Study entry Visa

The study/University enrollment visa (visto di studio/Immatricolazione Università) and the study/POSTGRADUATE (visto post-laurea) allow entry into Italy for enrolling to Bachelor’s Degree courses, Master’s Degree courses, Single-Cycle Master’s Degree courses and Doctoral Programmes. Study/exchange program visas or study/language course visas do not allow enrollment in undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

NON-EU citizens wishing to apply for a study/University enrollment visa must submit a pre-enrolment application on Universitaly before applying for the study visa. The pre-enrollment on Universitaly is compulsory for the following Courses and Programmes: Bachelor’s Degree courses, Master’s Degree courses, Single-Cycle Master’s Degree courses, First- and Second-Level Postgraduate Degree courses, Foundation courses, PhD courses, Specialisation courses, Advanced courses, Italian Language and Culture courses, Single Courses (about mobility programmes, Erasmus or exchange, please see the Paragraph below).

Applicants for university courses requiring prior admission by the competent Board of the degree course must also upload the admission letter issued by the relevant course on the Universitaly portal. For information on the documentation required for pre-registration in a PhD or Postgraduate degree please contact the PhD or Postgraduate Degree Office.

Please note that enrolment in the degree programme indicated in the Universitaly pre-enrolment is only possible if the applicant holds a study visa issued for the corresponding academic year of the pre-enrolment and enrolment process.

Terms for issuing study visas: usually 3 months as clarified at the Italian Foreign Ministry page

The pre-enrolment on Universitaly is not requested for Summer/Winter Schools: for such short stay programmes is fine a short stay visa (Uniform Shengen visa, if requested).

Once registered  on the Universitaly portal, select the University of Pisa, the course of study, the language of the course, the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence where you will apply for the visa (in the pre-registration application, do not indicate the tax code and the ID of the chosen university).

The pre-enrolment will be evaluated by the University of Pisa and, following its validation, forwarded to the relevant Italian Embassy/Consulate.

Once the application is validated, the student will receive a notification from the Universitaly Portal and will find the Summary in pdf format on its own Universitaly page, at the bottom of it. Only then you can submit the visa application to the competent Embassy by attaching the aforementioned Summary.

Upon arrival in Italy, you must complete enrolment at the University indicated in your pre-enrolment submitted via Universitaly. It is not possible to enrol at a different University than the one linked to your pre-enrolment, nor is it permitted to enrol in a degree programme different from the one indicated in your Universitaly pre-enrolment.

If you do not enroll at the university and in the degree programme specified in the pre-enrolment, the University will inform the competent authorities (Embassy and Police Headquarters – Questura), which may proceed with the possible revocation of the visa and the non-issuance of the residence permit.

According to the Procedures for entry, residence and enrollment of international students, and the respective recognition of qualifications for Higher Education Courses in Italy, to apply for a study visa (type D “national”) for enrolling to a University Programme, it is mandatory to submit the final qualification to the Italian Embassy/Consulate together with one of the following documents:

• the Statement of Comparability and the Statement of Verification issued by the Italian ENIC-NARIC Centre (Cimea);
• OR the Declaration of Value (DoV), provided that it explicitly states that the authenticity of the qualification has been verified.

The Declaration of Value or the Statement of Comparability issued by the Italian ENIC-NARIC centre (CIMEA) will also be required at the time of enrolment at the University.

The documents to be submitted to obtain a study/University enrollment visa also includes:

• entry visa application form (in the form, always select multiply entries)
• recent passport-size photograph on a white background.
• valid passport with an expiry date that is at least three months after that of the required visa
• availability of appropriate accommodation in Italy
• pre-registration for the course to be attended in Italy (Summary on the Universitaly Portal)
• health insurance, if the foreign national is not entitled to healthcare in Italy under agreements in force with their country
• proof of the availability of means of subsistence in Italy, amounting to EUR 10,179.85 annually. Such availability can be demonstrated by:
  • proof of personal or family financial resources
  • economic security ensured by Italian institutions and organisations with proven creditworthiness, by local Governments, or by foreign institutions and organisations recognised as reliable by the Italian diplomatic mission.

Before your departure, we suggest you open an online bank account provided with a debit card/pre-paid card and IBAN/SWIFT codes because Italian banks are not so favorable in opening accounts to non-UE students. Pisa University International Office cannot support you in opening a bank account in Italy.

For all the details on visa issuance: https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/?lang=en_US

Further useful info: https://www.esteri.it/en/ministero/sportello_info/domandefrequenti/

At the arrival in Italy, you must apply for a Residence permit within 8 working days of entering Italy.

According to EU Directive 2016/801, you can enter Italy without an Italian visa, for a stay longer than 90 days and up to 360 days, as long as the following applies:

• you are currently participating in a European exchange programme (Erasmus or else);
• have the documentation stating the programme you will do is in addition to the study programme you have done in the EU Country;
• your study residency permit, issued by the EU or Schengen country is valid for the duration of your stay in Italy.

Once arrived, within the first 8 working days, you must go to the Questura (Police) in via San Francesco 8 – between 12pm (noon) and 1pm – and fill in the “dichiarazione di presenza” (declaration of presence).  To fill it, you must have the entry date stamp on your passport when you enter Italy OR the travel ticket of your arrival in Italy.
If missing the entry stamp/travel ticket, you will have to apply for the residence permit. For any doubt, please contact the Italian Embassy/Consulate in the country where you reside/study.

• for a stay longer than 90 days, you must have an Italian study visa, so firstly you must apply on the UNIVERSITALY Portal:
  register all requested data, select the option “mobility for study/traineeship (e.g. Erasmus)“ and upload the Learning Agreement and the Acceptance letter received from your  Erasmus Coordinator. Also leave blank the tax code if you do not have it and the ID account at the chosen University.
  Once your application will be checked and validate, you will receive a notice by the portal and you will find the Summary. Please print the Summary, as you need it when you apply for the visa at our Embassy.
  For all information about entry visa, please visit the related link.
  Once you arrive in Italy, you must apply for the Residence Permit;
• for a maximum stay of 90 days, please check the list of countries whose citizens are exempt from the visa requirement.