Frequently Asked Questions about residence permits

Guide for non-EU students residing abroad enrolling in first and second cycle degree programmes and single learning activities at the University of Bologna.

Which office should I contact to receive information about applying for a residence permit?

If you live Bologna and surrounding areas, you can contact the International Desk.

For information in the event of delays in issuing the permit, you can also go to the URP (Public Relations Office) of the central police station, Piazza G. Galilei 2/A. 

If you live in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna or Rimini and surrounding areas, you can contact the offices in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna or Rimini.

Important Information

When should I apply for a residence permit?

If this is the first time you are requesting a residence permit, you must apply within eight working days of your date of arrival in Italy.

To renew your residence permit, you must submit your renewal application at least 60 days before your permit expires.

Read the information on the page dedicated to applying for a residence permit.

If you need support and you live in Bologna and surrounding areas, you can contact the International Desk.

If you need support and you live in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna or Rimini and surrounding areas, you can contact the offices in Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna or Rimini.

What determines the duration of the residence permit?

A student residence permit can be issued for a maximum of 12 months. A shorter permit may be issued, depending on a number of different factors. The main ones are:

  • health insurance. Your residence permit cannot be issued for a period exceeding your registration with the Italian National Health Service or health insurance coverage period;
  • academic year of enrolment. Your residence permit cannot be issued for a period exceeding the academic year you are enrolled in. For example, if you are enrolled in the 2021-2022 academic year, the latest possible expiry date of your permit is 31 March 2023.
    If you plan to renew your residence permit during the summer, do not forget to enrol for your next academic year before applying, and collect your certificate of enrolment with the list of exams you have passed from the Student Administration Office or download it from Studenti Online.
    Do not submit self-certifications.

How many exams must I pass to renew my residence permit?

To renew your residence permit you need to have passed at least one exam during the first year of study (of your degree programme), and at least two exams per year for the subsequent years.
Exams must be registered.

In the case of serious health problems or force majeure, duly documented, residence permits can also be renewed for students who have passed only one exam, without affecting the total number of renewals.

Attention: in addition to the laws and requirements regarding student residence permit renewal, you also must consider the requirements set by the University of Bologna in order to avoid the loss of student status.

Which assessment tests count when applying to renew a residence permit?

To renew your residence permit, you must pass exams or other full assessment tests taken and registered during the course of your student career. Partial tests or single parts of integrated exams do not count when applying to renew a residence permit.

Additional Learning Requirements (OFA) and Italian language course units at the University Language Centre do not count when applying for residence permit renewal.

How many times can I renew my residence permit?

Residence permits cannot be renewed for more than three years beyond the standard duration of degree programme.

This limit applies to all degree programmes: first and second cycle degree programmes and single cycle degree programmes. Don’t waste time, study and keep up with your exams, or you may not be able to obtain your final degree.

Attention: in addition to the laws and requirements regarding student residence permit renewal, you also must consider the requirements set by the University of Bologna in order to avoid the loss of student status.

What to do if...

When I submitted my application I did not include all the documents required.

Incomplete applications cause major delays in permit issuing procedures!

You can try to take the documents when you go to your photographic registration appointment. Otherwise, you must send them via PEC “Posta Elettronica Certificata” (certified email) to the central police station (Questura).

Important! For the Bologna central police station (Questura): you can also send messages via normal email to the PEC , but you will not receive a confirmation receipt.

If you want to verify that your additions have been correctly received, after at least 15 days from sending them, you can go to the URP (Public Relations Office) of the central police station, Piazza G. Galilei 2/A. 

I missed my photographic registration appointment.

Note: if you miss your appointments, you may not be able to obtain a residence permit. If you missed your first appointment, you will receive an invitation for a new appointment through the www.portaleimmigrazione.it website, via SMS or by post. Make sure your name and surname are clearly visible on the doorbell/letterbox at the address indicated on the application form. If, after a few weeks, you still have not received an invitation for a new appointment, contact the International Desk.

If you miss both appointments, the central police station (Questura) will archive your request for a residence permit. Contact the International Desk immediately.

I have moved.

You must notify the central police station (Questura) of your new address via PEC “Posta Elettronica Certificata” (certified email) and update your contact information on Studenti Online.

Important! For the Bologna central police station (Questura): you can also send messages via normal email to the PEC , but you will not receive a confirmation receipt.

If you want to verify that your message has been correctly received, after at least 15 days from sending it, you can go to the URP (Public Relations Office) of the central police station, Piazza G. Galilei 2/A. 

Make sure that your name and surname are clearly visible on the doorbell/letterbox at your new address.

I have been notified of motivations for which my residence permit may be denied (10 Bis).

You must submit a response and any additional information via PEC “Posta Elettronica Certificata” (certified email), usually within 10 days.

Important! For the Bologna central police station (Questura): you can also send messages via normal email to the PEC , but you will not receive a confirmation receipt.

If you want to verify that your response and additional information have been correctly received, after at least 15 days from sending them, you can go to the URP (Public Relations Office) of the central police station, Piazza G. Galilei 2/A. 

If you require assistance, contact the International Desk. The staff will assess the issue and help you write your response. Be sure to keep a copy of all correspondence and documents sent to the Questura.

Note: receiving a ‘10 Bis’ will cause major delays in permit issuing procedures.

It has been four months since my photographic registration appointment, but I haven’t received the permit yet.

There may be a number of reasons for this. The most frequent are:

  • you did not show up to your photographic registration appointment;
  • the documentation you submitted was incomplete;
  • you are not entitled to a permit/permit renewal (for example, you have not passed the required number of exams).

Do not wait any longer! Contact the International Desk immediately.
If possible, our Staff will enquire about your permit.

If you applied for your residence permit in Bologna you can go to the URP (Public Relations Office) of the central police station, Piazza G. Galilei 2/A. 

My residence permit has expired and I would like to go back to my home country.

If you are waiting for your residence permit to be renewed, you can return to your home country, without stopping in a country within the Schengen Area, by showing your passport and the receipt that proves you have duly applied to renew your residence permit.

Contact the airline in writing beforehand to make sure you can fly with your passport, the expired permit and the renewal application receipt.

Always check the applicable minimum stay limits in Italy to qualify for a residence permit.

If you have to return to Italy, and several months have passed since your renewal application at the post office, contact the Italian Embassy for information.

I haven’t got my permit yet and I would like to travel in Europe.

If you are waiting for your permit or a permit renewal, you can travel within Schengen area countries for up to three months, for as long as your entry visa is valid (check if your visa allows for multiple entries).

After that, you will need to have your Italian residence permit to travel.
Before travelling, make sure no temporary suspensions of the Schengen agreement are in place.

Always check the applicable Italian maximum stay limits for qualifying for a residence permit.

I have to go abroad for a study mobility programme (Erasmus+, Overseas, internship, dissertation preparation...).

Italian laws are very strict. If you interrupt the sequence of your consecutive student residence permits, you may be blocked from re-entering the country.

If you need to return to Italy to complete your studies after your study abroad period, we recommend renewing your Italian residence permit before you leave. Contact the International Desk for information regarding your specific case.

To gain entry to the country you will be visiting for your mobility study programme, contact the embassy of the country in question. In some cases, the office that manages the specific study mobility programme will provide information and support.

After obtaining my degree I would like to stay in Italy and look for a job.

If, once you have obtained your first or second cycle degree, you wish to remain in Italy and look for a job, you can apply to convert your “Student” residence permit into a “Ricerca Lavoro” (Job Search) permit for a maximum period of 12 months (Art. 39-bis.1, D.Lgs 286/1998)..

Note: the Ricerca Lavoro permit cannot be converted back into a student residence permit. If you decide to enrol in a new study programme, you will have to re-enter the country with a new study visa.

Among the documents required to apply for a Ricerca Lavoro permit is the Dichiarazione di immediata disponibilità al lavoro (DID) (Declaration of immediate availability for work), validated by the local Centro per l’impiego (employment center). In order to register with the Centro per l’impiego and obtain the DID you must:

Other necessary documents are: graduation certificate, health coverage valid for 12 months, a copy of the documents proving you have the funds needed to cover your living expenses in Italy and documents detailing your accommodation in Italy.

For more details about the Ricerca Lavoro permit, contact the International Desk.

After obtaining my degree, I would like to stay in Italy to start a new degree programme.

If, after obtaining a degree, you wish to continue to study and start another degree programme (for example, if you have completed a first cycle degree and you wish to start a second cycle degree, or after a second cycle degree you wish to study for a PhD), you can enrol on the new degree programme as a non-EU student with an equivalent status to a EU citizen before your current student residence permit expires.

If your residence permit expires before your new matriculation and you have already registered to take the selection tests, you may be granted a renewal of your residence permit to allow you take the tests and matriculate. You can contact the International Desk for information.

In all other cases, you will have to re-enter Italy with a new study visa.

My studies have been interrupted because I don’t have a residence permit. For example, when I try to book an exam or print a self-certification, I get the following message: “Student 00000000 does not have a valid residence permit”.

You must send a copy of the front and back of the residence permit, via email to the relevant Student Administration office for the degree programme you are enrolled in, from your account @studio.unibo.it.

If you have applied for a permit but have not obtained one, there may be a number of reasons why. The most frequent are:

  • you did not attend your photographic registration appointment at the Questura;
  • the documentation you submitted was incomplete;
  • you are not entitled to a permit/permit renewal (for example, you have not passed the required number of exams).

Do not wait any longer! Contact the International Desk immediately.
If possible, our Staff will enquire about your permit.

I am currently enrolled in single learning activities and I would like to enrol in a degree programme.

If you are enrolled in single learning activities and have passed at least one exam, and the following year you want to enrol in a ‘pertinent or subsequent’ degree programme, or one for which the single learning activity is "functional", you may apply to renew your residence permit. Please note: the Questura makes all decisions regarding residence permit renewals.  When applying for admission to the degree programme, you should refer to the procedures applicable to "Italian citizens, EU citizens and non-EU citizens with EU equivalent status".

Contact the Student Administration Office to request the “pertinent or subsequent” or “functional” certification that you will need to attach to the residence permit renewal application.

As an alternative, you can return to your home country, pre-enrol and apply for a new study visa at the Italian Embassy.

I lost my residence permit or it was stolen

If you have lost your residence permit, or it was stolen, you must report it to the police or the Carabinieri and request a replacement permit at a qualified post office (offering the ‘Sportello Amico’ service). If the lost or stolen permit was about to expire (within around two months), you may request a renewal by presenting the necessary documentation.

You may report your permit as lost or stolen via an online form sent to the Police or the Carabinieri.

I have a student residence permit and I would like to work.

If you have a student residence permit you can work (as an employee) up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, for no more than 1040 hours a year.