The visa process can be insanely confusing, especially if it is your first time. I’ve created this guide to get you through the Italian student visa process as seamlessly as possible.

*Important disclosure: I’m not a lawyer, so please understand that the information shared in this blog post is from my personal experience and isn’t a substitute for legal advice. If you have concerns about your unique situation, consult with a lawyer or the embassy about it.

Ciao ragazzi! Benvenuto a Italia! It’s finally time to get your Italian student visa!

Now you get to start with the most fun part of living abroad: the administration. Never fear! I’m here to help!

Getting a student visa for Italy

1. Determine which consulate you need

Certain consulates only accept applicants from certain regions. For example: the consulate in Los Angeles only handles visa applicants from certain counties in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada. US citizens can check their consulate here.

2. Make an appointment on PrenotaOnline

The link for Los Angeles is here. If you are not using the Los Angeles consulate, you will need to go to the consulate website to find the PrenotaOnline link.

Here is a guide to the program online, regardless of which consulate you are going to. If there are no appointments available, you will have to check back daily to see cancellations.

3. Get your documents for your appointment ready

You will need to bring these to your appointment:

Application form – You can find it here. You will need to print it out and bring it with you

Passport (plus copy of ID page) – must be valid for another year and have 2 blank pages

Enrollment letter from university – needs to have the exact dates of your program and a description of what you will be doing

Proof of accommodation for the entire stay in Italy*- This can be a rental agreement, a hotel reservation, or a letter from your host institution that you have housing. If you’re staying with family or a friend you will need a letter from them, proof of their address, as well as their ID

Two recent, passport-size photos 

Proof of funds – either a letter from your parents (notarized) and their bank account statements from the last three months, proof of scholarship, proof that school is paying for it, or documentation that you can pay for yourself (bank statements from last three months). (A minimum of $ 800.00 per each month of stay in Italy is required.)

Proof of health insurance – needs to detail what is covered

Round-trip flight reservation to begin the process* – If traveling to Italy by land (train, bus, automobile), provide itinerary and state name of border of entry into Italy

Pre-paid envelope – if you want your passport mailed back to you instead of picking it up. For some consulates you may need to fill out this authorization form.

*If you don’t foresee a return date or you don’t have proof of accommodation for your entire stay, you can look into booking a dummy reservation here

4. Bring documents to appointment and pay the visa fee

Easy peasy. If you have any minor problems with your documents, they may give you a few days to fix them.

5. Pick up visa

You did it! Now you’ll need to wait a few weeks (minimum of 3) to pick up your passport and your new visa. Alternately, you’ll receive it in the mail.