University Study Visa for Italy 2026–2027: Procedures for Applicants from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt

• The official ministerial circular sets the general deadline for submitting visa applications for regular degree programmes in 2026–2027 at 30 November 2026, and for 2027–2028 at 31 October 2027. This covers Laurea and Laurea Magistrale programmes, first- and second-level AFAM diplomas, and single-cycle programmes. The institution may require you to submit your visa application before this date.

• The same general deadline does not apply to Master universitario programmes, doctoral programmes, Erasmus, individual courses or foundation programmes. However, the visa application must not be submitted after teaching activities have begun. Do not confuse Laurea Magistrale with Master universitario.

• Pre-enrolment applications for visa purposes must be submitted exclusively through Universitaly, the free official platform of Italy's Ministry of Universities and Research. Validation by the institution guarantees neither a visa appointment nor visa approval; the final decision rests with the competent Italian diplomatic or consular mission.

• The institution alone assesses foreign qualifications for admission and specifies the documents required. A CIMEA certificate or Dichiarazione di Valore is not automatically required by every university. Also check your country's embassy requirements, as it may request a specific supporting document for the visa application.

Download the ministerial procedures circular for 2026–2027 (PDF), or visit the official Universitaly page, which publishes the circular, its annexes and updates.

1. 1

   Choose a programme and check the institution's requirements

   Start with the programme search, then visit the university's website to confirm admission requirements, language requirements, tests, documents and deadlines. Universitaly's ten steps provide an overview of the process.

2. 2

   Apply to the institution, then complete pre-enrolment

   Create a Universitaly account, submit a pre-enrolment application for the programme, upload the documents requested by the institution and monitor validation. Use an active email address, as appointment invitations in Algeria and Tunisia are sent to the address used for the application.

3. 3

   Prepare evidence of qualifications, language proficiency, financial resources, accommodation and insurance. Check your university's requirements and the embassy checklist for your country of residence. An admission letter alone does not replace the validated pre-enrolment certificate or the other documents required for the visa.

4. 4

   Follow the local appointment procedure

   In Algeria and Tunisia, invitations are sent according to the arrangements established by the embassies. In Morocco and Egypt, consult the instructions of the mission responsible for your place of residence and its authorised centre. Details and links appear under each country below.

5. 5

   Submit your application and follow the mission's decision

   The embassy may request an interview or additional documents and assesses each application individually. University admission and a complete checklist do not guarantee a visa.

6. 6

   After arriving in Italy

   If you enter with a national study visa D, apply for a permesso di soggiorno per studio within 8 working days of arrival. Follow the post office and Questura procedures, as well as your institution's instructions for completing final enrolment. Consult the Universitaly guide.

For students residing in Algeria, the direct references are the Italian Embassy in Algeria's university study checklist (PDF) and the embassy's dedicated page. Download the national visa D application form (PDF).

• The original completed and signed application form

• a recent biometric photograph complying with the checklist (30 × 40 mm)

• the original passport and copies of the personal details page and pages containing Schengen visas and stamps. The checklist specifies validity extending at least 15 months beyond the requested visa duration and two facing blank pages

• check your passport against the wording in the PDF

• The validated Universitaly pre-enrolment certificate, copies of previous study documents, and proof of proficiency in the language of instruction at a minimum of B2 level.

• Evidence of resources of at least €10,179.85 per year, through a balance certificate and bank statements covering at least six months. The embassy explains that the minimum amount must be available in a personal bank account at the time of submission, from a lawful and traceable source; family support up to the fourth degree of kinship may be documented. Cash and merely applying for a scholarship are insufficient. If a scholarship is below the required minimum, evidence of the difference is needed. You may be asked to sign consent for verification of bank documents.

• Evidence of accommodation and funds needed for the return journey

• a family record listing parents and siblings where applicable

• evidence of the parents' or sponsor's social and employment circumstances and the family relationship

• and health insurance covering medical treatment and hospitalisation as specified in the checklist

For programmes taught in English, the embassy lists IELTS, Cambridge, TOEFL and Trinity certificates. Its subsequent announcement explains that an equivalent university certificate proving B2 proficiency in all four skills may be considered. The 31 October 2026 date mentioned in the announcement is an encouragement to obtain the certificate, rather than the general visa application deadline.

Appointment: after the institution validates the Universitaly application, eligible students are gradually invited by VFS through their email addresses. Applications in this category are accepted only by VFS invitation, and invited students submit their documents exclusively at the VFS Algiers centre, according to the embassy's instructions. Monitor your email and embassy updates. Do not confuse document legalisation appointments with visa appointments. Consult the document translation and apostille page to identify the rules applicable to your document; an apostille does not replace translation or qualification assessment. For more detail, visit the Algeria guide published on ElWijha.

Read the Italian Embassy in Tunisia's instructions for 2026–2027 and the detailed study and enrolment information sheet (PDF). The embassy also provides the visa D application form (PDF). If the form link does not open, obtain the form from the embassy's forms page or the authorised centre.

Appointment: after the institution validates the Universitaly application and forwards it to the embassy, ALMAVIVA contacts the student using the email address entered during pre-enrolment. The embassy does not accept independently submitted appointment requests and states that the assigned date cannot be changed for organisational reasons. It mentions a statutory processing period of up to 90 days from submission of the application and sets 30 November 2026 as the closing date for booking submission appointments in its announcement. Start early and monitor updates.

• A signed application form, a recent photograph and a passport

• two copies of the validated Universitaly pre-enrolment certificate

• the original final secondary school qualification and a copy translated into Italian and legalised or endorsed, together with a Dichiarazione di Valore or CIMEA certificate according to embassy instructions

• and academic test documents, if required. A short motivation letter may be included but is not mandatory in the checklist

• A language certificate

  at least B2 Italian for Italian-taught programmes, and an adequate certificate for English-taught programmes. The mission may verify proficiency through an interview where necessary.

• A return travel booking or evidence of personal transport

• evidence of accommodation for the initial period

• and suitable insurance covering medical treatment and hospitalisation in accordance with the arrangements specified in the circular

• Evidence of personal or family funding, family relationships and the sponsor's circumstances. The embassy mentions a bank certificate providing for an irrevocable blocking of €10,179.85, with a monthly transfer of €783.06 for 13 months, signed, stamped and accompanied by account details. A sufficient Italian government scholarship is subject to the provisions set out in the embassy's instructions; if the scholarship is below the required amount, provide evidence of the difference. Consult the original wording on banking and financial documents.

• A birth certificate, a family record, and evidence of personal or family social and economic circumstances. Check the translation and apostille instructions on the embassy page. The embassy may request further documents or an interview.

Passport validity: the embassy announcement refers to validity exceeding 15 months for a visa D, while the detailed information sheet states “at least 15 months”. If your passport's validity is close to this threshold, check the latest embassy or ALMAVIVA instructions before submission. The embassy also states that failure to register on Universitaly by 31 January 2027 may lead to withdrawal of the visa, and warns against changing the programme for which the visa was issued without following the appropriate procedure.

This is the study visa checklist published by the Italian Embassy in Rabat (PDF in Italian). The page explaining where to apply confirms that study appointments are managed through VFS Rabat for residents of the Rabat consular district defined on that page, and through the Casablanca consulate and VFS Casablanca for the other districts. Identify the competent mission using your residential address and check its checklist before booking through VFS Italy in Morocco.

• A signed application form

• a recent 3.5 × 4.5 cm photograph taken within the last three months

• a passport issued within the last ten years and valid for 15 months after the expiry of the requested visa, with two blank pages, plus copies of previous visas and stamps

• A return flight booking and evidence of initial accommodation, proof of funds for the return journey, and insurance covering emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation.

• Confirmation of enrolment or pre-enrolment validated by the university through Universitaly; a B2 certificate in the language of instruction from an accredited provider; and translated and endorsed study documents, accompanied by a Dichiarazione di Valore or CIMEA certificate as applicable under the checklist.

• Evidence of €10,179.85 per year through an irrevocable bank blocking arrangement as required by the Rabat checklist. Cash and merely applying for a scholarship are insufficient; provide evidence of the difference if the scholarship is below the required amount. Attach the sponsor's documents, proof of income, bank statements and proof of kinship according to the sponsor's circumstances and place of residence, together with the birth certificate and family status documents specified in the PDF.

The Rabat checklist requires the application and its copies to be organised, documents to be apostilled, and Arabic-language documents to be translated into Italian by a sworn translator. Do not assume the Rabat checklist is the same as Casablanca's. Consult the mission responsible for your place of residence, particularly if different instructions appear for university study applications.

Use the Italian Embassy in Cairo's study visa checklist (PDF in Arabic). The checklist covers university studies and other types of study; read the general requirements, followed by those specific to “study / university enrolment”. For a national visa D, open the national visa D application form (PDF in Arabic and Italian).

• A signed application form, a 35 × 40 mm photograph, a passport and copies of the required pages. The checklist mentions passport validity of three months beyond the expiry of the requested visa; verify the visa type and appropriate form with the centre before submission.

• Health insurance according to the checklist, a family record or a certificate of travel movements in the specified cases, and evidence of legal residence in Egypt for non-Egyptians where applicable.

• Resources appropriate to the stay, with an original bank statement covering the last six months. The checklist specifies €10,179.85 per year. A travel booking and evidence of accommodation in Italy are required under the national visa provisions.

• A course admission letter, the Universitaly pre-enrolment certificate for university enrolment, evidence of proficiency in the language of instruction at B2 level or above, and documents relating to previous studies.

Check the form: the PDF checklist title covers both Schengen C and national D visas, while its first point contains wording referring to a Schengen form. For a long university programme, use the national visa D form above and check with the centre if needed. The embassy's page explaining where to apply states that application centres are located in Cairo and Alexandria. For information and appointments, visit ALMAVIVA Eypte . The embassy may request original documents or additional evidence, and the checklist states that documents must be submitted in Italian or translated into Italian.

• Has the institution validated your Universitaly pre-enrolment, and do you have the appropriate document?

• Have you met the university's deadline, which may be earlier than 30 November 2026?

• Have you consulted the latest PDF and instructions from the embassy responsible for your place of residence, and followed the correct appointment procedure?

• Do your qualifications, language evidence, financial resources, accommodation, insurance, translations and legalisations comply with your country's checklist?

• Have you kept the official source links? Check them again before your appointment, as the mission may revise its instructions or request additional documents.

Main sources: Universitaly and ministerial procedures · Algeria PDF · Tunisia announcement and Tunisia PDF · Morocco PDF · Egypt PDF.