Italian Student Visa Instructions
All students, except EU Citizens, participating in the Florence program must get an Italian student visa prior to departure (EU Citizens, click here for information. Non US Citizens, click here before reading below).
You can either:
OPTION A: HAVE SU ABROAD SUBMIT YOUR VISA APPLICATION
This option is most popular and is recommended for all students, with the exception of students who need their passport prior to the start of the program. Essentially, SU Abroad acts as a "middleman" between you and the Italian Consulate. Students submit their passport and visa application materials to SU Abroad and we will review them for accuracy. Once we have collected and reviewed everyone's visa application, we will submit one large group of applications to each of the 10 Italian Consulates in the U.S.
It is important to understand that this process takes several weeks (typically 4-8), but we ensure that students have their passport by the program start date/group flight departure date. If you have travel plans that require your passport before the program start date, it may affect your ability to be included in our group submission. Contact SU Abroad to discuss your options.
To be included in our group submission, you must submit your visa application materials to SU Abroad by the visa deadline (see below). It will take between 1 and 3 weeks for you to prepare your visa application materials and mail them to SU Abroad. Plan accordingly to ensure your materials are submitted on time!
FALL 2012 STUDENTS: VISA DEADLINE IS MAY 1, 2012
DISCOVERY FLORENCE STUDENTS (INCOMING FRESHMEN): VISA DEADLINE IS MAY 15, 2012
SU Abroad provides instructional packets to help you prepare your visa application. To access your Italian Visa Packet, enter your home/permanent zip code in the box below:
OPTION B: APPLY INDEPENDENTLY* FOR YOUR ITALIAN VISA
* Not available to students who live in the Los Angeles jurisdiction; you must participate in the group submission
To apply for your visa independently, you must appear in person at the Italian Consulate (note that this may involve traveling a great distance). This option is recommended for students unable to participate in the SU Abroad group visa submission (i.e. international students or students who need their passport prior to the start of the program).
If you apply independently for your visa, you are responsible for preparing and submitting your visa materials to the Consulate accurately. SU Abroad is unable to work with the Consulates on behalf of independent visa applicants, so you must be able to handle the process on your own!
Independent Applicants should proceed as follows:
SU Abroad recommends preparing your application at least 2 weeks in advance of your appointment to ensure time to gather the required documents:
Italian Visa Packet-Independent Applicants