Student Visas

A student visa gives you permission to study in Italy and is required of all students (unless you have an Italian passport).

Middlebury College can apply for your student visa on your behalf through the Italian Consulate of Boston in June/July for fall semester students and December/January for spring semester students.  This can help to simplify the process for individual students by obviating the necessity to travel in person to an Italian Consulate.  Students applying through Middlebury College will need to submit the application materials required by the Boston Consulate, as outlined in the Middlebury study abroad portal and on the consulate’s website.

Students may choose to either apply for their visa through the Middlebury group process, or apply independently. There are pros and cons to both options and you should consider which makes the most sense for you. Having Middlebury as a liaison in the application process means that you will not have to travel to the consulate yourself, and that you will have someone who will communicate with the consulate on your behalf should any issues arise with your application. Students who apply through the group process must adhere to strict deadlines for their required documentation, as one delayed application will delay everyone’s applications (students who are significantly late with their materials will be removed from the group process and will be required to apply on their own). The group process does also take longer, with average processing times of approximately 6-8 weeks.

Students who have travel plans prior to the start of the program, or who do not wish to be without their passport for 6-8 weeks may opt to apply for their visa independently.  Although not guaranteed, students who apply for their visa on their own often find the processing time to be faster than the group process (about three weeks on average).  If you choose to apply on your own for a visa, it will be your responsibility to schedule an appointment at the consulate and gather all of the required materials.  It is important to note that if something is missing from your application, or if your application is delayed or declined for any reason, Middlebury will not be able to intervene on your behalf. You must apply through the Italian consulate with jurisdiction over your permanent address or your school’s address, if you are currently enrolled in a university as a full-time student. Each consulate may request different documentation and it is your responsibility to obtain all required items. You are also required to obtain an attestato consulare from the consulate, which may be either a document returned to you with the Middlebury College program letter, or a consular stamp on that same letter. You must submit a copy of your visa and your attestato consulare to the Middlebury International Programs office before you depart for Italy.

Citizens of certain countries, such as China and India, may find that there are residency requirements to apply for their Italian visas in their home countries.  As of the time of this update, these requirements typically state that the applicant must have physically resided at their permanent address for at least six months immediately prior to their application; this is a difficult requirement for our students to meet if they have been studying in the U.S. or elsewhere prior to their departure for Italy.  As such, citizens of these countries are strongly advised to apply for their Italian student visa through the Middlebury group process.

Students who will be accompanied to Florence by family members should contact the Italian consulate closest to their permanent residence to begin making visa arrangements for them, as the process of acquiring their visas will be different from their own as a student.  Middlebury will not be able to assist with visa applications for students’ family members.

The visa is required to participate in the program and all students must bring a copy of their original passport and visa with them on the first day of orientation in Italy. The attestato consulare is also required in original form when you arrive in Italy for orientation. Without these documents you will not be issued a permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno) and therefore will not be allowed to stay in the country or be able to attend the local university, so it is crucial that you get them from the consulate and keep copies somewhere safe.

Permit of Stay (Permesso Di Soggiorno): Non-EU Citizens

The permesso di soggiorno is a residency permit that allows students to remain in Italy for the duration for their study abroad program.

Students are required to apply for their permesso di soggiorno within eight days of their arrival in Italy. During orientation, the School in Italy staff will help students through the bureaucratic process of obtaining the permesso. If for any reason a student does not apply for the permesso di soggiorno, that student will not able to continue with the program, as they will be considered to be in the country illegally.

The permesso di soggiorno process is as follows:

  1. During orientation, the School in Italy staff will assist students to complete the application form. Students must bring the following documents and information:
    • Passport with student visa
    • Enrollment letter with the stamp issued by Italian Consulate (attestato consulare)
    • € 118 to cover the cost of the permesso di soggiorno (cash only)
    • Student’s address in Italy (street, number, city, zip code)
    • The date of the student’s arrival in Italy (stamped in the student’s passport)
    • Proof of GeoBlue health Insurance. For more information, please visit the section on Medical Insurance in this handbook
    • Student’s Italian mobile phone number
  2. Students will be accompanied to the post office for identification.  Students will receive back a temporary permesso di soggiorno and an appointment to appear at the Questura (Immigration Office) to validate the permesso.
  3. The student will be accompanied to the Questura for their first appointment.  Students should bring four passport-sized photos with them.  They will be fingerprinted during the appointment.
  4. When the permesso is ready, the student will return to the Questura on their own to pick up the document.

EU Citizens

Students holding dual EU/U.S. citizenship, but NOT Italian citizenship, are strongly encouraged to apply for an Italian student visa and permesso di soggiorno using their U.S. or other non-EU documentation, as this makes the residency and housing processes easier.

Registration at the Municipality (Iscrizione all’Anagrafe): EU Citizens

Students who hold EU citizenship, but NOT Italian citizenship, and who are not able to apply for a student visa using U.S. or other non-EU documentation, will need to register at the Municipality upon their arrival in Italy.  You will begin the process for requesting a residenza 90 days after your arrival. Since the procedure is different for each municipality, the School in Italy Staff will help you through the process of obtaining the residenza. The following items are required:

  1. Enrollment letter issued by the Middlebury School in Italy
  2. European passport
  3. Proof of GeoBlue health insurance. For more information, please see the Medical Insurance section of this handbook
  4. Lease contract registered at the Agenzia delle Entrate.

[VERY IMPORTANT]
Students who remain in Italy without a Permit of Stay or a Registration at the Municipality are in violation of Italian law. They cannot be registered with the program, and the School in Italy is not responsible in this situation.