FAQs for international students

Academic calendar

There is not a specific date for the beginning of the courses cause each Degree Programme has its own courses and exam timetable.

Lessons generally begin the last week of September or shortly afterwards, and may be annual or semestral.

The lesson timetables are set yearly, just before the start of the programme (September or January according to the semester).

The timetables are available on the Homepages of the specific Departments.

Exam sessions are held in January-February and June-July.

The academic calendar is the following:

• 1st SEMESTER: 5 months from October to February
• EXAM SESSION from January to February (three calls available for each exam)
• 2nd SEMESTER: 5 months from March to July
• EXAM SESSION from June to July (three calls available for each exam)

Pre enrollment and enrollment

When we talk about ‘enrolment’, we are referring to the process that the international student completes in person at the International Student Desk.

Non-EU students complete their enrolment in person after completing the pre-enrolment procedure via the Universitaly portal.

Deadline for pre enrollment of international students

The application for access for international students applying for visas and residing abroad, must take place through a prior university pre-enrollment procedure:
In order to start the university pre-enrolment procedures, candidates must create their account on the UNIVERSITALY portal in order to fill in the relative “pre-enrolment application” online.

The validation process via the Universitaly portal is in charge of the International Student Office of the University of Tuscia.
Once your pre-enrolment application has been approved by the International Students Desk it becomes visible to the competent Italian Embassy/Consulate.

What is the Declaration of Value and how to obtain it?

Upon admission, you must initiate the procedure for obtaining a declaration of value.

This is an informative document useful for the evaluation of qualifications in Italy and will allow you to enrol at Italian universities.

It can be obtained by requesting it from the Italian Embassy in your country. Alternatively, you can request the Statement of Comparability from CIMEA, or the Attestato di Corrispondenza from ARDI if your degree was obtained in one of the countries listed in the Automatic Recognition Database.

It is advisable to start the procedure months in advance.

What is codice fiscale or tax code?

The codice fiscale (fiscal code or tax code) is a personal code composed of letters and numbers, which uniquely identifies individuals within the Italian State, particularly with regard to tax and administrative matters; it is not equivalent to an identity document, but allows the exchange of information between the various administrations.

Please note that the tax code issued with registration on the GOMP portal is not the official one.

You can apply for the official tax code at the Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence, before arriving in Italy (highly recommended).

In case you have already arrived in Italy and need the codice fiscale, our International Student Desk will help you to request it.

Language requirements for international students

Italian language skills are mandatory for enrolling at the University of Tuscia for all courses taught in Italian.

Every academic year the University Language Centre schedule a calendar of Italian language assessment tests aimed at:

• verifying the possession of adequate language abilities and knowledge of the main grammatical structures of the Italian language, needed to properly study and explore topics and issues related to the university experience;
• accertaining the applicant’s ability to effectively and correctly communicate verbally in an academic context.

Language exams are not compulsory for those who:

• Have an Italian high school diploma (obtained in Italy or abroad);
• Have a B2 or higher level language proficiency certificate issued by one of the members of the CLIQ (Quality Certification of the Italian Language) Association [Certification].

You can book your Italian Language exam here.

Some Departments offer study programs in English. In these cases, an Italian language test is not required.

Only for programs held in English, a valid English language certificate is required.

Language requirements for the admission in the degree courses taught in English is a B2 level in The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), certified by an official English language certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity, Cambridge First) or a certificate of English as Medium of Instruction for the previous University studies.

Will I require a VISA?

NON-EU students will require a type-D visa to study in Italy.
Visa application can be filed no earlier than 3 months before your intended arrival in Italy.

Students who start one of our masters in another country and hold a valid residence permit for that country, might not need to obtain a visa to enter Italy and continue their studies here.

If your stay is longer than 90 days, together with your visa, you will need to have your original admission letter validated by stamp at the Consulate or Embassy. The stamped admission letter will be returned to you at the time your visa is granted.

Please ensure that you have received it when collecting your visa, as the original stamped document is required for the application of your permit of stay (residence permit for Italy) upon arrival in Viterbo.

Some Consulates or Embassies would return a copy of the letter. This is fine too, provided there is the Embassy/Consulate stamp.

What is the permit of stay and how do I obtain it?

The permit of stay is the residence permit for Italy.
All non-EU students who hold a D type visa (long stay) will need to apply for it within 8 days from the arrival in Italy.

The application form is available at the post offices or at the International relations office.

You will receive full guidance during an orientation session at arrival.

The student permit is granted according to the duration of your VISA, renewable for the duration of your studies in Italy.

Documents required to apply for the residence permit

• Copy of your passport (just the pages with your personal data and the one with Visas and stamps);
• Duty stamp (marca da bollo) which costs €16,00 (which you may buy at any Tobacco Shop);
• Original invitation letter validated by the Consulate or Embassy;
• Health insurance coverage (in case you have a foreign insurance coverage or a specific insurance policy, please check its validity in Italy);
• Declaration that you have a scholarship (if you have one) or bank statement (proof) that you have sufficient financial resources to guarantee your stay in Italy in your bank account (not less than €467.65 for each month);
• Proof of residence (ex. house contract);
• Italian fiscal code (not mandatory).

Where can I apply for the residence permit?

Go to the Main Post Office and mail the Residency Permit Application Form (the main Post Office is in via Ascenzi 4, under the TownHall).

Please be aware that after sending the Application Form by mail, the Post Office clerk will give you a special Receipt and a fingerprinting appointment at the local Immigration Office.

The post office receipt, where you can find your Username and Password, is extremely important and should be kept safe as it proves that you have applied for a Residency Permit before you actually receive one.

Should the residence permit be renewed?

Yes, every year you will have to renew your residence permit for study.

To renew your residence permit, you will need to attach the following documents to your kit:

• Copy of your passport (just the pages with your personal data and the one with Visas and stamps);
• Duty stamp (marca da bollo) which costs €16,00 (which you may buy at any Tobacco Shop);
• Copy of your residence permit;
• Original invitation letter validated by the Consulate or Embassy;
• Health insurance coverage (in case you have a foreign insurance coverage or a specific insurance policy, please check its validity in Italy);
• Declaration that you have a scholarship (if you have one) or bank statement (proof) that you have sufficient financial resources to guarantee your stay in Italy in your bank account (not less than €467.65 for each month);
• Proof of residence (ex. house contract);
• Italian fiscal code;
• Enrollment certificate with list of exams taken.

What are the costs for the residence permit?

• € 16,00 for the duty stamp (marca da bollo);
• € 30,00 for the Post Office in order to mail the Application Form;
• € 70,46 for the application for the Residency Permit (valid for up to 1 year)

You can check the progress of your application at http://questure.poliziadistato.it/stranieri/?mime=1&lang=EN.

May I work on my study permit?

Yes, you can work part time up to 20 hours per week. You can take up an internship with working hours not exceeding 40 hours per week.
In Italy only.
For work or internships in other EU countries you will need to obtain a relevant visa.

May I travel outside of Italy while waiting for my first permit of stay?

Students with a valid study visa type D can travel throughout Italy, but not in the Schengen Area.

How long may I stay in Italy and travel Europe with my permit of stay?

A permit of stay allows you to stay in Italy for the period covered by your permit and travel in all countries within the Schengen Area.
On your Italian permit of stay, you can stay in another Schengen country for a maximum of 90 days every 6 months, for tourism only.
If your studies are longer than the duration of your permit, you will need to renew it.

May I travel in the Schengen area whilst awaiting my renewed permit of stay card?

No, you may not. With the receipt of your application for renewal of your permit of stay and your expired permit you may not travel in the Schengen area, but you can travel in Italy and to your country of residence.

What happens if I need to renew my permit but I do not have enough funds to cover me for the entire period of my stay?

If you need to extend your study permit, you need to provide evidence of availability of around 6.000 euros. You will need to organize your funds accordingly.
When applying for permit renewal, you will be required to show that you have enough funds for your stay.
Your permit of stay will be granted for a duration as covered by your funds and health insurance. If you have funds, and health insurance, for 6 months only, you will obtain a permit extension for 6 months.

Health insurance

Please note: private health insurance is required to obtain an entry visa in Italy and/or the residence permit.

Registration to the national health service

Extra EU Students registration to the National Health service is not compulsory but on a voluntary base.
The Italian National public Health System (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale – SSN) works at a regional level under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.
The local health authorities (Aziende Sanitarie Locali) are in charge of the services for free or upon the payment of a fee (ticket), according to your income/revenue.
The Italian SSN provides:

• hospitalization and treatment;
• the right to choose your personal medical Doctor;
• basic and specialist medical care at a discounted price;
• ambulance service and other free services provided by the local healthcare authority;
• the Italian health card.

The Italian Law recognises the right to health as a fundamental human right.

Legal foreign residents are fully entitled to the same treatment and civil rights as Italian citizens, if registered with the National Health Service.

If you are already in Italy, as an international (non-EU) student, you can do a yearly volunteer registration to the Italian National Health Service.

Sign up periods are for the calendar year: Registration for the SSN is valid from 1 January to 31 December.

That means that you will pay the same for coverage regardless of whether if you sign up on January 1st or November 1st. If you are considering registering late in the year, you might want to consider if you can wait until the start of the next calendar year.

The registration cost for the current year (2024) IN THE LAZIO REGION is € 700 and is valid until Dec/31st of each year regardless of the registration date. Please keep in mind that the registration needs to be renewed every year. Payment of the registration fee must be made by postal (money) order (available at any post office) to the following account number c/c postale 370007 intestato a: Tesoreria Provinciale dello Stato, Regione Lazio; “. Under the “Causale” heading, specify the reason for payment of the current year and write in: “”iscrizione al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale anno 20__ STUDENTE Straniero”.
The receipt of payment will allow you to go to the Health District (cup) in Via Enrico Fermi, 15, 01100 Viterbo, to choose a family doctor and have the Italian health card. Once you obtain this card, you will have access to all the services with either no charge or with ticket payment.
Please note: the registration to the Italian National Health Service ensures that foreigners receive an equal treatment and full equality regarding rights and duties compared to Italian citizens with regard to health care provided in Italy. Should you be in a situation in which you need health assistance or/and emergency care either provided by public or private health staff (contracted by the SSN) and you do not have the Italian health card (or its provisional replacement certificate), you will need to pay for all the medical expenses.

Accident and social liability insurance for student

The University of Tuscia has activated an accident policy for the benefit of University students, including exchange programme students. It is a broad insurance plan that covers accidents and social liability.
Under this policy, the list of those covered is very broad, and includes: students, undergraduates, foreign exchange students, PhD students, research assistants, interns, postgraduates, specializing students, students with scholarships, master’s students, those on traineeship courses, refresher courses and the like, representatives who carry out work for the benefit of disabled students, experts and visitors, and in any case all those engaged on behalf of or with the University of Tuscia for an academic or research activity, at university facilities and at third party institutions.

For what, how and where are you insured?

Given that it is an accident policy, you are only covered for the following damages that result from an accident and thus, for example not those caused by illness.
Those who fall into the student category are automatically covered by insurance:

• for all activities carried out in the university facilities;
• for travel between the various university facilities;
• for participating in sports activities organized by the University of Tuscia or operated by the CUS (University Sports Centre), with the exclusion of certain types (boxing, weightlifting, wrestling in its various forms, hiking with rock or ice climbing, caving, ski jumping, waterskiing, acrobatic skiing, bobsledding, rugby, skydiving, paragliding and air sports in general);
• for travel from home to the university facilities or to any other facilities open to students.

All other activities elsewhere (other universities, research organizations, companies etc., worldwide) are covered by insurance if:

• carried out under the auspices of the University of Tuscia;
• authorized by an officer of the University of Tuscia.*

*in this case, it means the director of the department of reference, the president of the course of studies, and so on.

Is there a library at the UNITUS campus?

University Library Services comprise online resources and several libraries located in the different Campuses. Santa Maria in Gradi hosts a two-floor library open Monday to Sunday from 08:00 am. Enrolled students are automatically enabled to use library services. You can access the Online resources at

• sistema bibliotecario

with your UNITUS credentials.

Is there a canteen on campus?

We have two canteens, one at the Riello campus, close to scientific departments, and the other in the city Centre in P.zza San Sisto, close to the rectorate and other departments. The price of a meal depends on your ISEEUP.

What’s the standard price for a private accommodation?

The standard cost for an individual room in a shared flat with other students is 250 Euro per month, bills excluded.
The standard living cost in Viterbo, accommodation excluded, is 400/500 euro per month.