First things first! You will need a passport that doesn’t expire too soon - at a minimum it should last for 6 months after your anticipated return from your study abroad program. Apply or renew now if you need to!
Visas and Permits to Stay
The maximum duration of permitted stay in the Schengen area as a tourist is 90 days, so students staying in Italy for a semester or academic-year program will need to apply for a student visa.
Essentially, your passport is your international ID and your visa is your ticket into the country. All students who will be in Italy for over 90 days need a visa in order to participate in study abroad programs. Without a student visa, you will not be allowed to enter Italy, and you will not be allowed to participate in the program.
The Italian study visa process has two parts: First, the study visa is physically stamped into your passport. You apply for this before you depart for Italy, and it is required for you to enter the country. Second, the “Permit to Stay” is an immigration process you’ll complete within 8 days of arriving into Italy. Depending on your program, you may need to complete a pre-registration process and payment.