INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: visa and other useful information

preliminary information

For students residing in a country that does not belong to the European Union, we remind you that the Italian law on immigration provides that, for stays in Italy of longer than 3 months, it is necessary to apply for a residence permit within 8 days of entry into Italy. You can pick up the application kit for the residence permit at any post office where there is a “Sportello Amico” window.

If you are a student resident in the EU, consider that citizens of the European Union can stay in Italy for up to 3 months without any conditions or formalities, provided they are in possession of an identification document valid for expatriation issued by their own country. After 3 months, it is necessary to register at the municipal office where the student is resident in Italy. The following documents are required to register: certificate of registration with IAAD., proof of health coverage and documentation certifying sufficient financial means for the period of study.

ENTRY PROCEDURES

What to do before arriving in Italy

STUDY VISA

Do you need a study visa? Find out more information on this link.

The study visa is issued by the Italian Embassy or by the consular offices of the student’s country of residence; in Italy the residence permit is issued by the designated police office and must be requested within 8 days of arrival in Italy.

The visa issued will be valid for the duration of the student’s academic program.

RESIDENCE PERMIT

EU citizens and citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and San Marino

All EU citizens and citizens of these countries with a valid identity document for foreign travel issued by their own country are permitted to stay in Italy for up to three months. 

After these first months they must be registered in the Civil Registry of the Municipality where they reside in Italy.

The required documents for this registration are:

• certificate of enrollment at the University;
• fiscal code;
• proof of health insurance;
• family income documents.

Non-EU and non-EU equivalent citizens

Citizens of non-EU countries (and not resident in Norway, Island, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and San Marino) who will be staying in Italy for more than three months must apply for a residence permit within eight days of their arrival in Italy.
Each University has its own Info desk for the residence permit requests. The application is available at the post office’s “Sportello Amico” and costs about 140€.

The following documents are needed:

• 2 copies in A4 format of the passport page with your personal information (picture, name and surname, your visa and any other page containing stamps);
• fiscal code card – original document and a photocopy;
• copy of the acceptance letter from your University indicating the course of study and approved by the Diplomatic/Consular Delegation;
• certificate of registration from the University;
• copy of documentation indicating sufficient family income;
• proof of health insurance covering the period of stay in Italy, with your name (in Western letters), the type of your health insurance coverage, its validity for the “Schengen Area” and minimum coverage of 30.000€. The text of the policy insurance has to be in Italian or in English, French or Spanish;
• 1 stamp (marca da bollo) of 16€ which can be purchased at a Tobacconist.

The post office will issue you a receipt upon collecting the completed application packet.

You must be careful to keep it until you have received your electronic residence permit. The receipt includes a User ID and a password to login to your profile on www.portaleimmigrazione.it under the section Foreigners (Stranieri), where you can check the progress of your application. 

Once the application is processed, the post office will give you the official letter of convocation requesting that you report to the Immigration Office (c.so Verona 4, Torino ) to be fingerprinted. 

You must bring the following documents with you:

• all of the above original documents;
• 4 identical portrait photographs.

Recognition of foreign qualifications

For the recognition of foreign qualifications, please refer to the certificate of comparability of the educational qualification above.

CERTIFICATE OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE

If you are a non-EU student residing abroad and want to enroll in a study course in Italian, you must demonstrate that you have an adequate level of knowledge of Italian for university studies. In addition to demonstrating your knowledge of Italian, you must meet the entry requirements and take and pass the admission tests for your intended course of study.

Non-EU candidates who plan to study in Italian at an Italian university must also take an Italian language aptitude test in order to applying for a visa 

Proof of Italian proficiency is not required for:

• those who enroll in courses in English;
• those who have obtained a certification of proficiency not lower than level B2 from a qualifying agency as explained in the ministerial guidelines (see the procedures for entry, residency and enrollment of international students and the respective recognition of qualifications for higher education courses in Italy)
• those in possession of a secondary school diploma obtained at Italian schools abroad and the schools listed in attachment 2 of the Ministerial Guidelines;
• other cases indicated in the Ministerial Guidelines.

visa application

UNIVERSITY PRE-ENROLLMENT

Please visit Universitaly Portal for further information about pre-enrollment for international students.

PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING A STUDY VISA

At the time of enrollment, candidates must present their qualifications, which include a secondary school diploma demonstrating at least 12 years of education or a substitute equivalent, legally recognized certificate.

The Institute will also have the right to attach any additional documentation to the candidate’s application that may facilitate the consular visa office in the process of completing the pre-enrollment procedure.
Acceptance into IAAD.’s educational programs does not confer the right to obtain a visa.
Following the admission test and subsequent confirmation of acceptance by IAAD., candidates can apply for a study visa, with validity related to the duration of the course.
The Italian Consulate and Embassy visa offices take into account the start dates of the courses when they issue visas.
It is, however, strongly recommended that the student apply for the visa immediately upon confirmation of acceptance by IAAD., given the usually short time frame for processing the visa.
For this reason, IAAD. will send the certificate of eligibility/admission via email and subsequently, once the student’s place in the program is officially secured by the payment of the registration fee, IAAD. will issue the registration certificate.

For detailed information on the procedures visit the website:

• www.studiare-in-italia.it;
• Entry and stay for study reasons.

For further information, please contact the Italian Consulate or Embassy in your country.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPARABILITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

IAAD. has entered into an agreement with CIMEA. Therefore, when completing the enrollment, the secondary school diploma must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the Italian ENIC-NARIC center (CIMEA).

For more information: CIMEA Credential Information Service – CIS.

Start the procedure to apply for the certificate of comparability: IAAD. | CIMEA MY DIPLOME.