Required documentation CHECKLIST: STUDY. This is a general list, additional documentation may be requested. Ensure all requirements are met prior to applying.
Visa Application available here: NATIONAL VISA APPLICATION FORM
U.S. citizens must book an appointment through the Prenot@mi portal in order to submit their study visa application.
Prenot@mi appointments for U.S. citizens:
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do not require appearing in person at the Consulate for an interview;
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authorize the Study Visa application request, either via mail or by drop-off at the Consulate’s entrance (security desk).
No online interview or video call is involved.
This procedure applies to U.S. citizens residing or attending schools in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and applying for a Long-Term Study Visa.
Procedures for universities using the “batch” method remain regulated by separate instructions and are not affected by this notice.
PROCEDURE FOR U.S. CITIZENS
1. Register on Prenot@mi
Create an account (if not already registered).
2. Book the virtual appointment
Select:
Consulate General of Italy in Houston →
“Study Visa / U.S. CITIZENS ONLY”
Choose the first available slot.
3. Prepare the application package
Follow the official checklist, available below (application form, passport, photos, proof of financial means, acceptance letter, proof of insurance, etc.).
4. Submit the application
Mail or drop off the application ONLY ON or AFTER the date of the Prenot@mi virtual appointment, and no later than 30 days from that date. Applications submitted after 30 days will not be accepted.
Applications sent before the appointment date cannot be accepted.
On or after the appointment date, applications may be submitted:
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by mail/courier, or
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by drop-off at the Consulate’s entrance (security desk), without access to visa counters.
In all cases, a printed copy of the Prenot@mi appointment confirmation must be included in the application package.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A PRENOT@MI APPOINTMENT will not be accepted or processed.
The Consulate reserves the right to return non-compliant applications to the sender, without reimbursement of shipping costs.
REQUIREMENTS FOR NON–U.S. CITIZENS
British, Japanese, and Canadian nationals may follow the same procedure applicable to U.S. citizens.
Applicants of all other nationalities applying for a Long-Term Stay (91–365 days) who reside in or are enrolled in a school within the Consulate’s jurisdiction (TX, LA, AR, OK) must:
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book an appointment through Prenot@mi, and
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appear in person at the Consulate.
Please ensure that you select the correct appointment type:
“Study – Non U.S. Citizens.”
Applications sent by mail or delivered without an in-person appointment will not be accepted.
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UNIVERSITALY PRE-ENROLLMENT
Most students enrolled in Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees, Specialization Schools, PhD programs, Advanced training courses, University Master’s programs, and individual university courses are required to register on https://www.universitaly.it/. Please confirm this with your university. Students must access the UNIVERSITALY portal and complete the pre-enrollment application online, following the procedures active on the portal and attaching the documentation required by the university institution. This procedure applies to the majority of academic institutions, with the exception of certain private universities. The deadlines for pre-enrollment procedures for study programs, except for those with limited enrollment, are set by each individual higher education institution and published on their respective websites. The Italian university to which the student is applying will validate the pre-enrollment application on the UNIVERSITALY portal. It will indicate whether the authenticity of the documents has been verified and for which ones, and whether the student needs a Declaration of Value for their diploma. Once the pre-enrollment is validated on the UNIVERSITALY portal, the student can apply for the VISA.
The study visa will be issued for the dates requested by the academic institution. We do not accommodate personal requests for more days. Study visas will only be issued for programs with classes of at least twenty hours per week
Regarding ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES, the required level of proficiency for application acceptance is B1 (intermediate level). Prior knowledge of the Italian language must be demonstrated by presenting appropriate language certificates. The level of the language course you intend to attend in Italy must be necessarily a higher-level course (minimum: B2 level). Courses attended in Italy must be in line with the academic pathway pursued in the country of origin.
If you are not able to obtain a valid health insurance policy prior to your departure, you must provide an AFFIDAVIT FOR MEDICAL INSURANCE stating that you will purchase an Italian insurance policy upon your arrival in Italy, before registering with the local police headquarters (Questura).
Students attending a program in Italy at a foreign University for less than 150 days are not required to apply for an Italian Residence Permit. Instead, a “Declaration of Presence” must be presented at the closest local police headquarters (Questura).
Please note, application processing can take up to 90 days. Before scheduling other trips (requiring a passport), be aware of the processing time. Requests for expedited Visa processing will not be accommodated.
The Visa office handles many thousands of requests each year and we strive to process every application in time for the departure date, which means that applicants might receive their passports just few days before their departure. Please do not ask for updates about your visa status and do not inquire about the delivery of the envelope. This sort of inquiries will be disregarded.
The current LONG TERM STUDY VISA fee is $ 58.30 Visa Fee (esteri.it). The Office accepts only USPS Money Order payable to the Consulate General of Italy. Other forms of payment will be denied.
Affidavit of support available here: AFFIDAVIT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT
If unable to pick up the passport/visa in person a UPS or USPS EXPRESS PRIORITY prepaid shipping label with tracking must be provided. Other form of mailing will be rejected. Take note of the tracking number before shipping it to receive shipping updates. The Consulate does not take responsibility for lost or stolen passports after shipment, any concerns should be directed to the respective mail carrier.
Please provide the declaration for mailing your passport: Declaration for mailing.
There have been several issues with the mail services in the past, thus it is strongly recommended to pick up your passport in person when it is ready. In case of impossibility, please provide not less than a priority EXPRESS prepaid mail label, which is more trustworthy. If the passport gets lost in the mail, please do not inquire about it with the visa office but rely on the mail service that you used.
It has frequently occurred that, due to a delay in the delivery of the package, students — acting out of concern— have reported their passport as lost and requested a replacement. We strongly discourage this, as statistics show that the passport is eventually delivered. Therefore, should you find yourselves in a similar situation, we strongly advise against taking such action and recommend that you await the regular delivery of your passport.
Please address any question regarding the Declaration of Value to houston.education@esteri.it
Students who need a Tax Code for university pre-registration can obtain it automatically through the UNIVERSITALY portal during the pre-registration application. The Tax Code assignment can be completed at the Single Immigration Office or the Police Headquarters when applying for a residence permit by non-EU students; at the Agenzia delle Entrate by submitting the AA4/8 form for EU students.
Please check the General information page for further information.