You can apply for a study visa for Italy by enrolling in one of our “Italiano Standard” courses for a minimum duration of 6 months. Should you have any special request, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Visa, which consists of a special “sticker” applied to the passport or other valid travel document of the applicant, is an authorization granted to the foreigner for entry into the territory of the Italian Republic. Depending on your nationality, country of residence, reasons of visitation and length of stay, here you will find useful information about what is expected to be released.
Visa for Italy
Before enrolling in our Italian Language Courses, we recommend that prospective students contact the Italian Diplomatic Representation or the Italian Consulate closest to their places of residence in order to receive the most up-to-date information. Below are the visa application requirements. Please note that a granted visa is not a right; consulates reserve the right to request supplementary documentation and have full discretion over the release of visas.
In the case of a visa refusal, the Consulate is required to provide a written explanation to the applicant along with instructions on how to file a complaint. The explanation provided by the consulate must be translated into a language that is comprehensible to the applicant, or, if not possible, into English, French, Spanish, or Arabic. In some countries, the visa application process for entry into Italy may take longer than expected. Because of this, we advise prospective students to contact his or her nearest consulate with ample time – we suggest at least one month before the start date of the language course.
In the absence of an Italian Consular representative, visa for tourist purposes must be released by the consulate of any country adhering to the Schengen Agreement. In this case, visas requests must be submitted to the representative of the country of destination in the Schengen area.
Visas for study must be released only by the Italian consulate (or by the consular section of the Italian embassy) with territorial competence for the applicant’s country of residence.
Citizens of the following countries are required to obtain visas
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.
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
Documents typically required by consular authorities
Passport valid for at least 3 months (or 6 months for some countries) beyond the end date of the visa.
Health insurance with adequate coverage that is valid in all countries of the Schengen area.
Some countries or states, which have adhered to the Schengen Treaty, have reliable travel agencies accredited by the Italian Consulates that are able to help visa applicants with any bureaucratic problems.
Visa for study purposes: additional documents
Medical insurance, valid in case of urgent hospitalization without cost and duration limits with the "INA - Insurance of Italy". This insurance is quite cheap, as of 03.10.2003 it costs Euro 38.73 for six months or Euro 77.46 for twelve months and covers the risk of hospitalization in the event of trauma or illnesses that require emergency hospitalization but cannot be used for outpatient or home medical visits. For this reason, it is also necessary to have medical insurance from your country, valid in Italy, which also covers these risks.
Documented guarantees regarding the course to be attended (course enrollment certificate).
Tourist visa: additional documents
Medical insurance, valid in case of urgent hospitalization without cost and duration limits with INA (Insurance of Italy). This insurance covers the risk of hospitalization in the event of trauma or diseases that require emergency hospitalization but cannot be used for outpatient or home medical visits. For this reason, it is also necessary to have medical insurance from your country, valid in Italy, which also covers these risks. As of 03.10.2003 the insurance costs with the "INA - Insurance of Italy" are: - Euro 72.30 for six months or Euro 118.79 for twelve months, up to 40 years of age; - Euro 92.96 for six months or Euro 154.94 for twelve months, from 40 to 65 years of age (over 65 years of age the INA does not agree to take out this type of policy).
It is possible to avoid insuring with "INA - Le Assicurazioni d'Italia" for those who have a declaration from the Consulate of Italy in which it is clearly written that their insurance (the name of the insurance must be written) is valid in Italy, which covers the costs in the event of hospitalization, medical examinations and which can be used to apply for a residence permit.
Before issuing the visa for study some Consulates require enrolment in a course of at least 20 hours of weekly lessons.
Once they have verified that they have the minimum requirements required by law and have obtained the necessary information from the Consulate, the student can enroll in the course by sending the enrollment form to the school and paying the entire cost of the course booked in a single solution. (Terms and Conditions).
Only at that point can the school, in order to make possible the initiation of the visa application procedure, issue the enrolment certificate, the letter of confirmation for the course with the address of the accommodation booked and the receipt for the amount paid.
It is not possible to issue a visa (nor the extension of a pre-existing visa) to a foreigner who is already on Italian territory. To make possible officially extensions of the period of stay, only extensions or renewals of the residence permit are valid.
In Italy the Police cannot extend or renew residence permits of the visa is type “C”.
Further information about the issue of visas and residence permits can be found by visiting the following websites:
Ministero degli Affari Esteri
The website contains all the updated information and forms required for visa application.
Rappresentanze Diplomatiche e Consolari italiane nel mondo
Some Embassies' websites also provide visa information in languages other than Italian.
Ministero dell'Interno - Polizia di Stato
Italian information on entry into Italy and residence permit.
Italiano per il Visto Course
You can apply for a study visa for Italy by enrolling in our “Italiano per il visto” course for a minimum duration of 6 months. Please fill the form you will find at the bottom of this page and we will get back to you within 24 hours with an offer tailored on your learning needs.