Degree-Seeking Students

All students must comply with Italian immigration law in order to study at JCU. We insist that you provide proof that you may legally study in Italy not only because the law requires us to do so, but also because it is the only way we can assure that your studies will not be jeopardized by problems with the Italian immigration authorities—failure to comply with Italian law can result in deportation and being banned from returning to Italy, among other penalties. For these reasons, and because we know that the procedures involved can be daunting, we do all that we can to support you in this process. If you have any questions that are not answered below, or simply would like to ask for assistance regarding these procedures, do not hesitate to contact our Permit to Stay Officer at ps@johncabot.edu or by phone at tel. +39-06-68191256.

All Degree-Seeking Students (including Freshmen and Transfer Students) fall under one of the following categories. Please click on the one that applies to you: 

Citizens of Non-European Union States
European Union Citizens 
Possessors of Diplomatic IDs (Issued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Italian Citizens

Degree-Seeking Students—Citizens of States That Are Not European Union Members

Visa
Permit To Stay (Permesso di soggiorno) 
Renewing Your Permit To Stay

Student Visas—Citizens of States That Are Not European Union Members

All students who are citizens of states that do not belong to the European Union are required to obtain a Student Visa before entering Italy. Obtaining a student visa is MANDATORY according to Italian law and this visa MUST be obtained BEFORE you come to Italy. It is your responsibility to apply for a student visa. Please take the time to read carefully the following information about this process. After having done so, should you have questions, do not hesitate to contact the Admissions Office at admissions@johncabot.edu or by phone at +39-06-681-9121 (Ask for Admissions).

For information about applying for a student visa beyond that contained on this page, including the address of the Consulate where you should file your application, check the website of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministero degli Affari Esteri - Visti). When using this link, choose the following options: duration of stay is more than 90 days and Reason for Visit is STUDY: technical and professional instruction beyond the level of compulsory education (over 18 years of age).

Be sure to apply for your visa as soon as possible as it will take up to two months and perhaps longer to obtain it. Also, be aware that at the time of your application for a visa, you must give your passport to the Italian Consulate to which you are applying.

If you are not 18 years old when applying for your Student Visa, you may not be able to obtain one unless you have a person residing in Italy who can function as your legal guardian. Please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@johncabot.edu or by phone at +39-06-681-9121 (Ask for Admissions) and your local Italian Consulate for further information. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE TEN (10) DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED TO APPLY FOR A STUDENT VISA!

What Kind of Visa Should You Request?

We STRONGLY recommended that as a degree-seeking student who will need to maintain your legal permission to stay over the course of several years, you request a specific type of VISA when you apply. This visa is the multiple entry (MULT) D+C renewable/revolving student visa.

The multiple entry (MULT) D+C renewable/revolving student visa only needs to be requested once, and it will allow you to annually renew your Permit to Stay during your studies. As such, by requesting this visa, you can avoid having to request a new visa every year from your local Consulate. The multiple entry (MULT) D+C renewable/revolving student visa also permits you to spend longer periods in other Schengen Pact countries than other types of Italian student visas. (You should nonetheless keep in mind that even with this kind of visa you cannot stay for more than 90 days per visit and not more than a total of three months per semester in another Schengen Pact country). To obtain the multiple entry (MULT) D+C renewable/revolving student visa, you should clearly and specifically ask for this type of student visa on the visa request form.

Please note that if you obtain a single entry visa instead of a multiple entry visa, should you travel to non-EU countries during your stay you may experience difficulties returning to Italy. We also advise students who do not have US or EU passports to consult the appropriate consulate should they wish to travel outside of Italy during their studies here (e.g., for travel to Spain, such students should contact the Spanish Consulate) for information regarding visa and other travel document requirements.

Once you have obtained your student visa, we strongly recommend that you make at least three photocopies of both your passport and your visa. Should your passport be lost or stolen, these photocopies can expedite the process of requesting replacements. We advise you to leave at least one copy of these documents in a safe place at home and bring the others, along with the original documents, to Italy. More generally, be sure to bring copies of all of the documentation you submitted to the Italian Consulate for your visa application with you to Italy—you will need many of them when you apply for your Permit to Stay.

For any questions or assistance with this process, please feel free to contact us!

Contact Information:
Rome Admissions Office John Cabot University Via della Lungara 233  00165 Rome, Italy Tel: +(39) 06-681-91270/271 Fax: +(39) 06-589-7429 email: admissions@johncabot.edu	U.S. Admissions Office John Cabot University 14100 Walsingham Road, Suite 36, n.10 Largo, FL 33774 Toll Free Phone Number 1-866-457-6160 email: admissions@johncabot.edu

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Permit to Stay (Permesso di soggiorno)—Citizens of States That Are Not European Union Members

Upon your arrival with a valid student visa, you will need to apply for a Permit to Stay, or permesso di soggiorno, in order to legally live and study in Italy.

Within 8 working days from your date of entry into Italy, you must report your presence on Italian territory to the local Central Police Station (the Questura) of the province in which you are staying and apply for a Permit to Stay (permesso di soggiorno). Please note that you will be required to be fingerprinted as part of the process of requesting a Permit to Stay.

To facilitate the process of obtaining the Permit to Stay, you must provide the designated JCU Staff member with the following upon your arrival in Italy:

a) 4 identical, passport-sized photos
b) 2 photocopies of your passport (ID page)
c) 2 photocopies of your study visa
d) 2 photocopies of a medical insurance policy* valid in Italy
e) 2 photocopies of your Official JCU Visa Request letter stamped by the Italian Consulate
f) 2 photocopies of a credit card, bank statement or other documents demonstrating adequate means of support

Please bring these items with you to the Mandatory Permit to Stay Workshop at JCU during orientation. We will help you prepare the application for your Permit to Stay during that Workshop, but in order for us to do so you will need to bring all of the materials needed for the application.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this process, please contact our Permit to Stay Officer in the Student Services Office at ps@johncabot.edu or by phone at tel. +39-06-68191256.

*SPECIAL NOTE ON HEALTH INSURANCE

The Italian authorities will accept private U.S. or other non-Italian medical insurance only if the Insurance company issues a letter summarizing the conditions of the policy and stating that there are no restrictions on the validity of the policy and that it is valid in Italy (see the discussion of health insurance under Student Visa). If your health insurance is not valid in Italy then you may purchase an Italian health insurance policy through Eduitalia (contact Eduitalia for information at insurance@eduitalia.org ). This Italian health insurance provides emergency health care coverage for students in many public hospitals. The cost ranges between about $ 70.00 and $ 250.00 depending on number of months of coverage requested.

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Renewing Your Permit To Stay

The Permit to Stay card should be valid for one year* and you must renew it every year that you attend John Cabot. The process for renewing the Permit to Stay is very similar to the process of first requesting one.

*Validity of the Permit to Stay card depends on the length of enrollment and insurance coverage, no more than one year for each Permit to Stay.

Please note that you should request a renewal at least 30 days before its expiration (for assistance contact our Permit to Stay Officer in Student Services at tel. +39-06-68191256 or at ps@johncabot.edu).

To renew your Permit to Stay, you will need to prepare a new Postal Kit for requesting a Permit to Stay, checking “rinnovo” instead of “rilascio” (as you did in your first request for a Permit to Stay). In doing so, you will need the following:

a) A photocopy of your passport ID page
b) A photocopy of proof of valid health insurance for the year in question
c) A photocopy of an enrollment letter for the academic year (you may request this from the Registrar’s Office)
d) A photocopy of your expired Permit to Stay card
e) A Revenue stamp valued at €14.62 (you may purchase this from most Tabacchi shops).
f) The red and white receipt from the postal order (bollettino) to the Italian Police (the Questura) valued at €28.60
g) €30.00 payment to the Italian Postal Service for processing your application

Once you have prepared these materials, submit the completed kit along with your passport to the post office.

IMPORTANT! Please note that while the post office and police only retain photocopies of these documents, you may need to bring the originals with you for the police to review.

When you complete the process of requesting the renewal of your Permit to Stay at the Post Office, you will receive a receipt that states that you have filed for a renewal. Be sure to keep this receipt (or a photocopy of it) on your person at all times.

For further assistance please contact our Permit to Stay Officer in Student Services at tel. +39-06-68191256 or at ps@johncabot.edu.

Please note that a Permit to Stay for Study can be converted, before its expiration date, into a Permit to Stay for Work. Contact careerservices@johncabot.edu for more information about working in Italy.

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Official Registration of Presence In Italy—European Union Citizens

As an European Union citizen, you do not have to request a Visa or a Permit to Stay. In order to enroll in your courses and start your academic career at JCU, you will simply need to provide a valid EU ID/Passport.

However, all EU students who plan to study in Italy for more than three months are required to notify the Registry Office (Ufficio Anagrafe) of the reason for their stay in Italy and of their local address. Our staff member will make an appointment for you to do this shortly after Registration. You need to complete this process as soon as possible after your arrival. In order to register for courses after your first semester of study at JCU, you must provide proof that you have registered at the Ufficio Anagrafe.

To carry out this official registration you will need the following documents:

a) A valid European Union ID/Passport (please also bring a photocopy with you).

b) Proof of valid health insurance. As an EU citizen you should have received from your National Health Service an Insurance Card that entitles you to medical and hospital assistance throughout the European Union. Be sure to bring it with you to Italy. If you do not have this card and cannot provide documentation from your National Health Service or a private insurance company proving that you are covered by medical insurance valid in Italy you may purchase an Italian health insurance policy through Eduitalia (contact Eduitalia for information at insurance@eduitalia.org). This Italian health insurance provides emergency health care coverage for students in all public hospitals.

c) A bank statement or other document that demonstrates that you are financially independent. If you do not have an Italian bank account you may fill out a self-certification form in the Registry Office; you may need to support such a self-certification with a copy of a foreign bank statement or other documents demonstrating your financial independence.

d) A letter of enrollment stating you are a full-time student at JCU. This letter is issued by the Registrar. You may request it in person after you register for classes.

Please note that there are several Registry Offices in Rome, and the one that you will need to register your presence at depends on your address in Italy. For assistance in identifying the Registry Office that you should go to and further guidance please contact our Permit to Stay Officer in Student Services at tel. +39-06-68191256 or at ps@johncabot.edu.

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Possessors of a Diplomatic ID (Issued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

If you have a valid Diplomatic ID card issued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministero degli Affari Esteri) you do not have to request a visa or a Permit to Stay in order to study in Italy. In order to enroll in your courses and to start your academic career at JCU, you will simply have to provide a copy of your valid Diplomatic ID. (Be sure to check the expiration date of the ID card—if it is expired, you will not be allowed to register until you provide us with an updated one.)

Only Diplomatic IDs issued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs exempt you from having to request a visa and a permit to stay. Should you be the bearer of a Diplomatic ID issued by any other authority, you must follow the same procedures as other non-European Union citizens or European Union citizens. For those guidelines, click Non-European Union Citizens or European Union Citizens.

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Italian Citizens

If you possess a valid Italian Passport or National Identity Card specifying that you are an Italian citizen, you do not have to request a visa or a Permit to Stay, even if you do not currently live in Italy. In order to enroll in your courses and to become part of the JCU Community, you will simply have to notify our Permit to Stay Officer (ps@johncabot.edu) and show us your original valid Italian ID/Passport when you come to orientation at JCU. In addition, please bring your Italian ID or Passport with you to registration to insure that you are allowed to register for courses.