Entry Requirements

Passports

First things first! You will need a passport that doesn’t expire too soon -- at a minimum it should last for 6 months after your anticipated return from your study abroad program. Apply or renew now if you need to!

Visas

The maximum duration of permitted stay in the Schengen area as a tourist is 90 days, so students staying in Italy for a semester or academic-year program will need to apply for a student visa.   

Essentially, your passport is your international ID and your visa is your ticket into the country. All students who will be in Italy for over 90 days need a visa in order to participate in study abroad programs. Without a student visa, you will not be allowed to enter Italy, and you will not be allowed to participate in the program.  

The Italian study visa process has two parts: First, the study visa is physically stamped into your passport. You apply for this before you depart for Italy, and it is required for you to enter the country. Second, the “Permit to Stay” is an immigration process you’ll complete within 8 days of arriving into Italy. Depending on your program, you may need to complete a pre-registration process and payment. 

Please review the Italy Visa guidelines here.

Permits to Stay

A Permit to Stay is authorization for you to “stay” or legally reside in Italy for more than 90 days. There are no exceptions. If you are caught without a Permit of Stay, you may be fined, imprisoned, or deported. Police will often ask foreign students for documentation. You must have this documentation on your person at all times. This MUST be taken care of within 8 days of your arrival in Italy. 

Please see the graphic below for an overview of this process.