student visas

Non EU students applying for one-year programs are required by the Italian government to obtain a student visa. Students must apply for their visa at the Italian Consulate having jurisdiction over their place of residence. In order to assure a timely processing of visas, the student should go to the Consulate as early as possible. Some consulates will not accept visa applications more than three months prior to the start of the program. Many nationalities can be granted their visa in a week; for some nationalities however a three/four week period is required for processing

The Florence Institute will provide the necessary letter of acceptance for the student in order to complete the visa application process. The letter of acceptance will be issued only when the enrollment fee is paid and your visa will be issued only for the length of time you are enrolled at the school. Other documents needed will include a current passport, photos, proof of health insurance and proof of financial support.

DOV and Pre-enrollment not required:
We would like to inform you that we do not need you to go through any pre-enrollment process and you do not need to obtain a declaration of value of you previous studies. These steps are usually only required by state universities. Please contact us if the embassy has requested these steps.

IMPORTANT: After your visa is issued be sure to bring photocopies and originals of all these documents with you to Italy.

VISA Duration: Students enrolled for more than one year should apply for a student visa until classes end in the 1st year (maximum 1 YEAR). This applies to students of the Bachelor, Advanced Diploma and MA. After arrival in Italy you will request an extention of your 'resident permit/permesso di soggiorno' Please note that it is advised to extend your ‘Permesso di Soggiorno’ at the end of the year and not apply for a new student visa. For more information about the Italian Consulate in your jurisdiction please check the Italian Consulate web page.

Costs: Visa costs varry but will be aprox 150 Euro. In addition students will need to apply for a 'Resident Permit' upon arrival in Florence. This is a separate cost at aprox 75 Euro.

Health Insurance Costs: see here for our Student Health Insurance