Study visa

This guide is for students who are not EU citizens and who live outside Italy. It follows the official rules of the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) for 2026/2027 and 2027/2028. Each embassy publishes its own checklist, so always follow the list of the embassy or consulate where you apply.

1. Who needs a study visa

You need a type D (long-stay) study visa for university enrolment (“Immatricolazione Università”) if you are not an EU citizen and you live outside Italy.

You do not need one if you are an EU citizen, or if you already live legally in Italy with a residence permit that lets you enrol (ask your university’s international office).

2. Before you apply

You can apply for the visa only after your pre-enrolment on Universitaly has been validated by your university. See How to apply for those steps.

3. Where and when to apply

• Where: at the Italian embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Many embassies take appointments through Prenot@mi; some use an external visa centre. Your embassy’s website says which. You can check which documents you need, and find your embassy, on the official Visa for Italy website.
• When: for 2026/2027, by 30 November 2026; for 2027/2028, by 31 October 2027. Your university may set an earlier date.
• Apply early. Appointments can be hard to get, and you need time to collect documents and translations.
• Since 11 January 2025, your fingerprints are taken when you apply for a national visa.

4. Documents checklist

The exact list depends on the embassy, but you usually need:

1. Passport valid for at least 3 months after the visa ends, with copies of the data pages.
2. Visa application form (type D), filled in and signed, and a recent passport photo (ICAO format).
3. Your Universitaly pre-enrolment summary, validated by the university.
4. Your school diploma (or degree, for a master’s), with a CIMEA statement or a Dichiarazione di valore.
5. Your language certificate: Italian B2 for programmes taught in Italian, or a certificate in the teaching language. See Language requirements.
6. Proof of money: for 2026/2027 the national amount is €10,179.85 per year, from legal and traceable sources, preferably yours or your family’s (for example a bank statement, with a sponsor letter if the account is a parent’s).
7. Proof of accommodation in Italy, such as a rental contract, a hotel booking for the first weeks, or a confirmed place in a student residence. An application for a residence alone is not enough.
8. Health insurance for your stay.
9. A flight booking to Italy.
10. The receipt for the visa fee. Two embassies that publish it list €50; check the amount at yours.

Some embassies ask for two copies of every document. Read your embassy’s list carefully before the appointment.

5. After you get the visa

• The visa is usually valid for 365 days with multiple entries. If you must come to Italy for an in-person entrance exam or language test, you first get a visa valid for 100 days.
• Within 8 working days of arriving in Italy, apply for your residence permit. See the residence permit guide.
• Complete your enrolment at the university. If you are not enrolled on Universitaly by 31 January of the academic year, your visa will be revoked and the Questura informed.

6. Tips

• A university admission does not guarantee the visa, and the visa does not guarantee enrolment.
• Keep copies of everything you submit, and keep your Universitaly login.
• If something on your embassy’s list is unclear, write to the embassy before your appointment, not after.

This site gives general information only. Rules change often, so always check the official sources.