If you aren’t from the EU or EEA, then it’s likely you’ll need a long term D visa to before you can study in Italy. This type of visa is for people who will be in the country longer than three months and will cost around €60.
You should apply for a student visa around three months before you plan to arrive in Italy.
Both EU and other students staying in the country for more than 90 days must apply for a residence permit when they arrive in Italy.
Steps to get a study visa for Italy
- Accept an offer from a university: Pay any necessary fees to secure your place at the Italian university you have chosen.
- Contact or visit your nearest consulate or embassy: Find out the exact visa process for your home country, including the documents you need to complete and schedule an interview for your Italian visa application.
- Attend a visa interview: Submit the documents asked for and pay the fee for this application.
- Wait for the results: You will receive a visa outcome in writing.
- Apply for a residence permit: Within eight days of arriving in Italy, you need to apply for your residence permit at your nearest Questura — a type of police station. EU students must also complete this step within 20 days of entering the country.
- Receive a permit: Your permit may take a couple of months to be created, so within this time you may be issued with a temporary document.
Italy student visa requirements
- Recent color passport style photograph
- Valid passport (the expiry date should be three months longer than that of the visa requested)
- Confirmation of a place at an Italian university
- Educational history and documents to support this
- Confirmation of accommodation in Italy
- Proof of finances to support yourself in Italy
- Health insurance
Working as a student in Italy
You can usually work up to 20 hours a week with a student residence permit in Italy. However, your employer will need to organize a work permit for you, which may take up to two months to process.