Italy has declared that it will begin requiring fingerprints of Type D visa applicants, including international students, on January 10, 2025, in an effort to increase security. Students applying for long-term study visas may face additional financial and administrative challenges as a result of this move.
Type D visas are issued to individuals planning to stay in Italy for over 90 days, including international students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate or research programs. Indian students applying after January 10 will need to visit consulates for fingerprinting, marking a shift from previous processes that allowed group applications or batch processing.
The number of Indian students studying in Italy has been steadily increasing, in 2024, 6,017 Indian students had study visas, up from 5,196 in 2023 and 4,791 in 2019. 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.
Melissa Torres, CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, expressed concerns, noting that many students will incur traveling expenses to consulates and face massive wait times, which could impact their decisions to study in Italy.
US-based education bodies like NAFSA and the Forum on Education Abroad have criticized the policy. They warn that the elimination of batch processing and increased administrative load might drive students to other countries or shorter programs. NAFSA and other organizations have urged Italy to allocate more resources for visa processing and consider alternatives, like fingerprinting at local police stations or honorary consulates. There have been other changes to European travel regulations besides the requirement that applicants for student visas provide their fingerprints. With the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in mid-2025, more changes are anticipated. To further prepare potential visitors, citizens of 60 countries will need to obtain ETIAS authorization before they may enter European countries that do not require a visa.
The implementation of fingerprinting for candidates for study visas is probably going to have a big effect on the Italian education system. The nation’s economy depends heavily on international students, so any changes to visa regulations might have a big impact. With many schools offering English-taught programs, Italy’s educational system has been gaining appeal among overseas students in recent years. However, some students may be discouraged from selecting Italy as their study location if fingerprinting is required for those applying for study visas.
An important change that will increase the difficulty and expense of studying in Italy is the need that candidates for study visas provide fingerprints. Despite being designed to improve security, the reform might have unforeseen effects on Italy’s educational system. It is crucial to take into account how these changes will affect overseas students and the education industry overall as the nation gets ready to implement ETIAS authorization in the middle of 2025.
