New Student Visa Rules in Italy for 2025

Foreign students applying for an Italian student visa will now be required to visit an Italian consulate in person to complete their application, according to new regulations introduced for 2025. During this visit, applicants must also provide their fingerprints as part of an additional security measure.

Experts warn that these changes could create new challenges for international students planning to study in Italy. The requirement to travel to a consulate for fingerprinting may lead to increased costs and a more complex, stressful application process.

Additionally, the new policy eliminates the previously available "batch processing" option, which allowed US institutions to submit visa applications for groups of students, ensuring timely approvals. This change comes at a time when the number of US students studying in Italy has risen by 37% over the past year. Without the batch processing system, experts fear a potential decline in the number of American students choosing Italy as their study destination.

While the new rules aim to enhance security, concerns remain about their impact on the accessibility and attractiveness of Italy as a study-abroad destination.