Gallatin Florence Summer Study Abroad 2009

Student Visa Instructions

The Consulates General of Italy are not affiliated with New York University. They are entities of the Italian national government that issue visas for students and perform other functions. Please keep in mind that Consulates independently create and/or change their requirements for obtaining a Student Visa at any time without notification. Student visas are free of charge.

  • 1. Get your passport
    • If you don’t have a passport that is valid through September 2009, apply for one today! Check out travel.state.gov for more information. We suggest that you request expedited processing to allow plenty of time to apply for your student visa (the New York Consulate takes 7-15 days, and others may take up to 2 months!)
    • If you do not have two weeks to spare, you can go to the US Passport Agency to request a passport the same day. For a Passport Agency near you and for more information, please refer to their website. Prior to going to the Passport Agency, please contact someone from our office so that we can provide you with the appropriate letter.
  • 2. Determine which consulate you should apply through.
    • If you are an NYU student, you will visit the NY Consulate. Be sure to use your local New York City address on all documentation.
    • NY Consulate’s Jurisdictions are: New York, Connecticut, New Jersey [the following NJ counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, Warren], and Bermuda. If you are not an NYU student, or do not live in any of those counties, the following link will connect you to the Italian Embassy’s complete listing of jurisdictions and provides contact information for each consulate.
    • http://www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Washington/Menu/Ambasciata/La_rete_consolare/
    • If you are not a US Citizen, do not have a US Passport, and hold a student (F1) visa or green card, you may be required to obtain a student visa. Depending on the country you are from, you may or may not need to apply for a Student Visa. If you are required to obtain a Student Visa, you must apply on-line to request an appointment with the Visa Officer at the Italian Consulate. You will most likely be able to apply through the consulate that serves your school address. You may need to provide extra documentation.
  • 3. Obtain documents which must accompany the visa application
    • *Please note the checklist below is based on the requirements of the NYC, San Francisco, and Miami consulates. If you apply through a different consulate, be sure to refer to their websites for their visa requirements, as they may differ.
    • Please feel free to contact Melissa Daniel at Gallatin to go over the list below as well as to review your materials before visiting the consulate.
    • DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED BY NYU AT THE STUDENT’S REQUEST (You must submit your $300 deposit and confirmation form to Melissa Daniel before you request these items so that you may be registered for the course.)
      • A. Request Letter of Enrollment Verification: A letter from the home University in two copies (original plus one copy) confirming your enrollment status. The applicant should be fully enrolled in the current academic year or already enrolled for the following semester. Information such as anticipated graduation date, major, etc. should be expressed and must be in official form i.e. with university seal. Faxed copies will not be accepted. You must be registered for the course before you request this.

        • NYU students can obtain an Enrollment Certification Letter from the Registrar’s Office by following the directions found at http://www.nyu.edu/registrar/transcripts-certification/enrollment-verification.html Please allow seven business days from the time the Office of the University Registrar is in receipt of your request.

        Visiting students will need to obtain Enrollment Certification letter from your home school’s Registrar’s Office. The letter must be an official document from your home school’s Registrar (not the study abroad office) that states your registration status as a full-time student, your expected graduation date, and that you are in good financial standing. The letter must be on your school’s stationery (not computer generated).

      • B. Obtain English and Italian Acceptance Verification Letters from Melissa Daniel. Two copies (original plus one copy) from the US Academic Institution providing for the Study Abroad Program. A letter of acceptance from the host Academic Institution in Italy or the Italian branch of the US Academic Institution providing for the Study Abroad Program (this letter of acceptance is written in Italian). You must be registered for the course before you obtain this.
      • C. Request Official University Transcript: Official University transcript detailing student status, registration for following semester, anticipated graduation date and current student ID to verify the enrollment. This document is usually issued by the Registrar’s office in a sealed envelope bearing the university seal. You must be registered for the course before you request this.

        • DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED BY THE STUDENT:

      • D. Visa application form duly filled in and signed (click here for sample application). Provide both original and one copy.
      • E. Recent passport-style photo (3,5 cm x 4,5 cm or 1''3/8 x 1''3/4, full front and white background);
      • F. Passport valid at least three months over the planned stay in Italy and a photocopy of all pages with pertinent information i.e. photo, name, date of birth etc. The passport will be kept and returned with the visa, if approved. In the case of non U.S. citizens you need to have the U.S. Alien Registration Card, or F1 Visa and updated I-20 and a copy;
      • G. You must provide a round trip flight itinerary.
      • H. You must provide a current student ID and a copy.
      • I. Affidavit of Financial Support. Provide both original and a photocopy. The affidavit must be notarized. Please note, the affiant writes his or her birth date and not the date the document was signed! Click here for an Affidavit of Financial Support Form
      • J. Proof of Financial Means Bank Letter. Provide both original and a photocopy. Consulates are very picky about this one, so follow the guidelines below carefully! The account must be held by the person who signed your Affidavit of Financial Support. The letter must be on official bank letterhead, be addressed to the appropriate Consulate, show a checking, savings or money market account balance with at least $45 PER DAY OF YOUR PROGRAM, be signed by a bank official, and be notarized (the bank official and the notary cannot be the same person.) The Consulates will not accept proof of funds from a Trust, IRA, or CD account. Bring the sample bank letter (link follows) to your bank and ask them to produce a letter in the exact same format. The Bank Official must include their name, title and phone number. Bank statements cannot be accepted. Click here for a Proof of Financial Means Bank Letter Form
      • K. Declaration of the availability in Italy of appropriate lodgings and proof of health insurance. These two items are included in your Italian Acceptance Verification Letter.
  • 4. Call for an appointment to apply for your visa

    • Visa applicants can book their appointment through the new phone appointment service available at the following numbers:

      • 1-800-405-0044 (to pay using your credit card)
      • 1-900-656-1111 (premium rate line)

      Calls cost $2.49 per minute at all times. Lines are open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. This service is handled by Abtran (www.abtran.com) and enables the visa section staff to concentrate fully on processing visa applications.

      If you have a complaint regarding this service only, please email details to CGICustomerService@abtran.com for follow up.

      The telephone service is to be used for appointments and general information only. All applications must be submitted in person at the Consulate General.

      Applications appointments are available:

      Monday to Thursday: 9:00 am - 12:30 am
      CLOSED FRIDAYS

      The Office operates by appointment only

  • 5. Bring Visa application and supporting documentation to the Visa Office

    • The Italian Consulate Visa Office handles the issuance of visas allowing applicants entrance into Italy and other countries in Europe (the "Schengen Countries").

      Visa Department Address:
      54 E 69th Street (corner of Park Ave.) - New York
      The closest subway station is 68th Street - Hunter College

      Email: visas.newyork@esteri.it

      Tel: (212) 439-8607 (we accept phone calls only between 2:30 pm to 4:15 pm)

      Fax: (212) 249-4945

  • 6. Pick-up Visa from Visa Office
    • Pickup hours for the Italian Consulate Visa Office are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm.
    • Issuing of visas may take from two days to three weeks, depending on the applicant's nationality. Please make arrangements accordingly.