NOTE ON NEW ITALIAN VISA FINGERPRINTING REQUIREMENT: ISI Abroad is aware of the new biometric requirement for National Visa applicants and is following this development closely. The Italian government in March issued a general exception to this rule and we are now waiting to see what student categories may be covered under this exception in order to allow for students to resume remote applications, at least within the United States. Your ISI Admissions advisor will update you as soon as possible once the Italian government announces any changes. UNTIL THEN, please follow all guidance for in-person visa appointments.
What You Need to Know About Getting a Visa to Study in Italy
Curious if you will need a visa to study with ISI Abroad? You can click here and scroll down to access a short form that will help you understand if you need a visa based on the length of your stay and your nationality. Alternatively, contact your admissions advisor!
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ISI Abroad provides extensive assistance to students as they navigate the visa application process. For students applying independent of a home university batch process, a member of our team will individually review each document a student requires through our comprehensive Visa Dashboard.
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Please note that the Visa Dashboard does not replace the visa process and ISI Abroad cannot apply on your behalf. Instead, we regularly monitor visa requirements across consulates and interact regularly with the consulates themselves. We offer over a decade of visa review experience to help you ensure that you've compiled all documents correctly. We regularly see this lead to prompt processing of our students' visas (sometimes a matter of just a few days or weeks rather than the full processing timeline). Consulates can get busy so you should always plan for your visa to take the expected 4 to 8 weeks and apply early but we strongly advise students to take full advantage of our visa guides, videos, and document review services - all free of charge! Doing so leads to a smoother process, fewer errors, and more piece of mind for you and your families as you wait for your passport to be returned to you with the visa fixed inside.
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Are you still struggling with understanding the visa process? Ask your admissions advisor for a one-on-one advising call! ​
Accessing the ISI Abroad Visa Documents Dashboard
All students who complete Step 2 in ISI Abroad's Application Dashboard (log in here), and who have been accepted to a semester program, will gain access to the ISI Abroad Visa Documents Dashboard (unless they are following a home university batch submission process that is independent of ISI Abroad batch support).
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Click to access this dashboard and you'll be prompted to first - read the instructions! The instructions explain words like "Consular jurisdiction" and how to identify yours. It also clarifies which of our university partners typically provide a batch process so that you can contact your home university advisor for further guidance. It will also tell you how to book an appointment through Italy's Prenot@mi system. Lastly, it explains how the rest of the portal works!
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Once you've read the instructions, please provide ISI Abroad with information on the consulate jurisdiction you will use (you usually have only 1 option but some students have access to 2) and the visa appointment date you've secured. You can then go through each icon to view specific instructions for each individual requirement of the visa process. Please read all instructions AND watch any video provided to ensure you understand each step and have reviewed the pro tips that often lead to smoother visa processing.
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Once you submit your documents to the portal, please allow a few days for one of our advisors to review each submission and notify you whether the document looks good or requires adjustments in order to meet the standards or requirements of the consulate you're using.
We strongly advise you to prepare all documents at least 1 week before your appointment so that your application packet is reviewed and ready to go. If your appointment is only a day or two away at the time you submit something for review, please email your admissions advisor and they will try to review everything for you before your appointment time. However, we cannot guarantee that last-minute submission (defined as documents submitted for review less than 5 working days before your appointment) will be reviewed in time as we take great care to review every document thoroughly, leave careful guidance, and we offer this service to all of our students. ​
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IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THAT YOU HOLD ON TO ORIGINAL COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW.
Still Confused about Where to Start?
Don't worry! For most students this is the first time navigating an immigration system and the process, terms, and scale of it can be intimidating. We are here to help with this and encourage you that the most important thing you can do to start easing your anxiety is to just get started.
Tell your ISI Advisor right away if you're feeling overwhelmed by this process! Sometimes, a one-on-one advising call or a simple email can really help put you at ease and get you started on the right foot!
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Please note that most students requiring a visa are applying from the United States. Our portal is, therefore, designed primarily to support the process at the many consulates in the United States. However, international students not eligible to use these consulates will find that there are typically only subtle differences in what is required for their own visa process. Our team is experienced welcoming applicants from all inhabited continents and is happy to schedule a call with you to discuss your consulate's specific requirements.
The Health Insurance Requirement
All students are legally obligated to have international health insurance that meets specific international requirements. The Consulates do not accept domestic policies so please make sure that you submit the Visa Letter provided to you by ISI Abroad for our supplementary international health insurance through CISI. If you do not receive such a letter from ISI Abroad, through your ISI Portal, within a couple weeks of completing Step 2 of our process, this means that your home university's supplementary international health insurance meets visa requirements and that your home university will provide you with the relevant visa documentation. Have any questions? Contact your ISI advisor or check the Insurance Icon in your ISI Portal.
Helpful Tips
Every Italian consulate office retains the right to amend its visa process at any time, without notice. We encourage you to refer back to your consulate’s website frequently throughout the process and ALWAYS double check your consulate's website for possible updated requirements at least 2 days prior to your appointment. As ISI Abroad becomes aware of changes in the visa process, we will alert you by email. However, we cannot always guarantee that we’ll receive this information in time for your appointment.
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Be sure to make copies of your entire application for your records. Keep a copy of all materials until you've completed your semester abroad as you never know when they may become useful. If you are submitting by mail, all documents will need to be notarized. Most financial institutions have a notary public on staff but they don’t always work full-time. We, therefore, recommend that you schedule notary appointments in advance.
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If you are not a U.S. citizen, you are responsible for any Italian visa regulations that pertain to your particular citizenship. For more information, contact your local Italian consulate. You can also contact your ISI Abroad admissions advisor for assistance relative to your country’s requirements.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: ISI Abroad staff will review your profile in the Portal to offer advice in regard to any documents you submit. This DOES NOT replace your Consulate’s website and checklist and ISI Abroad DOES NOT take responsibility for any aspect of your visa application. However, we’ve found that offering this kind of support can provide comfort to students and much-needed resources for navigating a complex immigration process
