This FAQ section is for non-EU students who do not identify with the situations explicitly described on the Who are international students page.
If you are not eligible to apply for admission and enrol as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status, you can only apply for admission to a degree programme by following the procedures for non-EU students residing abroad.
Procedures include pre-enrolment on Universitaly.it and application for a study visa. The decision to approve the visa is the exclusive responsibility of the relevant Italian Embassy.
You will have to carry out admission procedures consistent with your chosen option.
If you are unsure which category of international students to refer to, please contact the International Desk for support before applying for admission.
I am waiting to obtain Italian/EU citizenship. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
Applying for citizenship alone does not allow you to enrol in a degree programme as an Italian/EU citizen. If you intend to apply for admission as an Italian/EU student, please consider that:
- for restricted access degree programmes at national level, Italian/EU citizenship must be obtained by the deadline for applying for admission indicated in the call for applications;
- for restricted access degree programmes at local level and open access degree programmes, Italian/EU citizenship must be obtained by the deadline for completing enrolment.
I have a residence permit other than those listed in Article 39, section 5 of the Consolidated Act on Immigration, e.g. I have a permit for: pending employment, job search, childcare, medical treatment, elective residence, etc. My qualification for accessing the degree programme was not obtained in Italy. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
The indicated residence permits do not allow enrolment in degree programmes as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status.
I have applied for a family permit/residence card for a non-EU relative of an EU citizen, but I have not yet obtained it. My qualification for accessing the degree programme was not obtained in Italy. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
A visa and a family permit application alone do not grant the status of non-EU student with EU equivalent status. Check the time of issuing the residence permit with the Police Headquarter.
If you intend to apply for admission as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status, please consider that:
- for restricted access degree programmes at national level, the family permit must be in your possession by the deadline for applying for admission indicated in the call for applications;
- for restricted access degree programmes at local level and open access degree programmes, the family permit must be in your possession by the deadline for completing enrolment.
I have applied for a permit for employment/self-employment, but I have not yet obtained it. My qualification for accessing the degree programme was not obtained in Italy. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
If you entered Italy on a work visa and applied for a work residence permit for the first time, you are a non-EU student with EU equivalent status and must follow the procedures for non-EU students with EU equivalent status.
If you applied for conversion of your permit into a work permit and you had a residence permit among those listed in Article 39, section 5 of the Consolidated Act on Immigration (e.g. family reasons, political asylum, etc.), you are a non-EU student with EU equivalent status and must follow the procedures for non-EU students with EU equivalent status.
If you applied for conversion of your permit into a work permit and you had a residence permit not among those listed in Article 39, section 5 of Italian Legislative Decree no. 286 of 25 July 1998 (e.g. residence permit for pending employment, job search, childcare, medical treatment, elective residence, etc.), you are not a non-EU student with EU equivalent status and you must wait to obtain a printed “work” residence permit. Check the time of issuing the permit with the Police.
In the latter case, if you intend to apply for admission as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status, please consider that:
- for restricted access degree programmes at national level, the work permit must be in your possession by the deadline for applying for admission indicated in the call for applications;
- for restricted access degree programmes at local level and open access degree programmes, the work permit must be in your possession by the deadline for completing enrolment.
I am an asylum seeker. My qualification for accessing the degree programme was not obtained in Italy. Can I enrol in a degree programme?
You cannot enrol in a degree programme, but you can check the opportunities that the University of Bologna provides for asylum seeker students.
To be able to enrol in a degree programme, you must already have been granted international protection. Obtaining international protection is a lengthy procedure and may not allow you to enrol in the academic year you are interested in.
While you are waiting for the outcome of your international protection application, you can still apply for open access degree programmes and restricted access degree programmes at local level as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status, but please consider that by the deadline for completing your enrolment you will have to be in possession of a permit for “asilo politico”/”protezione sussidiaria”/”casi speciali” (Arts. 18, 18 bis and 22, section 12-quater, of Italian Legislative Decree no. 286 of 25 July 1998)/”protezione speciale” (Art. 32, section 3, of Italian Legislative Decree no. 25 of 28 January 2008).
I am a Ukrainian citizen and have applied for temporary protection. My qualification for accessing the degree programme was not obtained in Italy. Can I enrol in a degree programme?
You cannot enrol in a degree programme, but you can check the opportunities that the University of Bologna provides for asylum seeker students.
To be able to enrol in a degree programme, you must already have been granted temporary protection (under the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers (DPCM) dated 28 March 2022).
While you are waiting for the outcome of your temporary protection application, you can still apply for open access degree programmes and restricted access degree programmes at local level as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status, but please consider that by the deadline for completing your enrolment you will have to be in possession of a temporary protection permit.
Warning: the residence permit for temporary protection is temporary and at the moment Italian law does not provide for the possibility of converting it into a student permit.
I have a valid student residence permit, obtained to attend a language course in Italy. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
The indicated residence permit does not allow enrolment in a degree programme as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status.
If you are a Chinese citizen taking part in the Marco Polo programme, please read the relevant information.
I have a valid student residence permit, obtained to carry out a mobility programme (e.g. Erasmus+) at an Italian university. Can I apply as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status?
The indicated residence permit does not allow enrolment in a degree programme as a non-EU student with EU equivalent status.