Italy Introduces New Visa Rules for International Students Starting 2025

By Ezra December 12, 2024
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Italy has announced new visa requirements for international students, effective 10 January 2025. Applicants for Type D visas, including those enrolled in programmes lasting over 90 days, must now schedule individual fingerprinting appointments at Italian consulates.

The policy change is expected to increase administrative challenges for both consulates and students. Previously, many institutions utilised batch processing to streamline visa applications for student groups. However, this option will no longer be available, raising concerns about delays and additional costs.

Melissa Torres, CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, expressed concerns about the potential impact on students. She said, “In addition to the increased expense many students will incur travelling to a consulate, and the likelihood of massive wait times for visa appointments, I am concerned that this new requirement will impact students’ decisions to spend a full semester abroad.”

Jill Allen Murray, Deputy Executive Director of Public Policy at NAFSA, noted that the new requirement significantly increases the workload on Italian consulates and could deter students from choosing Italy as their study destination.

Despite this change, Italy remains a leading destination for study abroad programmes. During the 2022–23 academic year, Italy attracted 15% of US students studying abroad, reflecting a 37% increase compared to the previous year.

However, US stakeholders warn that the new visa rules could shift student preferences to other destinations, particularly for those considering full-semester programmes. The policy also risks accelerating the growing trend of students opting for shorter study abroad courses.

As Italy remains a popular choice for international education, how these changes affect student mobility will be closely monitored in the coming years.

Source: THE ECONOMIC TIMES

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