If you have a valid type D student visa, you must submit your application for a residence permit within 8 working days of your arrival in Italy or another Schengen country.
The International Mobility Office will assist you at every stage of your application, which includes the following steps:
- fill out the application for a residence permit;
- go to the Post Office;
- go to the Immigration Office (Questura, Police Headquarters);
- check the status of your application and pick up your permit.
If you are an international student staying in Italy for at least one year and you are applying for your first Italian residence permit, you must sign the Integration Agreement during your appointment at the Immigration Office.
The agreement generally requires you to acquire language skills in Italian (level A2) and some basic knowledge of Italian culture within two years of arrival. However, non-EU students regularly enrolled at an Italian university are exempt from this requirement. You can take Italian courses free of charge at the University of Trento's CLA (Centro Linguistico di Ateneo) up to level A2b.
Remember to submit a copy of the Integration Agreement at the time of registration.
As long as your multi-entry visa is valid, you can travel to other Schengen countries for up to three months over a six-month period, even if you have not yet received your Italian residence permit. When you travel, always carry your passport and the postal receipt of your application for a residence permit.
The application for renewal of the residence permit must be sent before it expires. It is advisable to submit the application at least 3 months before the deadline to avoid interruptions in validity.
Do not leave Italy without having requested renewal, as you will not be able to return without a valid permit.
Residence permits for study purposes are valid for a maximum of 12 months, but can be renewed for up to 3 years, depending on the duration of the course.
For doctoral students, the permit can be renewed for a maximum of one year beyond the duration of the course.
Keep in mind that while your stay permit is valid, you can:
- enter and leave your country;
- circulate within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days every six months as a tourist. After 3 working days, however, you should report your presence to the relevant public safety authority in the country where you are located. In this case, make sure that the border police put the exit stamp on both your passport and postal receipts. Transits to non-Schengen countries are allowed, but always check in advance if a transit visa is required from the non-Schengen country. To do so, you can contact the competent diplomatic representation in Italy.
While you are waiting for a stay permit to be renewed, you can always enter and leave your country, even if the permit has already expired. To leave and return to Italy you will need to show:
- your passport;
- the postal receipts of the renewal application submitted before the expiry of the permit;
- an expired or expiring residence permit.
Be careful, as there is no short-term stay permit that allows you to cross the Schengen countries during the renewal of the permit.
A residence permit for study purposes allows you to work for a maximum of 1040 hours per year on a contract of employment. You can work full-time for a few months or part-time throughout the year, as long as you don't exceed the annual hours limit. 150-hour student collaborations are also possible with this type of permit.
For more details or specific questions, please contact the International Mobility Office.
If you are staying in Italy for a period not exceeding 90 days, you must submit the Declaration of Presence to the Immigration Office within 8 days of your entry into the Schengen Area.
The declaration of presence is mandatory only if you have had your passport stamped in another Schengen country (not in Italy) on your arrival, or if you do not have any stamp. In this case, you must submit the following documents to the Immigration Office:
- a copy of the stamped and written pages of the passport (not the blank pages);
- rental agreement in Italian on your behalf (or declaration of consent of the owner + declaration of delivery of the accommodation if you are hosted by relatives/friends or staying in an Airbnb - see Downloads section);
- if you have a valid residence permit issued by another European country, you must present the original + a copy;
- train/bus/plane ticket to Italy;
- valid health insurance (original and copy).
Remember that you must personally go to the Immigration Office, which is located at:
- Police station of Trento, Viale Verona 187 (opening hours from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 12:30 and on Thursday afternoons from 15:15 to 17:45), if you reside in Trento;
- Police Station, Via Sighele 1 (opening hours from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 12:30 and on Thursday afternoons from 15:00 to 17:30), if you reside in Rovereto.
If you are staying in hotels and other accommodation facilities, the declaration of presence is managed by the accommodation facility at the time of check-in, a copy of which is provided to the guest to be presented to the authorities in case of a request.