Italian Student Visas

Student visa requirements and procedures are constantly changing. We are doing our best to keep our information up to date, but students are asked to confirm all information via the Consulate website (contact information on the checklists below).

In accordance with Italian law, students studying in Italy for 91 days or more are required to obtain a student visa. Those with Italian/EU citizenship are exempted. It is not necessary for US students studying for 90 days or less to obtain a visa. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for details on student visa requirements.

If you need to apply for a new passport or renew a passport set to expire within 3 months of your program end date, please plan accordingly. SAI highly encourages expedited passport processing to ensure your new passport is received 3 months prior to your program start date if your program requires a student visa. If your program does not require a visa please ensure you receive your passport at least 1 month prior to your program start.

The SAI Student Visa Office assists all students in getting ready to apply for their visa, and we provide simple step-by-step instructions for the application process to students after they are accepted.

Some Consulates require an in-person appointment to submit the visa application. Your specific Consulate is determined by the location of either your permanent address or your address while at school. In some cases, your nearest Italian Consulate may require air travel. Please plan and budget accordingly.

The turnaround time for processing visa applications varies from Consulate to Consulate. Some Consulates will process a complete application within 3 – 4 weeks. Other Consulates will process visa applications according to a student’s departure date. We highly suggest you not book any travel outside the US between the time you submit your visa application and when you depart for your study abroad term.

SAI also offers an optional service to process visa applications for students who are within the Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and New York Italian Consulate jurisdictions. With SAI Visa Processing,  you will mail your complete application to SAI rather than making an in-person appointment. We will review your visa application and submit it to the Consulate. It will be approved without any issues.

For visa-related questions, please contact our Student Visa Director at visas@saiprograms.com.


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