Study Abroad: Italy Introduces New Visa Rules For International Students Applying In 2025

Italy's government has introduced new visa rules for international students from January 10, 2025. Scores of Indian students go to Italy every year for higher education, the new rules are going to affect them.

Study in Italy: For those who are applying for long-term visas or D Visa in Italy, whether they are international students or others, the rules are being changed for them effective from January 10, 2025. D Visa is for those who want to remain in Italy for over 90 days.

Going forward the international students need to submit their fingerprints at the Italian consulate. They first need to book and attend the appointment to submit their fingerprints.

"The policy change also 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," Jill Allen Murray, NAFSA Deputy Executive Director of Public Policy, as reported by Schengen.News.

New Changes To Put More Financial Burden On International Students

Travelling to the Italian consulates is going to add more expenses for international students. Overall, it will make the application process even more difficult and stressful for students.

"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’ decision to spend a full semester abroad," said Melissa Torres, CEO of Forum on Education Abroad.

Indian Students Studying In Italy

Italy is a popular study-abroad destination for Indian students. According to Ministry of External Affairs data, in 2022, a total of 5,897 students were studying in Italy.

There are multiple factors which make Italy attractive to Indian students. It includes affordability, academic excellence and cultural immersion. For exceptional public education, there are zero tuition fees, and multiple scholarship options, and students from a wide range of academic backgrounds go to Italy to study. The country also offers post-study work visa opportunities.

Unlike, many other European countries, in Italy, there is no requirement for a blocked account. It makes education less expensive. In a blocked account, the students need to deposit huge funds to show that they have enough finances to sustain themselves in the foreign country.

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