A student visa gives you permission to study in Italy and is required of all students (unless you have an EU passport). Both application for a student visa and registration at the local host university will take place the semester prior to going abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Middlebury School in Italy currently holds an agreement with the Universit\u00e0 degli Studi di Firenze<\/em> and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze<\/em>, which means you will go through the Middlebury School in Italy Sede<\/em> to submit pre-registration paperwork. However, please check the Middlebury study abroad portal to ensure that all university-related questionnaires are completed by the assigned due date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the exception of EU citizens, all students need to obtain a visa to study in Italy. Depending on their citizenship, students will either need to apply for their visas independently or will have the option to either apply independently or via a group batch process with Middlebury.\u00a0 Students should consult the information below that corresponds to their particular circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citizens of Non-EU G7 Countries (Canda, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who hold passports from Canada, Japan, the U.K., or the U.S. are eligible to apply for their visas either independently or through the group batch process with Middlebury.\u00a0 There are pros and cons to both options: With the independent process, students must schedule their own appointment and are then required to travel to the consulate that has jurisdiction over either their permanent address or their school\u2019s address to submit their application in person.\u00a0 While not a guarantee, the visa is typically processed within 2-4 weeks of application submission.\u00a0 With the group batch process, the advisor for the Middlebury School in Italy travels to the Boston consulate on the students\u2019 behalf; no appointment scheduling or travel is required on the students\u2019 part.\u00a0 However, the process takes longer, typically 6-8 weeks.\u00a0 This means that students participating in the group batch process should be prepared to be without their passports for 6-8 weeks, as opposed to an average of 2-4 weeks with the independent process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who are eligible for the group batch process should consider both options based on ease of travel to an appropriate Italian consulate and other travel plans they may have when making their decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Citizens of Non-EU, non-G7 Countries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who do not hold a passport from one of the non-EU G7 countries must apply for their visas in person at a consulate that has jurisdiction over either their permanent address or their school\u2019s address. While Middlebury is available to provide assistance in this case, it is the student\u2019s responsibility to schedule their own visa appointment and submit their application far enough in advance to receive their visa prior to the start of the semester or year in Italy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students should allow at least 2-4 weeks for their visa to be processed. Please note that applying for your visa means submitting your passport to the consulate; you must therefore be prepared to be without your passport for at least 2-4 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 most of our students to meet, since they are usually studying in the U.S. during the academic year. As such, citizens of these countries should plan to apply for their student visa in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All Visa Applicants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/em>, which is a copy of your program acceptance letter stamped by the consulate, 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<\/em>) 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please consult the visa instructions webpage for more information: https:\/\/www.middlebury.edu\/schools-abroad\/schools\/italy\/student-visa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n EU Citizens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n EU passport holders studying in Italy do not need to apply for a visa prior to their arrival.\u00a0 However, there may be residency registration requirements once these students are in Italy (see “Registration at the Municipality (Iscrizione all’Anagrafe): EU Citizens” below).\u00a0 EU passport holders are encouraged to be in touch with the advisor for the School in Italy well in advance of the start of the semester for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The permesso di soggiorno<\/em> 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<\/em> soggiorno<\/em> within eight days of their arrival in Italy. During orientation, the School in Italy staff will assist students through the process of obtaining the permesso<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If for any reason a student does not apply for the permesso di soggiorno<\/em>, that student will not be able to continue with the program as they will be considered to be in the country illegally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The permesso<\/em> di soggiorno <\/em>process is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Registration at the Municipality (Iscrizione all’Anagrafe): EU Citizens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who hold EU citizenship, but NOT Italian citizenship, and who are not able to apply for a student visa using American 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 <\/em>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. <\/em>The following items are required:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who remain in Italy without a Permit of Stay or a Registration<\/strong> at the Municipality <\/strong>are in violation of Italian law. They cannot be registered with the program, and the School in Italy is not responsible in this situation. <\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nStudent Visa<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Permit of Stay (Permesso di Soggiorno): Non-EU Citizens<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/strong>[VERY IMPORTANT]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n