The rules for Italy student visa are constantly changing, and most of the online information is either incomplete or outdated.

This is why we felt the urge to write one ultimate Italy study visa guide, which will not only answer every query but will also prepare international students step by step.

First try to find your desired courses in Italian universities, if you get admission or
Pre-Enrolemnt letter the next step is to fulfill the requirement of an Italy student visa.

Studying in Italy is mostly free & students can apply for Italian regional scholarships DSU and EDISU  very easily.

Don’t miss the FAQS at the end of the blog.

Go ahead, Bookmark this ultimate Italian study visa guide, you literally don’t need to google anything else.

Can’t read the whole blog? don’t worry here is the complete video.

 

Italy Student visa

 

1. Types of Italy student visas for international students

2. Itlay student visa fee

3. Italy student visa processing time

4. Office responsible for Italy student visa

5. Documents Requirement for Italy student Visa

6. How to Apply for an Italy student visa

7. Italy student Visa interview questions and preparation

8. Frequently asked questions (FAQS)

9. Summary of the whole guide

How to apply for an Australian study visa? check our step-by-step process.

 

 

 1. Type of Italy student visas for international students

There are two types of Italian student visas for international Non-Eu students.

“VISA TYPE C” and “VISA TYPE D”.
Depends on the duration of time, a student wants to spend in Italy.

Let me explain.

 

1.1. VISA TYPE C (Italy Schengen Student Visa)

If the student is applying for a “Short Course” or  “Apprenticeship” or “Seminars”, or “Vocational training” or “Exchange & mobility program”, or “University single course” that only requires them to stay in Italy for up to 90 days then the applicant should apply for “Visa TYPE C”.

OR

In some specific cases, the Italian Institute requires an entry test for admission (like  “The University of SIENA”), then still they need to apply for Visa type C.

Non-EU students from USA, UK, Austrlia, Canada etc don’t need a TYPE C Schengen visa. Upon arrival, they can show the required identity documents to justify their stay in Italy.

Italy Visa Type C Application form

 

1.2. VISA TYPE D: (Italy National Student visa)

If the Student is applying for a course that is taking more than 90 days, then they should apply for visa type D.

In most cases, if the student is applying for a full-time Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD. Their course will take more than 90 days, so they should apply for TYPE D.

Later on, these students will be required to apply for a one-year residence permit. (permesso di soggiorno) within eight working days by contacting the relevant Police Station “Questura”.

Italy Visa Type D Application form

 

1.3. Study programs & Italy Visa table

 

Study Programs	Stay of Duration	Type of Italy student visa
Exchange & mobility program	Less than 90 days	VISA TYPE C
University single course	Less than 90 days	VISA TYPE C
Vocational training	Less than 90 days	VISA TYPE C
Academic short course	Less than 90 days	VISA TYPE C
Apprenticeship	Less than 90 days	VISA TYPE C
Full-time Graduate or post-graduate programs (Bachelor or Masters or PhD)	More than 90 days	VISA TYPE D
Exchange & mobility program, University single course, Vocational training, Academic short course, Apprenticeship	IF More than 90 days	VISA TYPE D

Check the step-by-step process of Italian regional scholarships, DSU and EDISU. 

 

 

2. Itlay Student Visa Fee for international students

 

The Italy study visa fee is 50 euros for D type visa [Long-term stay (more than 90 days)] 

While for C type visa [ Short-term stay [(Less than 90 days)] the fee is 80 Euros.

Note: Sometimes Extra fees could be charged like Service Fees or  Convenience Fees by third parties like VFX global etc. That extra fee could be between 10-20 euros.

The Fee for an Italy long-term study visa from Pakistan is 12026 PKR & for a short-term study visa its 19242 PKR.
 (The amount is taken when 1 euro was equal to 240 PKR, it could change according to the international market)

While for India the long-term Study visa fee (D-Type) is 4406 INR & for a short-term Italian study visa fee is 7049 INR. 

Remember These visa fees exclude the additional services by third parties like VFX etc)

If you want to study in UK, check our ultimate UK study visa guide.

 

 

 

3. Italy student visa processing time

 

The Italy student visa processing time strictly depends upon
The Applicant’s Nationality,
Italian embassy in that particular region,
Number of applicants
and
sometimes specific requirements of the Applicant’s case.

However, International Students will get a response to their visa application within 3 weeks, when they file for their Italian student visa.

It can be a lot less (Up to 10 days) in case of some countries like Australia, Canada, UK, USA etc while for other countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana etc the Italian visa processing time can take up to 45 days due to huge number of applicants.

Students are advised to apply for a study visa at least one to two months before lessons. As soon as they get their enrollment letter from the Italian university they are good to go for the visa appointment.

If you have any questions related to German study visa, Our Ultimate German study visa guide could solve your problems.

 

 

 

4. Office responsible for Italian student visas

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is the office that give decisions related to Italy visas applications.
The review process may take from one weeks to 45 days. 

 

Here is our detailed guide about Sweden study visas.

 

5. Documents required for Italy student visa

 

1. Visa application form

2. Passport Size pictures

3. Valid Passport

4. Academic documents

5. Pre-enrollment form

6. Document Refinement form (DOV & CIMEA)

7. Bank statement

8. Proof of all legal fees

9. Correct processing visa fee receipt

10. NIC (National identity card)

11. IELTS certificate

12. Travel & Health insurance

13. FRC document

14. Copy of flight booking & Hotel reservation

15. Affidavit [ For Sponsorship (Optional)]

16. Polio & Corona vaccination certificate [Optional]

17. CV (optional)

18. Statement of purpose/Cover letter/Letter of motivation [optional]

19. Other certificates [optional]

20. Police clearance certificate

If you want to do Master in Italy, here is a list of more than 500 courses that are exclusively taught in English.

 

 

5.1. Online Visa application form for Italy student visa

Download the correct Visa form for a student visa to Italy.
 Fill, sign & date it accurately.

-For longterm D type Italian visa, ( more than 90 days), the application form is here.

-For C type Italian visa, (less than 90 days)  the application form is here.

 

 

5.2. Passport Size pictures

The general picture format for an Italian student visa is the following.

1. Two recent (within 6 months) passport-size (35x45mm) photos.
2. White background with neutral facial expressions. (Unedited)
3. Avoid uniforms & the head should be 80% in the photo.
4. The applicant should look at the camera.
5. one photograph should be glued to the visa application
   while the other should contain the applicant’s full name on the reverse side, & should be attached with a paper clip to the visa form.
   The same rules apply to every Schengen country.

 

Check our detailed guide about Spain student visas.

 

5.3. Valid passport

A: A passport must have at least 18 months of validity from the date of visa application.
B: Applicants will also provide visa copies (if they have any).
C: Passport must have at least two blank pages.
D: All the previous passports must also be attached. (If they have any)

If you want to study in Hungary, check out our ultimate Hungarian study visa guide.

 

 

5.4. Academic documents

This includes all your certificates & academic transcripts like

A: Bachelor’s transcript & certificate (if you are applying for a master’s)

B: Master’s transcript & certificate (if you are applying for PhD.

C: Metric & FSC transcripts (12th Grade-high school) (A level) (DMCs) and certificates (if you are applying for Bachelors)

D: English proficiency certificate from the university.
E: Course summary (to explain your courses & how your previous courses & studies resemble your future studies in which you are applying)

F: Two Letters of recommendation from the university & also the detail of the Referees. (it require specifically in case of university admission, but good to carry them along with your educational documents)

If the applicants’ documents are not in English, they must translate them into English & Italian.

Different international embassies have their own official recommended Italian translation centers.

Translated Italian Documents contain:

A. Confirmation from Translation Company/Translator

B. Translation Date

C. Name and Signature of the Translator

D. Translator’s Contact Details 

NOTE: Respective universities, Boards & ministries (Ministry of foreign affairs) must attest the above documents for an Italian study visa.

 

 

5.5. Pre-Enrollment letter for Italy student visa

It is also called “FORM A”.
Form A: (Pre-enrollment form) This form need to be filled out online Universitaly.
This form must be Downloaded & printed, attach your photo, sign & submit it along with your visa application documents.

 

 

 

5.6. Document Refinement form for Italian study visa

It is also called Form C.
It can be attained by either making the DOV or CIMEA.

These are actually equivalency certificates, which analyze the years of education a student has for eligibility of applied courses.

DOV & CIMEA compares your education with the Italian education system.

 

HOW TO GET DOV Certificate for an Italian student visa? (DECLARATION OF VALUE Certificate )

It is issued by the Italian embassy at the time of visa application.
The student just needs to fill the “Form C” (Documents Refinement form) which is also a Request form for DOV, The embassy will legalize these documents & issue DOV certificate.

 

HOW TO GET CIMEA Certificate for an Italy student visa? 

There are two types of documents in CIMEA.

Statement of compatibility &  Statement of verification. 

The purpose of CIMEA is the same as DOV. It can be made here.

 

NOTE:

Students need to make ONE of these documents.
 If the university requires exclusively CIMEA, then the student should only apply for CIMEA.

There is a big cost difference between CIMEA & DOV.
DOV is less expensive & issued at the time of the visa application process while
CIMEA comparatively costs more but can be attained before the time of visa application.

 

 

5.7. Bank statement for Italy student visa

The most important part of an Italy study visa is the applicant’s economic status.

For international students who want to attain an Italy study visa, the official requirement is up to 500 euros per month for one year. Which is 6 thousand euros.

But it is advised to submit a bank statement of Upto 10,000 euros.
It’s proof that students can support their duration financially & study on their own.

It is advised that the bank statement should be at least 6 months old.

In the case of a Recent Bank statement, the applicant should carry the bank letter mentioning the account opening date and the authorized signatory of the account.

 

5.7.1 SPONSORSHIP

In the case of sponsorship, the applicant should make an Affidavit of the sponsor, in which they will state their relationship.

The sponsor is also required to show the tax return for the last two years.
Property Details & other Income sources of the sponsor are also required.

If you have any questions related to Canada study visas, Our Ultimate Canadian study visa guide could solve your problems.

 

 

5.8. Proof of all legal fees

It’s the proof or receipt of the university application fee (Pre-enrolment fee) or in some cases, it’s the first-semester fee or the whole year of university fee.

 

 

5.9. Correct processing visa fee receipt

The Visa fee is not refundable, so make sure you fill out the form correctly. Also, you need to show your visa application fee receipt at the time of the interview.

The Italy study visa fee is 50 euros for D type visa [Long-term stay (more than 90 days)] 

While for C type visa [ Short-term stay [(Less than 90 days)] the fee is 80 Euros.

 

 

 

5.10. NIC

The applicant needs to carry their National identity card, Domicile & birth certificate to the visa center.

 

 

 

5.11. IELTS certificate for a student visa to Italy

IELTS could be compulsory for certain departments in specific Italian universities like the University of bologna etc & it is also compulsory in the case of some countries like Pakistan.

However, it’s not important in every case.
International students should check the criteria of the university & their Italian embassy checklist before applying for a visa.

Having a strong band in IELTS certainly increases your chances of getting an Italian student visa.

Want to score 7 bands in IELTS? don’t miss our ultimate guide.

 

 

5.12. Travel & Health insurance certificate

Everyone needs a travel insurance certificate whenever they are traveling to Europe.
It’s proof that they can handle their medical services in case of emergency or injury.

The insurance will handle the unexpected expenses of traveling.

In the case of Italy Travel Medical Insurance (minimum cover: € 30,000) valid for one year (D-Type) or 15 days (C-Type).

 

 

5.13. FRC document

A family registration certificate (FRC) means that your family record is complete in the country database.

This document specifically contains the names & information of your siblings & parents. (or spouse in some cases).

This information is also needed while applying for Italian regional scholarships like DSU or EDISU,  so it’s better to make the certificate.

 

 

5.14. Copy of flight booking & Hotel reservation

This part is optional. The booking confirms your date of arrival in the country in the particular city.
The hotel reservation shows that have a place to stay.

Check our detailed guide about Finland student visa.

 

5.15. Affidavit

(Entirely depends on the individual case)
It is mostly required to incase of Sponsorship.
Affidavit of the Parents/uncle or any guardian & even in some cases your own saving and job certificate to show that you can support yourself.

 

 

5.16. Polio & corona vaccination certificate

(Entirely depend on individual cases)

The polio vaccine certificate could be still important in cases of some specific countries like Pakistan.
There is no need to quarantine or do the PCR test anymore, but the vaccination record is important.

 

 

5.17. CV

CV is compulsory for the university admission process and optional for embassy interviews.

It should contain all the contact details and academic information.
Students can make a perfect Cv in Europass here in under a few minutes.

 

 

5.18. Statement of purpose/cover letter/Letter of motivation (Optional)

This document comprises the following information about the student

A. Previous academic documents and studies

B. Employment Status

C. Relationship with your home country

D. Immigration History

E. Economic conditions of the applicant

A statement of purpose (SOP) & letter of motivation (LOM) are almost the same thing & could be interchangeable.

In this letter, you are asked to write about your personal and professional reasons why are you applying for a course or the scholarship and what is your intention of traveling to Italy.

The maximum length of this letter is three pages, But it is advised to make it short & concise to one page.

If you want to study in china, check out our ultimate Chinese study visa guide.

 

 

5.19. Other certificates (optional)

International students can add more certificates from their internships, courses & portfolios. It can make your case stronger.

 

 

 

5.20. Police clearance certificate for Italy student visa

PCC is required for D-type visa applicants, who want to study in Italy for more than 90 days.
It can be issued by your local security police station or many international students can also make it online.
It shows that the applicant doesn’t have a criminal record.

Indian students can make it through Passport seva, and Pakistani students can make it in “Police Khidmat Markaz” or ICTP app or ICTP website.

Students don’t need it for a short-term visa, but a PCC certificate for a long-term stay ( Italy Student visa) is needed.

 

NOTE: Students should carry all these documents along with their photocopies when applying for an Italy study visa.

The Italian embassy reserves the right to ask for additional documents, that why it’s good to carry the optional documents.

The passport will not be returned until the final decision on the visa is taken.

If You have any questions related to your Italy study visa or any other study visa, you can also contact us for a live one-on-one session.

Whatsapp Contact: +393512735708

 

 

 

6. How to Apply for Italy Student Visa

 

Students can apply for an Italian study visa in 5 easy steps.

 

6.1.  Get an admission letter

If you want to study in Italy, First find your desired Italian university & subjects here.

If you get admission, the university will send you a Pre-Enrolment letter through universitaly.

 

6.2. Prepare the documents

The next step is to prepare the list of 20 documents we discussed above in detail.

 

6.3. Apply for Italian regional scholarship: (Optional)

This one is an extra step. International students have the option to apply for Italian regional scholarships, Check the step-by-step process of DSU and EDISU.
It will ease up a lot of financial burdens.

 

6.4. Fill out the visa application form

The 4th step is to fill out the correct Visa form for a student visa to Italy.
 Fill, sign & date it accurately.

-For a long-term D-type Italian visa, ( more than 90 days), the application form is here.

-For C type Italian visa, (less than 90 days)  the application form is here.

Select the visa center that is near to you & take the appointment date.

 

6.5. Interview & result

The 5th & last step is to appear for the interview on the appointment date with all the documents which we discussed above in detail.

After the interview, wait for the result. The result could take up from one week to one month.

Below you can find the possible Italian study visa interview questions.

 

 

 

 7. Italy study Visa interview questions

 

Students are expected to ask the following questions.
They should be ready to answer it according to their understanding.

1. Why did you choose Italy and not another country?

2. Did you already search for opportunities in your home country? 

3. Some specific questions must be asked about the host university to know whether applicants know or not about their university.

4. The reason for selecting the (Specific) course & its objective?

5. What is your course structure or Course summary?

5. Who is your sponsor? What is your relationship? Do you have enough funds for your traveling & study?

7. What are your plans after the completion of the course? 

9. What is the course commencement date? (When will your lessons/classes start?)

10. Where will you stay in Italy?

11. How much do you expect to spend per month at your destination city? On your rent, food & fee.

If you have any questions related to a USA study visa, Our Ultimate USA study visa guide could solve your problems.

 

 

8. Frequently asked questions about Italy student visa (FAQS)

 

Q: Which Countries don’t need an Italian student visa?

 

Students from the EU, Australia, Canada, USA, etc don’t need Italian study visas if their courses only allow them to stay in Italy for less than 90 days. This means the students of these countries don’t need “Visa Type C”.

However, almost all countries will need “Visa type D” if they are planning to stay more than 90 days.

Later on, these students will be required to apply for a one-year residence permit. (permesso di soggiorno) within eight working days by contacting the relevant Police Station “Questura”.

Students can also check here for more details.

 

 

Q: what to do, If Italy’s study visa is rejected?

 

Technically, students can appeal for a reconsideration of the visa through an Italian lawyer within 60 days. (when they get visa result)

It can be done only in the case when the applicant really thinks that he/she fulfills all the criteria & faced unjustified rejection.
Italian Study visa refusal mostly happens in case of submitting false documents or showing insufficient financial means or having any criminal record.

 

 

Q: Can I apply with the 7th-semester transcript to an Italian university?

 

Yes, you can. By getting a “Hope certificate” from the university.
Hope certificate is also known as an “Expected graduation letter”.
Students can attach the “Hope certificate” along with all the academic documents & fill out the admission application.

Sometimes, the universities admission process takes time due to the huge number of applicants from around the world.
So students can get the 8th-semester transcript by then.

What is Hope’s certificate?
In simple words, It is a certificate based on the previous semester’s performance, that indicates that the candidate will pass the final exams with excellent results.

 

 

Is IELTS necessary for an Italy student visa?

It’s a requirement of the few Italian embassies in specific regions like “Pakistan”
it is clearly mentioned in their visa checklist.
However, that is not the case for every country.
For admission to certain universities in Italy, IELTS is not required, English proficiency certificate is enough (which proves that their medium of taught courses was English)
Some universities & Italian embassies also accept Duolingo & other English proficiency test scores.
while very few Italian universities (like POLITO etc) made IELTS compulsory for admission.

 

 

Q: What will happen to my scholarship, if my Italian study visa got delayed?

No need to worry. you can email your host university or regional scholarship office along with receipts of your visa application & there is a possibility of compensation.
however, try your best to do everything on time.

The visa processing can take from 1 week to 45 days, so It is advised to apply for a study visa as soon as you get the university Pre-Enrolment letter.

 

 

Q: What is the difference between Form A, FORM C & FORM D in Italian study visa?

 

“ Form A” in Italy student visa:

Form A is also called the pre-enrollment form. This form needs to be filled out online at Universitaly.
This form must be Downloaded & printed. Attach your photo, sign & submit it along with your visa application documents.

“Form C” in Italy student visa:

Form C is also called DOV request form. (DOV= Declaration of value). If your institute requested for an equivalency certificate, then the applicant can fill & submit Form C.
The embassy will issue DOV.

(Remember Equivalency certificates can be attained by either making the DOV or CIMEA. These certificates actually analyze the years of education a student has for eligibility of applied courses. DOV & CIMEA compares your education with Italian education system. )

 

“Form D” in Italy student visa:

 

Form D is also known as the National visa form, which is used for long-term D-type Italian visas, the application form is here.
This is the visa form for students who are applying for Bachelor’s, Master and PHD if they are intending to stay in Italy for more than 90 days.

 

 

 

9. SUMMARY OF THE WHOLE BLOG

 

1. Check which type of Italy study visa you need.
2. Check the list of 20 documents we discussed above in detail. Prepare & submit it along with their copies.
3. Book an appointment at your local Italian consulate.
4. Prepare the interview questions mentioned in the blog.
5. Wait for the result.

 

If You have any questions related to Italy study visa or any other study visa, you can also contact us for a live one-on-one session.

Whatsapp Contact: +393512735708

 

we tried to cover everything but still, If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments.