Italy's student visa (university)

Non-EU students staying over 90 days need the type D "STUDIO – Immatricolazione Università" visa. The whole route runs through one portal — Universitaly — and one annually reissued rulebook, the MUR circular for international students (currently the a.y. 2026–27/2027–28 edition). Facts verified 22 July 2026; orientation, not legal advice.

The requirements

• Universitaly pre-enrolment validated by your university (one course, one university, per academic year)
• €10,179.85 for the academic year (≈ €848.25/month, a.y. 2026–27) from lawful, traceable sources — yours or family up to the 4th degree; a scholarship counts only once actually awarded
• Suitable accommodation (mere eligibility for a residence-hall place is not accepted)
• Health insurance valid in Italy with no caps on urgent hospitalisation (or a bilateral-agreement declaration)
• Funds for repatriation or a return ticket, on top of the subsistence amount
• Your qualification: a secondary title after 12+ years of schooling, or the CIMEA attestation / Dichiarazione di Valore for degree-level entry

How it works

1. Pre-enrol on Universitaly; your university validates the application on the portal — the consulate issues no visa without that validation.
2. Apply at the consulate (for a.y. 2026/27: by 30 November 2026; fingerprints required for national visas since January 2025, with some nationalities exempt). The visa is issued for 365 days, multiple entries.
3. Within 8 working days of arrival, request the permesso di soggiorno per studio at the Questura (postal kit or university help desk).
4. Renew yearly with academic progress: at least one exam passed in year one, two per year after (one suffices for grave documented reasons). Renewals run through further degree levels plus one extra year.

Working, healthcare, and staying on

• Work: the study permit itself allows employee work up to 20 hours a week, max 1,040 hours a year (DPR 394/1999, art. 14).
• Healthcare: students may enrol in the SSN voluntarily from €700 a year (L. 213/2023), paid via F24 — see our SSN guide.
• After graduation: convert to a work permit, or take the 9–12 month job-search / entrepreneurship permit (TU art. 39-bis.1) available to graduates of Italian degrees — itself convertible to work.
• Years on a study permit build toward long-term residence only in nuanced ways — you cannot apply while residing for study.