Beginning in January 2025, applicants for Type D visas to Italy will have to provide their fingerprints at consulates, which will increase the expense and complexity for overseas students.
Italy will implement a new visa regulation on January 10, 2025, requiring applicants for Type D visas to make individual appointments for fingerprinting at Italian consulates. Students applying for long-term study visas now face an increased administrative and financial burden as a result of this security-enhancing shift.
TYPE D VISA: WHAT IS IT?
Those who intend to remain in Italy for more than ninety days are granted a type D visa. International students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or research programs fall under this category. In contrast to earlier procedures that permitted group applications or batch processing, Indian students applying after January 10 will now need to visit consulates for fingerprints.
IMPACT ON STUDENTS IN INDIA
Indian students have been steadily increasing in Italy. 6,017 Indian students were granted study visas in 2024, up from 4,791 in 2019 and 5,196 in 2023. For applicants, especially those who live far from consulates, the new fingerprinting rule is probably going to increase expenses and travel needs.
In the past, Italy allowed Indian students to stay back for a total of 12 months after earning their degrees in order to get professional experience. Although this policy remained unaltered, the revised visa requirements make it more difficult to stay in the nation.
STAKEHOLDERS’ CONCERNS
The CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, Melissa Torres, voiced worries, pointing out that many students will have to pay for transportation to consulates and endure lengthy wait times, which may influence their decision to study in Italy.
With the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in mid-2025, more modifications to European travel regulations are anticipated. Another level of preparation for potential travelers will be added when citizens of 60 countries must obtain ETIAS authorization before entering European countries that do not require a visa.
The regulation has drawn criticism from US-based education organizations such as the Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA. They caution that students may choose to enroll in shorter programs or study abroad as a result of the removal of batch processing and the added administrative burden.
Italy has been encouraged by NAFSA and other organizations to increase its resources for processing visas and take into account additional options, such as fingerprints at honorary consulates or local police stations.
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