Italian Student Visa Instructions
All students (except EU citizens) participating in the Florence program must get an Italian student visa prior to departure.
You can either:
- Option A: Have Syracuse Abroad submit your visa application to the Italian Consulate
- Option B: Apply for your visa independently
Option A: Have Syracuse Abroad Submit Your Visa Application
Deadline for Fall 2024 Program: Wednesday, April 24th
This option is the most popular and is strongly recommended for all students, with the exception of students who need their passport for travel in the months leading up to the start of the program. Essentially, Syracuse Abroad acts as a “middleman” between you and the Italian Consulate. Students submit their passport and visa application materials to Syracuse Abroad and we will review them for accuracy. Once we have collected and reviewed everyone’s visa application, we will submit them to the Italian consulates.
It is important to understand that this process takes several months (typically 10-12 weeks) and passports are not accessible while visas are being processed, 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 Syracuse Abroad to discuss your options.
To be included in our group submission, you must submit your visa application materials to Syracuse Abroad by the visa deadline. It will take between one and three weeks for you to prepare your visa application materials and mail or bring them to Syracuse Abroad. Plan accordingly to ensure your materials are submitted on time!
International students/Non-U.S. citizens: You may apply through the group submissions for Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, and Philadelphia. Please submit a copy of your U.S. visa and I-20 or Green Card with your other paperwork. If you are on an F1 visa, make sure it is valid at least three months after your Florence program ends. The Italian consulate in New York will not allow you to join the group submission and the Italian Embassy/Consulates in Washington DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco do not currently offer group submission, so for these consulates, you will need to apply independently. Additionally, if you have international travel plans before the start of the Florence semester, you need to apply for your visa independently. You must apply independently to the consulate which has jurisdiction over the area where your University is located. Please follow instructions for independent visa applicants (below) and contact our team for more information.
If there is any chance that you may stay a second semester on our program, please get a visa to cover both semesters.
Italian Consulate Assignments for Italian Visas
Syracuse University Students: All SU students applying with the group should follow the instructions for the consulate assignment in their OrangeAbroad portal (most of you will be assigned to the Consulate General of Italy in New York City). A visa information packet will be available in your portal. When your application materials are complete and ready to be submitted, please schedule an appointment online (choose Visa Appointments – Italy from the drop-down menu) for an individual drop off time or bring them in on the due date from 8:30am to 5pm– no appointment needed.
All applications must be submitted as a complete application – any applications with missing documents will not be accepted. If you miss the deadline, you may be required to make an appointment at the Italian consulate and apply independently.
Visiting students will be assigned a consulate based on the home or school zip code from your Syracuse Abroad application. You will receive information regarding the consulate you have been assigned via email from the Florence Advising team, and a visa information packet will be available in your OrangeAbroad portal.
If you are going to submit your visa application as part of the group submission, please do not, under any circumstance, contact your consulate directly regarding your paperwork. The consulates require that all communication regarding the group submission come through Syracuse Abroad.
Boston
Jurisdiction: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Chicago
Jurisdiction: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Detroit
Jurisdiction: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee
Houston
Jurisdiction: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Los Angeles (Group visa submission not available)
Jurisdiction: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada
It also provides services for a portion of California (Counties of Imperial Valley, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura)
Miami
Jurisdiction: Alabama, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Florida, Georgia, Island of Saba, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, South Carolina, Turks and Caicos, U.S. Virgin Islands
New York
Jurisdiction: New York State, Connecticut, the British Territories of Bermuda Islands
It also provides services for a portion of New Jersey (Counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren)
Philadelphia
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, West Virginia
It also provides services for a portion of New Jersey (Counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem. The remaining counties are under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General in New York).
It also provides services for a portion of Maryland (except for the counties of Montgomery and Prince George which fall under the jurisdiction of the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC).
It also provides services for a portion of Virginia (except for the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, and the City of Alexandria, which fall also under the jurisdiction of the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC).
San Francisco (Group visa submission not available)
Jurisdiction: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Hawaii
It also provides services for a portion of California (except the counties of Imperial Valley, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General in Los Angeles)
Also, the American territories of: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Samoa, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Johnston Atoll.
Washington D.C.
The embassy in Washington, D.C. does not offer group submissions. If you fall under this jurisdiction, you must follow Option B and apply independently for your Italian visa.
Jurisdiction: District of Columbia.
- It also provides services for a portion of Maryland (Counties of Montgomery and Prince George).
- It also provides services for a portion of Virginia (Counties of Arlington and Fairfax, and the city of Alexandria).
Option B: Apply Independently for Your Italian Visa
This option is recommended for students unable to participate in the Syracuse Abroad group visa submission (i.e., some international students or students who need their passport prior to the start of the program). Independent applicants are usually required to make an appointment to submit their visa materials in person at the Italian Consulate that has jurisdiction over their home or school address (note that this may involve traveling a great distance). Select Consulates allow you to mail in your visa application; please see the Consulate’s website to confirm if this applies to you.
If you apply independently for your visa, you are responsible for preparing and submitting your visa materials to the Consulate accurately. Syracuse 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:
- Notify Syracuse Abroad that you will be applying independently for your visa
- Review the Italian consulate website you will be getting your visa through (location is based upon your home or school jurisdiction). Follow instructions for a long stay student visa.
- Schedule an appointment NOW through the consulate’s online appointment calendar. Appointments fill up fast during peak times, so schedule your appointment early and in plenty of time. We will not be able to assist if there are no longer any appointments available. NOTE: The Italian consulate cannot issue your visa more than 180 days before the start of the program. Therefore, when scheduling your appointment, please make sure that it falls within this 180 day window.
Syracuse Abroad recommends preparing your application at least two weeks in advance of your appointment to ensure time to gather the required documents.
Independent Italian Student Visa Packet
Information for EU Passport Holders
If you are an EU passport holder, and your EU passport is valid for at least six months past the program end date, then you are not required to obtain an Italian student visa in order to participate in the Florence program.
EU citizens who choose to travel on their EU passport must notify our team at Syracuse Abroad of their citizenship prior to the visa application deadline.
Traveling on an EU Passport
- You must present your EU passport to customs official upon entry into the EU so that your citizenship is properly recorded. You should only present your U.S. passport to customs officials if they specifically request to see it, and only in addition to your EU passport. Customs officials should stamp your EU passport at the time of entry.