlining the reasons for this conclusion. You will have 60 days to make an appeal at court, or if not, you can reapply.

Upon receiving your visa, you are free to explore not only Italy but also other Schengen countries. So be sure to make the most of your time!

This article is written for informative purposes only, with the aim of providing a general overview of procedures. Please check the official website of local Italian authorities for up-to-date information

Websites and links:

https://studyinitaly.esteri.it/Static/Visto

https://www.universitaly.it/studenti-stranieri

https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home.aspx

https://immigration-portal.ec.europa.eu/italy-student_en