An International Universityin the Heart of Italy Study Abroad Programs
An International UniversityFor International Students
Practical guidance for non-EU students applying for an Italian student visa, registering for the residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno), obtaining the Italian tax code (codice fiscale) and complying with the post-arrival declarations required by Italian law.
The information below summarises the principal regulatory steps required of international students enrolling at Unicollege. Procedures are set by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) and the Ministry of the Interior; specific documentation may vary by country of residence and should always be confirmed with the competent Italian Consulate or, once in Italy, with the local Questura (Police Headquarters).
Two-stage process — before and after arrival. The entry visa (Type D) must be obtained before arrival in Italy through the Italian Consulate in your country of residence. Once on Italian soil you have 8 working days to apply for the Permesso di Soggiorno, and your host has 48 hours to file the Dichiarazione di Ospitalità. Plan ahead.
Section 1 · Before departure
Non-EU students intending to enrol in a degree programme lasting more than 90 days in Italy must obtain a Type D National Student Visa at the Italian Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over their country of legal residence. The visa must be issued before entering Italy: it is not possible to convert a tourist or short-stay visa into a study permit once in the country.
Apply well in advance. The full visa procedure — from Universitaly pre-application to consular appointment and visa sticker — can take several months. Do not book travel until the visa is in your passport. Consular calendars fill quickly between June and September.
The Type D (national long-stay) Student Visa permits entry to Italy for the purpose of full-time study lasting more than 90 days. It is the only visa category valid for bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes at Unicollege.
The visa is requested in person at the competent Italian Consulate; it is normally issued for the duration of the academic year and is converted, after arrival, into a Permesso di Soggiorno per studio.
Before opening any visa procedure, students must hold an official Letter of Acceptance issued by Unicollege after successful completion of the admission process (entry test, document verification, payment of the first instalment).
Unicollege's International Office issues the acceptance letter in the format and language required by Italian consular authorities and uploads it to the Universitaly portal under the student's pre-application.
Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, UK nationals and UK residents now require a Type D Student Visa for any course of study in Italy lasting more than 90 days, on the same terms as other non-EU citizens.
Applications are filed at the Italian Consulate in London, Edinburgh or Manchester, depending on the applicant's residential address.
Non-EU students who already hold a valid residence permit issued by another EU member state for study purposes may benefit from intra-EU mobility provisions: short stays of up to 90 days at Unicollege (e.g. Erasmus exchange) require only a Dichiarazione di Presenza (see Section 6).
For longer stays, a separate Italian residence permit is required, but the visa procedure may be simplified. Contact the International Office for case-by-case guidance.
Section 2 · Online pre-application
Since 2019, the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) requires all non-EU students to pre-register their visa application through the official portal portal.universitaly.it. Pre-registration is mandatory and free of charge; only after the Universitaly profile has been validated by Unicollege can the consular visa appointment be booked.
Estimated time end-to-end: 4–8 weeks from Universitaly registration to visa sticker on passport. Plan to start no later than three months before the intended date of departure.
Create a personal account at portal.universitaly.it using a valid e-mail address. Confirm the activation link and complete the personal data profile (full name as on passport, date and place of birth, nationality, residential address abroad).
Select Italy → the institution Unicollege SSML → the academic year → the chosen degree programme. Upload a scanned passport, a passport-format photo, your Letter of Acceptance and any other documents requested by Unicollege. Submit and wait for the university to validate your application electronically.
Once Unicollege has validated your Universitaly application, log in to the website of the Italian Consulate in your country of residence and book an in-person visa appointment. In some countries appointments are managed by an external visa centre (e.g. VFS Global).
Attend the appointment in person with the original documents (and copies). Standard requirements:
If approved, the Type D Student Visa is affixed to your passport. The Consulate will also provide a visa code that you must keep: it is required at the Italian border and again when filing the Permesso di Soggiorno kit at the Post Office.
Universitaly pre-registration is the gateway to the entire visa procedure: no consulate will process a student-visa application that has not first been validated through the portal.
Section 3 · First step after arrival
The codice fiscale is the Italian tax identification number: a 16-character alphanumeric code generated from the holder's name, date and place of birth. It is the single most useful identifier in Italy and is required for almost every formal interaction with public administration and private operators.
You will need a codice fiscale to: open an Italian bank account, sign a rental contract, register with the National Health Service, complete enrolment at Unicollege, buy an Italian SIM card, and access most online public services (e.g. SPID).
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | Any local office of the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency). Office finder: agenziaentrate.gov.it. |
| Documents | Original passport with valid visa; photocopy of passport (data page + visa page); completed form Modulo AA4/8 (request for tax-code attribution). |
| Cost | Free of charge. |
| Time | Same-day issuance in most offices: the paper certificate is handed over at the counter; the plastic tessera sanitaria (health card) arrives by post 4–6 weeks later. |
| Booking | Most Agenzia delle Entrate offices require an appointment, bookable online or by phone. Walk-in service is available in some locations on a limited-slot basis. |
Tip. Some Italian Consulates issue a provisional codice fiscale together with the visa: in that case you can use the printed code immediately on arrival, but you will still need to apply for the formal certificate from the Agenzia delle Entrate within the first weeks.
Section 4 · Within 8 working days of arrival
The Permesso di Soggiorno per studio is the residence permit that legalises your stay in Italy beyond 90 days. It is mandatory for all non-EU students and must be requested in the very first days after arrival.
Strict deadline: 8 working days from arrival. Failure to submit the application within this time frame can result in administrative fines up to €5,000 and, in serious cases, in deportation proceedings and a re-entry ban. Saturday is not a working day for this purpose; Sunday and public holidays are not counted.
Go to any Italian post office that displays the Sportello Amico sign and ask for the yellow-banded kit per permesso di soggiorno. The kit itself is free; it contains the Modulo 1 (and Modulo 2 where applicable) and the user instructions.
Complete the modules carefully in block capitals using a black pen. Mistakes may invalidate the application. Free help is available from:
Hand the completed kit, the documents and the €30.46 postal payment to the Sportello Amico clerk. The application is then sent by registered mail to the local Questura (Police Headquarters). You will receive: a stamped receipt of submission (your provisional proof of legal stay), a username and password to track the file online at questure.poliziadistato.it.
Within a few weeks the Questura sends a written invitation (or SMS) with the date, time and address of the appointment for biometric data (fotosegnalamento: fingerprints and digital photo).
Attend the Immigration Office of the Questura on the appointed day with all original documents and the receipt issued by the Post Office. Fingerprints are taken on the spot. The plastic permit card is normally ready 1–3 months later and is collected in person at the same office on a second appointment.
Renewal — 60 days before expiry. The Permesso di Soggiorno is normally issued for one academic year. To remain in Italy for the next year you must file a renewal kit (same procedure as above) at least 60 days before the expiry date printed on the permit. Renewal requires updated proof of enrolment, evidence of academic progress (a minimum number of ECTS credits acquired during the year), and updated financial & insurance coverage.
Free help — Patronato services. A Patronato is a public-interest welfare desk (run by trade unions or workers' associations) that offers free assistance with immigration paperwork, including the Permesso di Soggiorno kit. Look for: ACLI, INCA-CGIL, INAS-CISL, ITAL-UIL, EPACA, ENASCO, ENAPA. They have offices in every Italian city and the service is entirely free of charge.
Section 5 · Within 48 hours of arrival
Italian law (TULPS art. 7 and Law 191/1978) requires anyone hosting a foreign citizen — whether in a private home, a rented flat or a guest house — to file a formal declaration of hospitality with the local police authority. The obligation lies with the landlord or host, not with the student, but every incoming student should make sure it is done.
Filed within 48 hours of the student's arrival. The declaration is also known as Cessione di Fabbricato (real-estate transfer notification) and applies whenever the property is given in use to a non-Italian citizen. Failure to comply exposes the host to administrative fines.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Who files | The owner of the property, the tenant who sublets, the head of family hosting a guest, or the manager of the hospitality structure. |
| Form | Cessione di Fabbricato (real-estate transfer / hospitality declaration). Pre-printed form available at the Police HQ or downloadable from the Polizia di Stato website. |
| Where to file | Local Questura (Police Headquarters) — in person, by registered mail, by certified e-mail (PEC) or via the Polizia di Stato online portal. In smaller municipalities the local Carabinieri station accepts the form. |
| Deadline | Within 48 hours of the foreign guest's arrival. |
| Documents needed | Copy of the host's ID card; copy of the student's passport & visa; address of the property; intended duration of the stay. |
If you live with an Italian host family or in a privately rented flat, the obligation to file the Dichiarazione di Ospitalità rests on the head of family or the landlord. Make sure they know about the requirement; you should keep a copy of the filed declaration as part of your residence-permit documentation.
If you live in a Unicollege-affiliated residence, in a DSU student hall or in a hotel-style serviced flat, the declaration is normally handled automatically by the housing service or the property manager. Ask the front desk for written confirmation that it has been filed.
Section 6 · Short stays under 90 days
The Dichiarazione di Presenza is a simplified procedure that takes the place of the full Permesso di Soggiorno for short-term stays. It is filed once, requires no fingerprints, and is valid for the entire duration of the authorised stay (up to 90 days).
Use the Declaration of Presence if you fall into one of the following categories:
If you entered Italy through a non-Schengen border (e.g. directly from outside the Schengen area), the entry stamp on your passport itself serves as the declaration: no further action is required.
If you entered through a Schengen internal border (no entry stamp), file a written declaration at the local Questura (Immigration Office) within 8 days of arrival. The form is the Modulo Dichiarazione di Presenza.
No biometric appointment is required and no permit card is issued: the stamped copy of the form is your proof of regular stay.
A short course doesn't mean light paperwork: the Declaration of Presence is faster than a full permit, but it is still a legal obligation — missing the 8-day deadline can compromise your re-entry into the Schengen area.
Forms & assistance
The forms below are the official documents most frequently used during the visa, codice fiscale and residence-permit procedures. They are made available here for reference; always check the issuing authority for the most up-to-date version.
Modulo AA4/8 — Codice Fiscale
Cessione di Fabbricato — Hospitality declaration
Permesso di Soggiorno — Postal kit guide
Modulo Dichiarazione di Presenza
The International Office assists incoming students throughout the entire pre-arrival and post-arrival procedure: from the Universitaly pre-application, through consular documentation, to the in-person filing of the Permesso di Soggiorno kit during orientation week. Assistance is included in your enrolment — you do not need to hire a private agency.
Contact: Italian Language School studyabroad@unicollege.eu · Office hours and locations are listed on the Contact page.
Free public assistance — Patronato services. In addition to the International Office, all incoming students may freely use the services of an Italian Patronato (ACLI, INCA-CGIL, INAS-CISL, ITAL-UIL and others). Patronati are non-profit welfare desks that help foreign citizens with immigration paperwork at no cost. They are present in every Italian city, including Florence, Mantua, Milan and Turin.