This information is for international degree-seeking PhD students. If you need further information, you can contact the PhD Office (phd@unibz.it; +39 0471 012815).
According to the Italian law, within 8 working days of your arrival in Italy, you must have applied for the residence permit: as soon as you arrive you should contact the University’s PhD Office and you will be given all the information so that you can start this procedure.
In order to obtain the residence permit, you need to have the following documents:
* For more information about health insurance and to buy one online have a look at the relevant section below. After you bought your insurance, you can log in and download the certificate to hand in with the kit.
To apply for the residence permit, you must first go to the Post Office in the town where you are living and get the kit (an envelope with a yellow stripe) that contains the application form and the instruction sheets.
You should then book an appointment with the PhD Office. We will help you fill out the form, check that all documents are correct, and issue your enrolment confirmation.
Once you have filled in the form, you need to attach a €16 duty stamp (“marca da bollo”), which you can buy at a newspaper stand. You must also pay €30 when you send the form, which is sent with insured post (hence the cost).
A further €30 must be paid with a postal order for the issue of the electronical permit to stay and another €40 for any stays longer than 90 days and up to one year.
Cost Summary
* these amounts can be paid with a single postal order of the following amount: €70.46.
Once you have filled in the application form, you must take it back to the Post Office where you got it from.
The post office clerk will then give you the receipt that certifies that you have sent the documentation and the appointment when you need to show up at the local police office (Questura). You must keep this receipt safe as you need it to track your application through the www.portaleimmigrazione.it website.
You will also need to show this receipt in the event that you are stopped by the police. The receipt acts as a provisional residence permit and as such, it puts some limitations on you that the full permit does not.
The receipt, however, still has legal value and allows you to move freely in Italy; it also allows you to return to your country and back to Italy again, as long as you do so through the same border control (e.g., same airport).
The receipt will tell you when you have to go to the Police Station, and what you need to take with you (4 identical passport-size photos with a light background and with your head and face uncovered with neutral face expression, and any other documents that may be missing). If it’s your first time in Italy, you will be fingerprinted.
After a certain amount of time, an electronic permit will be issued for you. It is an optical smart card with a microchip that contains all your personal information, your photo and your fingerprints. Once you receive it, you must submit it to the Student Secretariat otherwise you will not be allowed to go forward with your PhD studies. You will then also need to register your residency at the municipality (more information in the relevant section below).
Once you have applied for the residence permit, you do not need to renew your visa. A residence permit has much more value than a visa and allows you to travel through the Schengen area for up to 90 days and to exit an re-enter Italy (as long as it is still valid). If you have question, please contact the PhD Office.
Do not forget to renew your residence permit in time!
Do not wait for the expiration date but apply for the renewal at least 60 days in advance. You must follow the same procedure as for the first issuing and ask the Phd Office in advance for the required document issued by the office.
You should book an appointment with the PhD Office. We will help you fill out the form, check that all documents are correct, and issue your enrolment confirmation.
For submitting the renewal request you will also need to attach a photocopy of your expiring residence permit.
The Italian individual tax code is what you need to identify yourself when dealing with Italian public offices and institutions. In case you have not requested it when applying for your visa at the Italian embassy/consulate, it will be issued to you when you go to the police (Questura) for your residence permit appointment. Please make sure that it is issued to you.
In case you need it before the appointment (e.g., you want to buy the public transportation student pass abo+), you can request it to the “Agenzia delle Entrate” (Italian Revenue Agency) with a valid passport or ID card.
You can do this in two ways:
You have to submit your tax code to the Student Secretariat as soon as you get it.
Further information can be found on the Italian Revenue Agency’s website.
In order to get the residence permit, you need health insurance. Private health insurances are usually fine. But please bear in mind that the expiry date of your permit will be the one of your health insurance. If you want a one-year permit, you need a one-year insurance.
One of the cheapest one is the one offered by Welcome Association Italy. You can buy it online by registering on WAI’s website. You can either buy a 6-month insurance (for €81) or a 12-month one (for €130). After you bought your insurance, you can log in and download the certificate to hand in with the residence permit kit as well as the information on how to use your insurance.
Full Health Cover for non-EU citizens
In case you want to obtain non-mandatory health cover and have your own family doctor for the period of your studies, you will have to go to the Local Health Care Provider (Azienda Sanitaria Locale - ASL) to register for the Italian National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale - SSN). You need the following documents:
further, if you receive a grant:
Starting 1 January 2024, as amended with art. 1 paragraph 240 of Law No. 213 of 30 December 2023, the amount you have to pay to register for health care as a student is €700.
These amounts are valid for a year (1 January to 31 December), are not divisible and are not retroactive. You are only covered for the period of validity of your residence permit.
In case you are interested in the non-mandatory health cover, you can contact the PhD Office team for more information.
If you want to organize your finances while you are studying here or if you get a scholarship, you need a European bank account (IBAN). We suggest you have a look at the deals being offered by the different banks and open an account immediately after the enrolment or when you have requested for your resident permit.
If the bank requires a certificate, you can download a self-declaration autonomously.