Italy Student Visa 2027/28: Requirements, Funds & Step-by-Step Guide

To get an Italy student visa you need a validated Universitaly pre-enrolment, then you apply for a type D national visa for study at the Italian embassy or consulate for the country where you legally live. You must show €10,179.85 per year in traceable funds, real accommodation, health insurance and recognised documents. For 2027/28, degree-course visa applications must be lodged by 31 October 2027.

This guide follows the MUR circular for 2026/27–2027/28 and real embassy checklists, especially Islamabad and Tehran, where many Pakistani, Iranian and Afghan students apply. Each mission publishes its own checklist, so always use the one for the office where you apply.

What type of visa do students need?

Students with a validated pre-enrolment receive a type D visa for STUDY – 'Immatricolazione Università', valid 365 days with multiple entries. If you must sit the language or admission test in Italy, or do not yet hold your diploma, you get a type D visa valid at least 100 days (until 31 January of the academic year); after passing and enrolling, you renew your permit in Italy without going home.

EU citizens and non-EU nationals already legally resident in Italy do not need this visa.

Italy student visa requirements: the checklist

The Islamabad embassy's study visa checklist (2026) is a good example of what missions ask for:

• National visa (D) application form and one ICAO-standard photo.
• Passport valid at least 3 months beyond the visa, plus copies of old visas.
• Proof of residence in the embassy's jurisdiction; foreigners need proof of lawful residence such as a long-term visa or residence or work permit.
• Signed Universitaly pre-enrolment summary, validated without reservation, and the admission letter.
• Motivation letter.
• CIMEA statements of comparability and verification, or a Declaration of Value.
• Apostilled and translated education documents.
• B2 language certificate.
• Health insurance of at least €30,000 valid in Schengen.
• Proof of accommodation and a flight booking.
• Proof of funds with 6 months of bank statements, tax returns and the sponsor's employment or business papers.

Proof of funds for an Italian student visa

The national circular sets subsistence means at €10,179.85 per year for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Embassies also expect you to cover rent and tuition. The rules on how you show the money matter as much as the amount:

• Funds must come from lawful, traceable sources, preferably your own or your family's (relatives up to the 4th degree).
• Blocked or rotating accounts in the student's name are preferred where available.
• Consulates assess account movements and family income, not just the final balance.
• An awarded scholarship from an Italian or reliable foreign body counts; a DSU application or eligibility alone does not.
• Islamabad does not accept cash, bank guarantees, surety bonds or guarantees from people outside the family.

Budget beyond the minimum with our cost of studying in Italy guide.

Accommodation and health insurance

You must show suitable accommodation in Italy. Simply applying for, or being eligible for, a university residence place is not valid proof. Embassies accept, for example, a hotel or residence booking, a rental contract, a confirmed university residence place, or a declaration of hospitality with the host's documents.

For health, the visa needs insurance (Islamabad: at least €30,000 valid in Schengen). In Italy, you either register voluntarily with the national health service – Universitaly lists €700 per calendar year for students – or keep a valid policy. Your residence permit can never last longer than your health cover.

Step-by-step: how to apply for the study visa

1. 1

   Get your pre-enrolment validated

   Apply to the university, then submit the Universitaly pre-enrolment for one course. If the university does not validate it, the visa is automatically refused. See how to apply.

2. 2

   Prepare documents and recognition

   Collect CIMEA statements or a Declaration of Value, translations and apostille or legalisation: documents guide.

3. 3

   Book the appointment with the official outsourcer

   Use only the website linked from the embassy page. Appointments are free – embassies warn never to pay intermediaries.

4. 4

   Attend in person for fingerprints

   Since 11 January 2025, biometric fingerprints are mandatory for national visas. You may also be interviewed, including on language skills.

5. 5

   Pay the fees

   Islamabad lists €50 (PKR 16,250 for July–September 2026, paid at the BLS centre). Tehran lists €50 plus a €29.70 VisaMetric service fee.

6. 6

   Travel and apply for the residence permit

   Within 8 working days of arrival, request the permesso di soggiorno at the post office with the kit; the receipt proves you are legal.

7. 7

   Enrol before 31 January

   If you are not shown as enrolled on Universitaly by 31 January, the visa is revoked.

Deadlines and appointment waits

For Laurea, Laurea Magistrale and single-cycle degrees, visa applications for 2027/28 must be lodged by 31 October 2027 (for 2026/27 the deadline was 30 November 2026). Universities may set earlier dates per course. For university Masters, PhDs, single courses and foundation courses there is no fixed date, but you must apply before teaching starts.

Demand for study-visa appointments is high, and the Tehran embassy explicitly urges students to book early. Since the circular caps validations at a university's foreign-student places plus 20%, applying early helps on both fronts.

Applying from Afghanistan

Afghans in Pakistan

The Islamabad embassy uses BLS-Intiana. Applications are admissible only from people permanently residing in its jurisdiction; foreigners must prove lawful residence (for example a long-term visa or residence or work permit) plus a residence certificate. Since 6 September 2026 the Multan and Faisalabad centres are closed, so bookings are only in Islamabad and Lahore. Residents of the Karachi and Quetta area follow the Consulate General in Karachi. After your pre-enrolment is confirmed, BLS contacts you to schedule the appointment.

Afghans in Iran

The Tehran embassy uses VisaMetric as its only authorised outsourcer. Booking is free but a refundable per-person deposit is requested. The Tehran page does not mention Afghan nationals specifically, so the Kabul embassy rule – apply where you are legally present – applies.

Afghanistan is not part of the Apostille Convention, so Afghan documents need legalisation instead, and you should check whether CIMEA can verify Afghan certificates. A MUR note of 3 July 2026 asks consulates to assess candidates from conflict areas with reasonableness while keeping the usual checks.

After you arrive: residence permit and renewals

The visa only lets you enter. To stay, you need a permesso di soggiorno per studio (residence permit for study). Here is what the Polizia di Stato and the MUR circular say:

Postal fees and revenue stamps are charged on top of the contribution; we could not verify their current amounts on an official page, so check at the post office. You can follow your application on the Portale Immigrazione and the Questura status page.

Why Italian student visas get refused

The final decision belongs only to the consulate. Based on the circular and embassy pages, the main risks are:

• Migration-risk assessment: the consulate weighs your family's socio-economic situation, the quality of your previous studies and how coherent the chosen course is.
• Weak or untraceable funds: sudden deposits, cash or non-family sponsors.
• No real accommodation: a dorm application is not enough.
• Document problems: missing CIMEA verification or DoV, or false documents, which lead to reports to the authorities and CIMEA.
• Late application: after the national or university deadline.

Once in Italy, your permit lets you work up to 20 hours a week – see work and stay in Italy after graduation. Keep your timeline organised: track deadlines for free on FindUniPath, and find every Italy guide on the Italy hub.