After receiving reports that students are having difficulties obtaining appointments at some Italian consulates in time for fall programs, the NAFSA Consular Affairs Liaison subcommittee has provided information on how to request expedited appointments at some of the Italian Consulates in the United States.
Note: These processes are subject to change. Please visit the Web site of the particular consulate for information specific to that consulate.
January 26, 2012
According to a decree dated 6 October 2011 and recently published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale (n. 304 from 31 December 2011), there will be a change in the procedures and cost of applying for the Permit of Stay for non-European students beginning January 30, 2012. According to the new regulation:
- Change in Procedure: Students are required to provide the copies of only the first and the visa pages of their passport, instead of all pages.
- Change in Cost: Students are now required to pay 155,12 euro cash in order to obtain their Permit Of Stay. Below is the new breakdown of the new costs for permits of stay issued for periods of time spanning between 3 months and 1 year (semester and academic year students):
- Permit of Stay Tax Fee: 107,50 euro (increased from 27.50 euro)
- Certified Mail: 30,0 euro
- Official Stamp: 14,62 euro
- Postal office Fee: 1,10 euro
- TOTAL = 153,22 euro
December 17, 2010
After consulting with the Consulate General of Italy in Miami, this information was provided by the Consular Affairs Liaison to the Consulate of Miami at the Region VII Conference on November 8, 2010:
- Missing financial documents are the biggest reason for incomplete visa paperwork
- Financial documentation should show access to $1000/month
- Consulate has requested photos be attached to left side of visa application form
- Put admission letter in front of all visa documents
- Copies of all documents can be one sided or back to back to save paper
- It is easier for the Consulate to respond to emails than to phone calls. Consulate may be reached at: visa.miami[at]esteri.it
November 22, 2010The NAFSA Consular Affairs Liaison Subcommittee learned that a new National Visa application form for study visas is now in use by many Italian Consulates for long-stay study abroad (more than 90 days). Please check the website of your Consulate to download the new National Visa application form. If you do not see the form on the Consulate's website, you may email the consulate to request the form. We are aware that some Consulates have implemented the new National Visa form but have not yet posted it on their website.
If your students have already submitted their long-stay visa applications using the old form, it is the Consulate's decision to process the applications or to request that they be resubmitted on the new National Visa form. We are aware that at least one Consulate returned the applications with a request that they be resubmitted. Others have been processed using the old form. If your students have not yet submitted their long-stay visa applications, it recommended that they download and complete the new National Visa application form.
U.S. citizens who study in Italy for less than 90 days do not need to apply for a student visa (as of September 1, 2010). Citizens of other countries may check with the Italian Consulate to learn if they must apply for a student visa for a program less than 90 days.
Study visas remain free of charge.
November 12, 2010
Students residing or studying full-time in the jurisdiction of the Chicago Consulate and appling for a student Visa, may now submit their passport and visa application by mail (applications made in-person are still accepted). There are very specific instructions on the process and the additional documents (some of which must be notarized) necessary to submit an application by mail.
August 27, 2010
The Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C., announced that as of September 1, 2010, U.S. students will no longer need to apply for a study visa for short-term programs up to 90 days.
International students who are citizens of countries that are exempt from applying for a visitor visa will also no longer need to apply for a study visa for short-term study abroad programs up to 90 days.
May 13, 2010
As of April 5, 2010, a new Schengen visa application form is in use for short-stay study visas (up to 90 days) by the Italian Consulates. The old form is still in use for long-stay study visas (more than 90 days). Please check your consulate's website for the forms or contact the consulate to request a copy.
If your students have already submitted their short-stay visa applications using the old form, it is the consulate's decision to process the applications or to request that they be resubmitted on the new form. We are aware that at least one consulate returned the applications with a request that they be resubmitted. Others have been processed using the old form. If your students have not yet submitted their short-stay visa applications, it recommended that they download and complete the new application form.
May 7, 2010
Batch Processing at the Philadelphia Consulate
Study abroad advisers at colleges and universities in the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia Consulate may submit their students' completed applications by mail to the consulate, individually or in batches. An application packet mailed directly by a student will not be accepted. In this case, the student must apply in person.
Chicago Consulate
- Call 1.800.405.0044 to request a student visa appointment.
- Request the earliest appointment available.
- Explain to the phone representative that you will need to appeal for an earlier appointment, and that you understand you can do this by e-mail.
- Request an appointment confirmation number.
- Once you have set your appointment, you will receive an e-mail with your reference number and the date and time of your scheduled appointment.
- Forward the appointment confirmation to cgicustomerservice[at]abtran.com, along with the following information:
- Appointment confirmation number (that you received from the phone representative when you called the 1.800 number to request the appointment).
- Request for an earlier appointment.
- Reason for the request for an earlier appointment (e.g., your program starts on x date, and the earliest appointment available by the phone system is after that date).
* Note: you can only request an expedited appointment via e-mail after an appointment has already been set up using the phone system.
Houston Consulate
The Houston Consulate experienced a backlog in student visa application processing but are now catching up. One of the reasons for delay in processing is missing documentation, particularly the flight information. The Consular Officers ask that students be reminded to check that all necessary documents are attached.
Detroit Consulate
No appointment needed. Visas can be submitted in person anytime during the office hours of:
- Monday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Friday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Current visa processing times (as of May 2010): 2-3 weeks
New York Consulate
The New York Consulate has begun enforcing a new requirement that each student's address for lodging in Italy be included in either the acceptance letter from the institution in Italy, or in the acceptance letter from the home institution or study abroad organization. These instructions are not yet on the Consulate's website but will be added in the near future.
At this time, the other Italian Consulates would prefer that the address be included in either letter but, if it is not known, they will continue to accept a statement in the acceptance letter that housing will be provided by the host institution or study abroad organization.
Philadelphia Consulate
As of December 2010, the consulate operates by appointment only. Student visa applicants should call 1-800-531-0840 to schedule an appointment. There is a charge for the call. Please consult the website www.ipsitaly.net for further information regarding the visa application and the charges.
Current visa processing times (as of Dec 2010) are one to three weeks.
March 12, 2012
Please be advised that this consulate has recently posted a few updates to its Study Visa checklist (214kb 
). While there are no drastic changes to the checklist, these edits provide greater clarity about the official letter of acceptance, the proof of financial means, and the health insurance declaration. They have posted an updated Affidavit of Health Insurance.
For batch processors in this jurisdiction:
- Consular officers would appreciate receiving batches before 90 days prior to the program start date. While they cannot process the visas in their computer system until the 90 day mark, this gives them some time to take care of the necessary prep work.
- In order to cut down on the amount of paper in each application, study abroad advisors are encouraged to ask students to print copies of the driver's license and student ID (front sides only) on one sheet.
- Again, to minimize the stack of paper, it is requested that flight itineraries be listed on one page only.
- A passport mailing disclaimer form is only needed if students' passports are to be returned in individual envelopes (this form is available on the Forms page listed above.)
- The financial guarantee may be included in the official acceptance letter (recommended text below). In this case, no other bank letters, statements or Affidavits of Financial Support are necessary.
The student has paid in full the program that provides for tuition, room and board, transportation, airfare, and support while he/she is in Italy. In addition, the parents or guardians of the student take full financial responsibility for their son/daughter during the study abroad period.
Washington, DC Consulate
Embassy of Italy
Visa Office
3000 Whiteheaven St NW
Washington, DC, 20008
Tel. 202-612-4421 or 4423 (phone calls accepted between 2:00 and 4:00 pm)
Fax 202-462 9406
e-mail: visti.washington[at]esteri.it
No appointment needed. Visas can be submitted in person anytime during the office hours of:
- Monday10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
- Wednesday 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
- Friday 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Individual applicants may elect to have their passport and visa returned by mail. They should submit a Self-addressed, Pre-paid Express Mail envelope along with their Visa application - regular mail will not be accepted and envelopes with insufficient postage will not be mailed.
Current visa processing times (as of July 2010): 7-15 days
If a student needs to have his or her visa issued more quickly, the student should provide documentation (airline ticket and letter of invitation) showing departure date and program start date and kindly request that the visa be issued as quickly as possible.
For students whose school normally batch processes visa applications: If the student needs a visa more quickly than the time line of the batch process for his or her school, the student should apply on an individual basis. Note: current processing times as of July 2010 are between 2-4 weeks depending on the size of the group.
