STUDENT AREA · UNIVERSITALY PORTAL

Study visa - online application through Universitaly

Every non-EU student who wants to study in Italy for more than 90 days must apply for a study visa. The application starts online on the Universitaly portal and is finalised in person at the Italian Consulate of your country.

Procedure of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Issuing times vary (usually from 2 to 12 weeks, depending on the Consulate).

01 Before you start

What you need to have ready

• Valid passport, at least 3 months beyond the expected end of the stay.
• Acceptance letter from Accademia di Italiano (we send it to you by email and on paper after enrolment).
• Proof of financial means: about €5,825 per year (bank statement, scholarship, family guarantee).
• Proof of accommodation: rental contract, student residence booking, declaration of hospitality.
• Compliant health insurance (see Health insurance).

02 Registration

Register on the Universitaly portal

Go to universitaly.it and create a profile. You will need:

• A valid personal email address (not a school one: check it regularly).
• Your personal details exactly as on your passport.
• Your passport number.

You will receive your login credentials by email (username and password). Keep them safe.

03 Pre-enrolment

Fill in the pre-enrolment application

Inside the portal, in the "Apply for a visa" section:

• Select "Visa for study - Italian language course".
• Enter the Accademia di Italiano details: school name, campus (Milan - Via Durini 7; Florence - Via Bolognese 52; Mantua - Via C. Montanari 1; Turin - Via Saluzzo 60), course duration.
• Upload the acceptance letter from Accademia di Italiano (PDF).
• Upload the passport scan (the personal-data page).
• Upload the proof of financial means (bank statement, scholarship).
• Upload the proof of accommodation.
• Upload the health insurance policy.
• Indicate the Italian Consulate where you will attend the appointment (the one responsible for your area of residence).

04 Approval

Approval of the pre-enrolment

Accademia di Italiano checks your online application within 5 working days. You receive an email notification when it is approved or if corrections are needed. Once approved, your file is forwarded to the Italian Consulate you indicated.

05 Consulate

Consulate appointment

The Consulate contacts you (by email or through a visa agency) to set the in-person appointment. Bring with you:

• Original passport.
• National visa application form (provided by the Consulate or downloadable).
• 2 recent passport photos.
• Originals of all the documents uploaded to Universitaly.
• Payment of the visa fee (varies from country to country, roughly €50-100).

The Consulate holds the interview (usually 10 to 20 minutes), takes your biometric fingerprints and issues the visa in 2-12 weeks (depending on the Consulate and the time of year).

06 Special cases

Specific situations

Students from the United Kingdom

UK citizens or UK residents apply through the Italian Consulate in London. Request a visa for "Study - Exchange and mobility programme".

Students with dual EU citizenship

If, in addition to your non-EU citizenship, you also hold the citizenship of an EU country, you are exempt from the visa and the residence permit. Show your EU passport at the time of enrolment.

Students already resident in the EU

If you are already enrolled at a university in the Schengen Area and hold a residence permit for study from another EU State covering the entire mobility period in Italy, check with the Visa Office of the Italian Consulate of your country of residence whether you are exempt from the visa. If so, on arrival you only submit the Dichiarazione di Presenza (declaration of presence).