Why Italy’s New Student Visa Rules Challenge International Students

The Italian government’s updated visa requirements, set to take effect on January 10th, 2025, have sparked concerns among international students and educational institutions alike. 

The new regulations, which require Type D visa applicants planning to study in Italy for more than 90 days to book individual appointments for fingerprinting at Italian consulates, are expected to increase administrative burdens and potentially cause delays for students seeking to study in Italy.

This shift in policy could pose some challenges for students, especially those from the United States, the largest group of international students in Italy. According to the new rules, each applicant will need to schedule a separate appointment for biometric data collection. 

Stakeholders, including study-abroad providers and university officials, worry that the added complexity and cost of traveling to consulates for fingerprinting, combined with long waiting times for appointments, will discourage students from choosing Italy as their study destination.

Melissa Torres, CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, highlighted that the change could also lead to a rise in travel costs and logistical difficulties for students.

“In addition to the increased expense, many students will incur traveling to a consulate and the likelihood of massive wait times for visa appointments, I am concerned that this new requirement will impact students’ decision to spend a full semester abroad,” she told The PIE News.

The update also eliminates “batch” processing, a practice that allowed US universities to submit visa applications for large groups of students simultaneously, streamlining the process. Jill Allen Murray, deputy executive director of NAFSA, expressed concern that the loss of batch processing would place a significant administrative burden on each Italian consulate. 

“This change effectively eliminates the option for ‘batch’ processing, which many US institutions have used to help their students secure visas in a timely fashion and increases the administrative demands on each Italian consulate,” she explained.

The new policy is likely to cause confusion and delays in the visa process, which could lead to students reconsidering their plans to study in Italy. Reports indicate that Italy was the top destination for US students studying abroad in the 2022/23 academic year, with 15% of all US students choosing Italy—a 37% increase from the previous year. 

However, the complications introduced by the new visa regulations could prompt students to seek shorter programs or consider other study-abroad destinations.

In response to the growing concerns, NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad have joined forces to send a letter to the Italian ambassador. They are urging the restoration of batch processing and recommending that Italy allocate more resources to consular appointments to prevent delays. 

Additionally, both organizations are pushing for fingerprinting to be conducted at honorary consulates or local police stations, which could ease the burden on consular services.

To help mitigate the potential disruption, NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad are advising students planning to study in Italy to apply for their D visas as soon as possible, well ahead of the January 2025 deadline. With the anticipated strain on consular services, applying early will ensure students have enough time to secure their visas and avoid delays that could disrupt their study plans.

In summary, while Italy remains a top choice for international students, the new visa rules could make the process more complicated and time-consuming. Students are urged to be proactive in securing their visas and to stay informed about any further updates to the policy to avoid unnecessary setbacks.