Entry Visa and Arrival in Italy

Before leaving home, foreign students need to find out about the Italian laws governing a stay in Italy.

Citizens from any EU country – as well as citizens from the Switzerland, Norway, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland, Andorra, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City – have the right to enter Italy, move and reside freely in Italy for a maximum of three months.

Exchange students (Erasmus or other programmes) – who are EU citizens and will be staying in Italy for more than three months but in any case temporarily – can stay in Italy without any formalities: they only need to have an ID as a travel document.

Entry Visa for Study Purposes

How to apply for an entry visa: https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/?lang=en_US

Short-Stay Visa

Since the Single-Cycle Degree Programme in Veterinary Medicine has restricted access, candidates need to ask for a short-stay entry visa in order to take the mandatory entrance exam.

Visa for Study Purposes

Once completed the pre-enrolment procedure, students need to apply for an entry visa for study purposes / “Application to Italian Universities” to the Italian Diplomatic Missions in their own country of origin. A visa for study purposes shall be issued only for the enrolment in a 1^st-Cycle or a 2^nd-Cycle Degree Programme; in any case it can be issued to foreign students who register in academic years other than the year of enrolment.

Requirements for obtaining a VISA

In order to obtain a STUDY visa for University Enrollment (type D "national") and, subsequently, a residence permit, the international student must demonstrate possession of the following requirements:

1. Sufficient financial means for the planned stay These means are quantified as €534.41 per month for each month of the academic year, totaling €6,947.33 annually (equivalent to 13 months). The availability of these financial means in Italy must be proven through personal financial guarantees or those of the student's parents, or of institutions or Italian or foreign citizens legally residing in Italy, or provided by recognized and reliable Italian institutions and entities (including universities), local governments, or foreign institutions considered reliable by the Italian diplomatic representation. 20 Admission Procedure
2. Availability of funds for repatriation Which can also be proven by presenting a return ticket.
3. Suitable accommodation within Italian territory d)Adequate health insurance coverage for medical care and hospitalization (art. 39 c.3 Legislative Decree no. 286/1998 and Directive of the Ministry of the Interior dated 01.03.2000), which the student must demonstrate at the time of applying for the residence permit.

The following options are acceptable:

• A consular declaration certifying the right to healthcare assistance under an agreement between Italy and the student’s home country;
• A foreign insurance policy, valid in Italy, whose coverage does not include limitations or exceptions to the standard rates for emergency hospitalization for its entire duration;
• An insurance policy with national entities or companies, accompanied by a declaration from the insurance provider stating that there are no limitations or exceptions to the standard rates for emergency hospitalization for the entire duration of the policy. Please note that, starting from January 11, 2025, fingerprint collection is also mandatory for national visas (ref. Legislative Decree 145/2024). In cases where a STUDY visa for University Enrollment (type D "national") is issued to an individual applicant, the competent diplomatic-consular representation must confirm the conclusion of this procedure on the UNIVERSITALY portal.

Documents on arrival in Italy

Within eight days after their arrival in Italy, students holding a type-D visa for study purposes (see http://www.poliziadistato.it/articolo/view/10620/) need to apply for a residence permit at the foreign citizens’ office at the competent Police Station (“Questura”) in the town where they want to take up residence.