All students holding a non-European Union passport are required by lawto obtain a student visa before departing from their home country. Without a valid student visa students can not apply to obtain their Permit to Stay.

The visa application can be a lengthy process, therefore we recommend that students inform themselves of visa procedures in advance.

Students must obtain their student visa after receiving approval of their acceptance. AUR Admissions Office will send each accepted student a visa letter which along with all other necessary documents they take to their local consulate. Students attending the American University of Rome through a study abroad program with one of our affiliated US universities will receive assistance from the program coordinator in obtaining a visa.

Students should check with their local consulate to make sure they have all the necessary documents before presenting their application. AUR is able to assist in verifying the status of the student, please contact admissions@aur.edu should you require assistance.

Please note that it is not possible to change the visa status once in Italy. Therefore if a student arrives on a tourist visa they can not change it to a student visa.

Stay Permit
Upon arrival in Rome, all students, including E.U. citizens, must obtain a permit to reside in Italy (Permesso di Soggiorno per Studio), which is issued by the local police authorities (Questura). The university will provide relevant information and assistance to students living in university housing upon arrival to secure their first stay permit. However, it is the student’s responsibility to comply with current stay requirements and secure the applicable documents.

To facilitate the process of obtaining the Permit to Stay, students must provide the following:

• 5 identical passport-sized photos
• 3 photocopies of passport
• 2 photocopies of visa
• 2 photocopies of medical insurance
• 2 photocopies of AUR enrollment letter stamped by the Italian Consulate
• 2 photocopies of a credit card, bank statement or a letter of financial means of support
• The Blue form will be given to students by AUR and students can purchase the tax stamp (marca da bollo of €14.62) on campus upon arrival.

The Italian authorities will only accept private US medical insurance if the Italian Consulate that issues the visa attaches a cover letter stating the conditions of the policy in Italian and stating that there are no restrictions. Otherwise, Italian health insurance (e.g. Assitalia) that complies with the applicable standards can be purchased on campus after arrival. This insurance entitles the student to emergency health care in all public hospitals. The cost is approximately €82 per year and €41 per semester.

If students wish to travel outside of the EU (European Union) area during the semester, they should obtain a multiple entry visa from the Italian Consulate before their arrival in Italy. Students with a single entry visa may experience problems when returning to Italy from non-EU countries. Students who do not have a US passport are advised to consult the appropriate consulate, (eg. for travel to Spain, the student should consult with the Spanish consulate), for detailed information on visa requirements or other necessary travel documents.

N.B. Students residing in housing not contracted through the university are also required to present a copy of their rental agreement.

For further information on student visas, permits and health insurance please contact studentservices@aur.edu.