Italy Student Visa - The Definitive Guide

The Italy study visa is an endorsement that lets you enter the country and engage in academic activities for a certain period. They can be classified as two types - 

• Italy Schengen student visa - This category is under the C short term category and is issued for studies that do not last more than 90 days. 
• Italy National student visa - This permit is under the D long term category, and is issued if you have to study in the country for a duration of more than 90 days. 

However, since both these permits allow you to travel through the Schengen area, they are both generally called Schengen Italy student visa and can be issued as single-entry, double-entry, or even multiple-entries.

The application for the Italy student visa from India can be done by filling the offline application form. You will have to submit the application at one of the Italian appointed visa application centres (VAC). 

1. Download the offline Italy student visa application form from the website of the VAC.
2. You must use the Schengen application form for the Italy Schengen study visa. However, for the national Italy study visa, you will have to fill out the national visa application form. 
3. Book an appointment for the application and biometric submission at a VAC under each mission as per the jurisdiction (state of residence in the past 6 months). You can do this online, or by calling them on their number.
4. Visit the relevant VAC with your documents, completed application form, as well as any fees, to submit your application.

Your VACs must be under the embassy/consulate according to the below jurisdiction - 

VACs under The Embassy of Italy, New Delhi covers states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, as well as Chandigarh. 

VACs under The Consulate General of Italy, Mumbai covers Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, as well as Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.

VACs under The Consulate General of Italy, Kolkata covers Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa,  Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, West Bengal, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Note that in the case that you have already submitted your biometrics in the past 5 years, you do not have to submit them again. 

Ensure that you submit the genuine documents and correct information. Any false information or fake documents can cause a visa rejection.  A refusal of your permit is considered to affect your future travel.

To be able to apply for the Italy study visa, you must meet the following conditions - 

• You must be present within India if you are applying from there. If you are an Indian resident in another country, you may be able to apply for the visa in that country itself. 
• You must possess an Indian passport valid for at least 3 months from the validity. 
• Your primary motive behind the visit must be to indulge in study-related activities such as research, internship, training. 
• You must have an invitation letter from the Italian educational institution accepting you to study.
• You must possess sufficient funds to cover your stay in Italy.
• You can apply for the permit if Italy is your only study destination.

As per the Italy student visa requirements, the following are the list of documents you will have to submit for a successful application - 

• A valid passport -
  1. It must contain at least 2 blank pages.
  2. It should not be older than 10 years.
  3. It should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel.
  4. Old passports, if any, are to be attached.

• 2 passport size photographs
• Confirmed flight tickets -
  1. Round trip for Italy Schengen study visa. 
  2. One-way for National student permit.

• Proof of accommodation 
• Travel medical insurance covering 30000 Euros  
• Educational documents apostilled by the MEA
• Financial documents to show sufficient funds such as -
  1. Bank statements
  2. Bank guarantees
  3. Scholarship documents
  4. Proof of financial ability of the family, if applicable

• Letter of acceptance from the Italian institute stating the duration of the course
• Original admission letter stapled to the passport - for national student permit only
• ‘Declaration of value’ of applicant’s documents, if required

• Dimensions:  35mm X 45mm
• Colour: Coloured 
• Head must occupy the central position
• Must be recently captured within the last 3 months
• Background: Solid, plain white or grey
• 80% face coverage
• Neutral expression
• Glasses: Non-thick framed and prescription are permitted
• Headgears are allowed only for religious reasons
• Facial hair is permitted

The processing time for the student permit can depend on the duration of stay, the validity, the number of entries, the volume of applications at the embassy, as well as the previous travel history of the applicant. The student permits will normally be processed in about 15 working days. However, due to the uncertainty, you must apply well in advance to avoid any delays.

The total fees for the process depend on several factors such as the type of the student permit, express delivery charges, biometric charges, and so on. Since the fees can vary upon the foreign exchange rates as well, it is strongly advised to check the exact fees right before applying.

Once you have submitted the application and paid the fees, you will now have to wait to get your visa. As per your choice, you can either pick up the passport from VAC, or you may opt for it to be delivered to you via mail.

After you have successfully made the application, you can then track the status of your application to know the exact stage of processing it is in. For this, you can click here and enter your reference number and date of birth, or also contact your travel agency to have them track it for you.

Once you have the student permit, you must follow the below points to ensure that you have a pleasant stay - 

• Make a note of the visa expiry date, validity, as well as the number of entries. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Italy within 6 months of your visa issuance, or as per mentioned on the sticker.
• Always carry a copy of your passport/residence permit while you are travelling within the country.
• While you are on a short term student category, you are not permitted to take part in paid work. However, on long term student permits, you may be allowed to work part-time.  
• You cannot extend the permit unless in extreme unforeseeable circumstances.
• You must obey the Italian laws and respect the culture.
• You can visit other Schengen countries with this. However, with the long term permit, you can stay in the other Schengen country for a maximum stay duration of 90 days in a 180-day period.