Citizens from countries that require an entry visa to enter Italy can enroll in and attend an Italian language course if they hold a tourist visa (valid for stays of up to a maximum of 90 days) or a study visa (required for periods exceeding 90 days).

Before enrolling in an Italian language course, it is advisable to contact the Italian Diplomatic or Consular representation closest to your place of residence in order to obtain precise and up-to-date information. Below are the essential requirements for starting the visa application process. Please note that a visa is not considered a right and its issuance is therefore at the discretion of the individual consular authorities, which reserve the right to request additional documentation.

In the event of a visa refusal, the Consulate is required to provide the applicant with a written explanation, together with information on how to appeal. The explanation must be translated into a language understandable to the applicant or, in cases of objective impossibility, into English, French, Spanish, or Arabic.

In some countries, the time required to obtain an entry visa for Italy can be quite long; therefore, it is advisable to contact the competent Consulate in due time, at least one month before the start of the course you intend to attend.

In the absence of an Italian Consular Representation, a tourist visa may be issued by the Consulate of any country that has acceded to the Schengen Agreement. In this case, whenever possible, the visa must be requested from the Representation of the country of entry into the “Schengen Area”. A study visa may only be issued by the Italian Consulate (or the Consular Section of the Italian Embassy) with territorial jurisdiction in the applicant’s country of residence.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Green Cape, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Corea, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, the Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Saoma, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

For other countries including:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brasile, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, South Corea, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Estonia, Japan, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States, Hungary, Uruguay, Venezuela do not require tourist visas for trips lasting less than 90 days.

It is also noted that "starting from 1 September 2010, citizens of countries exempt from the visa requirement for a short stay, will be able to enter Italy for study reasons, for stays of up to 90 (ninety) days, WITHOUT the corresponding Entry visa for study ".

The countries for which this legislation is valid are:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Japan, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama. Paraguay, Singapore, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

To stay informed of any changes in this list, we suggest visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and the European Union website.

As of May 2004, citizens of Poland, Hungary, Czech republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Malta, and Cyprus are no longer considered non-EU. In any case, citizens of these countries who are not required to obtain visas should still make sure to have their passports stamped by the Italian border police with the date and time of entry into Italy.

Both tourism and study visa applicants are required to have proof of sufficient financial resources to be able to be independently spent over the period of time of residence in Italy. The Ministry of Home Affairs has created a table in order to establish reasonable means of sustenance required for admission into Italy for both tourism and study

Passport with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the requested visa (for some countries, a validity of more than 6 months is required).

Return air ticket (or ticket for another means of transport) or flight reservation.

Proof of sufficient financial means to support oneself during the stay in Italy, in accordance with the parameters specified above.

The applicant, through appropriate documentation (e.g. employment certificate, cash, credit card, traveller’s cheques or other), must prove that they are in a socio-economic situation or in an employment and family position that can guarantee their genuine intention to return to their home country at the end of the visa’s validity period.

Confirmation of hotel booking or other suitable accommodation.

Health insurance with adequate coverage, valid for all countries in the Schengen Area.

In some countries, certain reputable travel agencies, accredited with the Italian Consulates or those of other states that have adhered to the Schengen Agreement, can help you resolve any bureaucratic issues.

Medical insurance, valid in case of urgent hospital admission without limits on cost or duration, with “INA – Le Assicurazioni d’Italia”. This insurance is quite inexpensive; as of 03.10.2003 it costs €38.73 for six months or €77.46 for twelve months and covers the risk of hospitalization in case of trauma or illness requiring urgent admission, but it cannot be used for outpatient or home medical visits. For this reason, it is also necessary to have medical insurance from your own country, valid in Italy, that also covers these risks.Documented guarantees regarding the course to be attended (course enrollment certificate).

Documented proof regarding the course to be attended (certificate of enrollment in the course).

Medical insurance, valid in the event of emergency hospitalization, with no limits on expenses or duration, provided by INA (Le Assicurazioni d’Italia). This insurance covers the risk of hospitalization resulting from injuries or illnesses that require emergency admission to a hospital. However, it cannot be used for outpatient medical consultations or home medical visits. For this reason, it is also necessary to have medical insurance from your own country, valid in Italy, that covers these risks as well. As of 03/10/2003, the cost of insurance with “INA – Le Assicurazioni d’Italia” is: - €72.30 for six months or €118.79 for twelve months, up to 40 years of age; - €92.96 for six months or €154.94 for twelve months, for persons aged between 40 and 65 (INA does not offer this type of policy to persons over 65 years of age).

It is possible to avoid taking out insurance with “INA – Le Assicurazioni d’Italia” if you have a declaration issued by the Italian Consulate clearly stating that your insurance policy (the name of the insurance company must be specified) is valid in Italy, covers hospitalization expenses as well as medical consultations, and may be used for the purpose of applying for a residence permit.