ItalyVisa for study, traineeships and research

Study visa in Italy

The study visa is Italy's national visa for people going to study, train or do research. The application is filed at the consulate in the country of residence, but different authorities check it: university enrolment is verified through the Universitaly portal, a traineeship project is approved by the region and checked by the Ministry of Labour, and the research visa is issued when the channel for invited researchers is unavailable. The applicant proves student status and solvency.

Source: Consolato d'Italia Recife — Visti di studio

Who the study visa suits

The visa brings together seven different study routes, and their requirements differ — from an Italian language school to a research laboratory.

For those entering education

An advanced Italian language course of at least 20 hours a week at an internationally accredited school — not free state courses
Bachelor's degree — pre-registration on the Universitaly portal and confirmation of enrolment from an Italian university
Master's, doctoral or exchange study under an agreement between universities — the same procedure through Universitaly or a direct invitation from the host university

For practice and research

Vocational training lasting up to 24 months at an internationally recognised institution
A traineeship (tirocinio formativo) under a project approved by the regional authority and checked by the Ministry of Labour through the CLICLAVORO database
Research work at the invitation of an Italian research organisation — only where an ordinary researcher visa under art. 27-ter cannot be obtained

When this programme will not suit you

I am going to Italy to be employed, not to study

You need an employed work visa (visto per lavoro subordinato) — the study visa is not designed for permanent employment.

I want to live in Italy on a pension, an annuity or other income without working

The elective residence visa (visto per residenza elettiva) is the right fit — it is for people living on passive income, not for students.

I am joining a spouse or parent who is an Italian or EU citizen

You need a family reunification visa (visto per ricongiungimento familiare) or a visa as the relative of an EU citizen, not a study visa.

I am an invited researcher and the ordinary researcher channel is open to me

First ask the consulate about the visa under art. 27-ter of D.Lgs 286/1998 — the study visa for research is granted only where that standard route is closed.

Documents to gather

The list is common to all study routes; documents specific to the programme are added for each category.

Modulo D application form — completed and printed
Summary form (modulo riassuntivo), completed on a computer, not by hand
Confirmation of enrolment or admission with the course start and end dates — from the university, language school, host organisation or research institution
Proof of financial means under Tabella A of the Italian Ministry of the Interior directive: personal savings, a notarised letter of guarantee from parents, a scholarship certificate or a bank guarantee
Travel insurance for the whole period of the trip
Flight booking with the transfers stated — matching those declared on the form
Invitation from the host or a hotel booking
Paid consular fee
For a traineeship — the training project approved by the regional authority and registered in the Ministry of Labour's CLICLAVORO database

How the process runs

The procedure is common to all study categories; individual steps apply only to some of them.

1
Filing the documents in person
The applicant files the complete package in person at the consulate: Modulo D, the summary form, proof of solvency, insurance, the flight booking and an invitation or hotel booking. All papers are accepted only in printed form — scans and phone photographs are not considered.
2
Check of the training project by the Ministry of Labour
15–20 days
For a traineeship visa the consulate checks the training project approved by the regional authority against the Ministry of Labour's CLICLAVORO database before deciding.
3
Decision on the visa and its issue
The consulate decides and places the visa in the passport with the course start and end dates given in the enrolment document or invitation.

Timelines and rights

Validity

Matches the course start and end dates given in the enrolment document.

Work

On a study residence permit you may work as an employee for no more than 20 hours a week and no more than 1,040 hours a year. The institution's authorisation is required. To work more, the permit must be converted into a work permit.

Residence

The study residence permit is issued for no more than 1 year and renewed annually. It is renewed if one exam was passed in the first year and at least two thereafter. For a minor the document is issued within 20 days.

Who you can bring with you

Only one of the seven categories has a separate rule for family members.

Spouse and minor children of a researcher

Where the study visa is issued under the research category, an equivalent visa is also granted to the accompanying spouse and minor children — under art. 44-bis(4) of DPR 394/99. For the other six study categories the consulate describes no separate procedure for family members.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Study visa	Subsidiary protection	Special protection
Visa term	Matches the course start and end dates given in the enrolment document	Permesso for 5 years, renewable	Permesso usually for 2 years, renewable
Grounds	A visa for study in Italy along several routes	Threat to life	Right to private/family life, health
Residence	The study residence permit is issued for no more than 1 year and renewed annually	Live in Italy; a return home may lead to withdrawal of the status	Residenza can be obtained; live in Italy

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

The EU long-term residence permit is not granted on a study permit — it must first be converted into a work permit. A graduate of an Italian university receives a job-search permit for 9 to 12 months.

Route to citizenship

After 10 years of lawful residence you apply to the prefecture with SPID. It requires Italian at B1 and income: EUR 8,263.31 a year with no dependants, EUR 11,362.05 with a dependent spouse.

Frequently asked questions about Study visa

Is anything required immediately after arriving in Italy on a study visa?

Yes. Any foreign national entering Italy on a visa for a stay longer than 90 days must lodge an application for a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) within 8 working days of entry — this applies to the study visa as well.

How long does a traineeship visa application take?

From 15 to 20 days: during that time the consulate checks the training project approved by the regional authority against the Ministry of Labour's CLICLAVORO database.

How can financial means be proven for a study visa?

The consulate accepts one of the options in Tabella A of the Italian Ministry of the Interior directive: personal savings, a notarised letter of guarantee from parents, a scholarship document or a bank guarantee for foreign students.

Can the visa documents be filed by email?

No. Modulo D, the summary form, the insurance, the flight booking and the invitation or hotel booking are accepted by the consulate only on paper, in printed form — documents sent by email or shown as phone photographs are not considered.

Does the study visa cover family members?

Only in the research category: an equivalent visa is granted to the spouse and minor children accompanying the researcher, under art. 44-bis(4) of DPR 394/99. For the other study categories the family must have its own visa route.

How much does the study visa cost and where is the exact amount published?

There is no fixed sum in euros on the page: the tariff is recalculated every quarter because of exchange rate movements and published in the «Valori Percezioni Consolari» table (art. 29) — check it before filing.

Other ways to move to Italy

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Italy.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.