How To Get A Student Visa For Italy

Getting a student visa for Italy is easier than you think! This guide helps you through the process of getting a student visa for Italy, from start to finish. It includes everything from how to get a letter of acceptance from a university in Italy, to government information on the costs involved and much more.

One of the world’s most ancient, stunning and elegant countries, Italy is just what you’ve been looking for. Just to get there is half the fun with cheap flights to Milan and a lot more. Once you’ve arrived in Italy, what then? There are quite a few immigration procedures and paperwork you’ll have to do for student visa for Italy. Of course, this may seem overwhelming at first, so relax!

 Getting a student visa to Italy is not easy, but it’s definitely possible with the right advice. You must know Italian language and want to spend at least two years in this country, fulfilling some conditions.

There are a number of things to consider when applying for an Italian Student Visa. In this article I am going to go through everything you need to know about the Italian student visa requirements and process. It is useful if you are studying at a university, college, high school or language school in Italy and you are from outside of Europe.

How To Get A Student Visa For Italy

Foreign nationals who want to study in Italy for a period longer than three months, may have to apply for an Italy Student Visa.

Whether or not you need a visa depends on your nationality. In addition to the visa, you will also need an Italian residence permit.

An Italy student visa is a type of Italian long-stay visa (also known as a national or D-visa). It is the Italy visa you must apply for if you want to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days.

The student visa for Italy is only an entrance visa. This means it grants you the right to enter Italy, but if you want to legally stay and study in Italy for longer than three months, you also have to apply for an Italian residence permit.

You can only apply for an Italian residence permit in Italy. This is why the entrance visa is necessary.

Who Needs a Visa to Study in Italy?

Almost everyone needs a visa to study in Italy for longer than three months.

Only nationals from the following countries are exempt from holding an Italian Student Visa to enter Italy:

• EU (European Union) countries
• Switzerland
• Norway
• Liechtenstein
• Iceland

Still, even the aforementioned countries are required to obtain an Italy residence permit after three months.

If you are a national from a country who is exempt from the Schengen visa, and the course lasts less than three months, then you do not need an Italy student visa. However, if the course lasts for longer than three months, then you have to apply for an Italian student visa from your home country.

If you are already in Italy with a Schengen visa, you have to leave the country and apply for a long-stay visa in your home country instead.

Non-EU nationals cannot apply for an Italian residence permit without an Italian long-stay visa.

What are the Italy Student Visa requirements?

When you apply for an Italian student visa, you must have several documents to support your application. You must also fulfill several conditions, such as already being enrolled in an Italian educational institution.

The requirements for an Italy student visa are:

• The Italy Student Visa Application Form.
• Recent passport-size photographs in line with Italian visa picture requirements.
  • 35mm x 45mm
  • Light, preferably white, background
  • Face must take up 70% – 80% of the picture
  • Neutral facial expression
• Travel document that is valid for at least three more months after the expiry of your visa and with at least two blank visa pages.
• Photocopies of previous visas.
• Civil status documents, such as birth or marriage certificates.
• Proof of enrollment or pre-enrollment in an Italian university course.
• Police clearances from your home country.
• Proof of accommodation in Italy, such as apartment rental or student housing.
• Proof of sufficient financial means.
• Adequate health insurance for Italy which covers medical treatment and hospitalization.
• Certificates of prior education.
• Depending on the language the educational program is in: Proof of knowledge of English or Italian.
• Receipt of paid visa fee.

In the event that the student is a minor, he or she must have a signed document consenting to the travel by both parents or legal guardians.

All documents that are not in Italian or English have to be translated by an authorized translator.

Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. Different countries or Italian embassies may have different requirements, so you have to check in with them before you submit your application. An incomplete submission will be rejected and you have to apply at a later date. This will push back the processing time, which is sometimes quite lengthy as it is.