Visa for Italy

Citizens from countries that require a visa to enter Italy may enrol in and attend an Italian course if they hold a visa for tourism (valid for stays of up to 90 days) or for study (required for periods of more than 90 days). Before registering for an Italian course, it is advisable to contact the nearest Italian diplomatic or consular representation to obtain up-to-date and accurate information.

Below are the requirements needed to start the visa application process. It is important to remember that the issue of a visa is not an automatic right and is at the discretion of individual consular missions, which may request additional documentation.

In the event of a visa refusal, the consulate must provide a written justification to the applicant, together with instructions on how to lodge an appeal. The justification must be translated into a language that the applicant understands or, if this is not possible, into English, French, Spanish or Arabic. In some countries, the time required to obtain an entry visa for Italy can be long; therefore, it is advisable to contact the relevant consulate in advance, at least one month before the start of the course. In the absence of an Italian consular representation, a visa for tourism can be issued by the consulate of any Schengen country. In this case, the visa should be requested from the representation of the country of first entry into the Schengen area. A study visa may only be issued by the Italian consulate (or the consular section of the Italian embassy) with territorial jurisdiction in the applicant's country of residence.