Italy

How to Apply for Italy Student Visa

A foreign student who wants to study in Italy will have to avail the Italy student visa. If a student opts for a course or program that does not extend beyond 90 days, he or she will require a Schengen visa or short stay visa.

However, if the student opts for a course or program that lasts for more than 90 days, he or she will have to obtain long term student visa or national visa (NV).

Italy student visa in an entry visa and a student will need to obtain a “permit to stay” after arriving in Italy.

University of Milan, Italy. Image source

Read: How To Get An Italian Startup Visa Or ISV

Eligibility criteria for Italy student visa

To be eligible for Italy student visa you must fulfil the following conditions:

You must provide the official letter of acceptance issued by an Italian university confirming your admission to the course
You must have a valid passport with at least two blank visa pages
Your passport must have a validity that exceeds the duration of the visa you are applying for by at least 3 months
Your passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years
You must have a copy of your completed and signed visa application form
You must provide proof of your financial ability so as to support yourself financially during your entire period of study in Italy.
You must provide a copy of your flight itinerary. This is required to confirm the details of your return tickets to your home country as one-way tickets are unacceptable
You must provide a recent statement of your financial situation from your bank, duly signed by a bank official.
You must provide proof of having obtained valid health and medical insurance that covers the entire duration of your stay in Italy.
You must not have a criminal record
You must not have been refused entry into Italy previously
You intend to leave Italy at the end of your authorized stay

Steps to follow to apply for Italy student visa

You will have to apply at the Italian Embassy or Consulate for the student visa. After you receive the letter of acceptance or letter of admission for your intended course of study, you can check your eligibility for obtaining an Italian student visa and then go ahead with the below mentioned procedure.

Step 1: Get the student visa application form

As the first step of your visa application procedure,

you need to obtain the student visa application form. You can download the form from the internet.

Step 2: Fill up the student visa application form

Carefully fill out the details required in the visa application form.

Step 3: Gather the required documents for student visa application

Make a check list of all the documents needed for submission along with your visa application form at the Italian Embassy or Consulate. Gather all the documents and keep them ready for submission.

Step 4: Provide photograph for your student visa application

Make sure that you provide your recent colour photograph for the student visa application. Your photograph must match or correspond to all the specifications required for student visa photographs. In any case, your photograph must not be more than 6 months old.

Step 5: Schedule an appointment

Schedule an appointment with the visa application centre in order to submit your application form.

Step 6: Submit your student application form

Submit your visa application form along with the required documents and application fees at the Italian Consulate. Remember to carry the original copies of all supporting documents. After you submit your application form and pay the visa application fee, you will be issued an acknowledgement receipt for your submission.

Step 7: Track your student application form

You can keep track of the progress of your student visa application through online tracking, messaging service, phone call to the application centre or through email.

Step 8: Collect your student visa

You can opt to have your student visa delivered to you through courier service or you can personally collect your student visa directly from the Italian Embassy by showing the original acknowledgement receipt issued to you. In case you send someone else to collect the visa on your behalf, he or she will have to carry the following documents:

Original acknowledgement receipt
Letter of authority mentioning the name of your representative and bearing your signature
Photo ID proof of the representative
Your passport copy for signature verification

Required fees for Italy student visa

Application fees for Italy student visa – EUR 116 (INR 7,832.41)

Note:

Your application fee will not be refunded if your application for student visa is refused or rejected for any reason.
The conversion into Indian currency is based on current conversion rates, which may change.
The visa application fee is subject to change at any time.

Italy student visa exemption program

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to stay and study in Italy for a period of up to 90 days.

Albania	Andorra	Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina	Australia	Bahamas
Barbados	Bosnia-Herzegovina	Brazil
Brunei	Canada	Chile
Costa Rica	Croatia	El Salvador
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)	Guatemala	Honduras
Hong Kong	Israel	Japan
Malaysia	Macao	Mauritius
Mexico	Monaco	Montenegro
New Zealand	Nicaragua	Northern Marianas
Panama	Paraguay	Saint Kitts and Nevis
Serbia	Seychelles	Singapore
South Korea	Taiwan	United States
Uruguay	Venezuela

Nationals of San Marino, the Holy See and Switzerland also do not require visas to visit Italy for up to 90 days.

Dos and Don’ts for Italy student visa

You must remember the following dos and don’ts while applying for Italy student visa.

Dos

Apply for a student visa soon after you receive the official letter of acceptance from your hosting Italian university
Fill up your application form carefully with all accurate details
Bring original copies and photocopies of all supporting documents when you come to submit your visa application form at the Italian Embassy or Consulate

Don’ts