Visa and Residence Permit

 

Rules governing Entry and Residence in Italy for Study Purposes

Students who are EU citizens, as well as citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Andorra, the Principality of Monaco, Republic of San Marino and the Vatican City, can freely enter and stay in Italy for up to a maximum of 3 months (90 days). Nevertheless, students enrolled in degree programs or taking part in a mobility program who will be staying in Italy for more than 3 months must register with the Registry office (“Anagrafe” in Italian) in the Italian city they will stay for their studying period.
Students who are not EU citizens must: 1) apply for an entry Visa for study purposes to enter the country and EU in any case and even if their stay is planned for less than 3 months; 2) apply for the official Residence Permit for study reasons (“Permesso di soggiorno per motivi di studio” in Italian) if their stay is planned for more than 3 months. In the following, more information about those issues are available.

Applying for an entry Visa

Non-EU students must apply for an entry Visa for study purposes before their departure. The Visa validity must cover the entire period of stay in Italy and EU, which, in case of study reasons, it will be equal with the length of the Degree course they are enrolled or with the length of their mobility. It is highly recommended that perspective foreign students start the procedures quite early, because the process can be very long. The entry visa for study purposes is issued following completion of the pre-enrollment procedures at an Italian Embassy or Consulate in the country of origin of the student. Please refer to the official website of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affair and International Cooperation here to find out which is the competent Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country of origin and all the information needed to submit your application (be careful to select “Study – EXCHANGE AND MOBILITY PROGRAM” in the field “Reasons for your stay” in case your mobility will be organised in the Erasmus+ program framework).
Please note also that in case of mobility and exchange programs (Erasmus included) the procedure require an official invitation letter from the International Relations Office of the University of Molise. The invitation letter must report the number of the passport of the invited student (which must remain valid until the end of the period abroad), citizenship, her place and date of birth, and the length of the stay. Perspective foreign students are expected to ask for the invitation letter, according to the instructions of their home universities and of the Italian Embassy/Consulate of reference in their country of origin. In addition, non-EU students need also to show the proof of payment of an healthcare insurance valid in Italy and EU covering the entire period of their stay.

Applying for a Residence Permit for Study Purposes

After their entering in Italy and after reaching their final destination in the country, non-EU students must apply for a Residence Permit for Study Purposes (“permesso di soggiorno per motivi di studio) to the local Police Station (“Questura” in Italian).The application is mandatory for all non-EU students who plan to stay in Italy for more than 3 months, and must be submitted in the 8 days following the arrival of the student.

In Italy, the release of the Residence Permit is not free of charge: the total amount to obtain it includes:

€ 14.62 electronic revenue stamp;
€ 30 to post the application (if needed);
€ 27.50 fee using a pre-printed paying-in slip, plus an additional fee ranging from € 80.00 to € 200.00 to cover issuing costs, depending on the length of the stay.

The application must include:
1) The official application form;
2) a copy of the student’s passport bearing the entry visa;
3) Documents supporting your request for the type of residence permit you are applying for (in the case of non-EU students a proof of enrolment at Università del Molise);
4) A €14.62 electronic revenue stamp
5) proof of payment of the fees needed (and mentioned above).

After 60 days after the submission of the application, the student will be contacted to complete the procedure directly at the local Police station.

Università del Molise IRO in collaboration with ESN Unimol will support non-EU students involved in Erasmus exchange project to submit the application upon their arrival. More information about the procedure are available on the official website of the Italian Police here  and here.