Applying for a visa study
Once your admission is in place,
(in the University of Genova or an Institution)
the following is the procedure for the Long Term VISA (type D) STUDY VISA. A long-term entry visa (for more than 90 days) is called a “National Visa” NV and grants access for long-term 'sojourn' (stay) in the State that issues it.
The information given is to best of our knowledge, but it is subject to change.
Every Indian state has its own educational system, hence the procedure may change accordingly. Also the visa rules are subject to change yearly. Most of the updated information is available on the VFS website. We recommend all the students to get as much information from every source as possible.
WE RECOMMEND YOU TO KEEP PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WITH YOU BEFORE YOU HAND THEM OVER/SUBMIT THEM ANYWHERE!
There are 3 centers for ITALIAN VISA APPLICATION in India:
Documents required :
1. Scholarship Letter
2. Admission Letter
3. Passport
4. Passport size photos
5. Travel Insurance
6. Travel ticket (one way)
7. Declaration of value or Declaration of worth
8. Accommodation proof in Italy
9. Cover Letter
1) Scholarship Letter and Admission Letter
Scholarship letter and the admission letter has to be obtained from Italian University or your respective Institute. At times, both are given in one document.
2) Passport
First, check the current validity of your passport. The period of validity of a passport must be at least 3 months longer than that of the visa. The passport shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.
Second, make sure your passport has minimum 2 blank Visa pages.
3) Passport size photographs
Get clear photographs clicked from a proper photo booth which knows the photo dimensions for Italian Visas. Get a double bunch of these as you would need ample of them even for the procedures in Italy.
4) Travel Insurance
Only certain travel insurance companies having a tie-up with the Italian consulate are entertained for the application. Please check here for the 'Schengen States consular posts' approved list of Indian Travel Insurance Companies providing Travel Medical Insurances for Schengen Visa Procedure:
http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/mumbai/news.html
5) Travel Ticket
A photocopy of your one way travel ticket.
6) Declaration of value or Declaration of worth (Start this process as soon as you receive your admission letter)
DOV is:
The Italian Visa officials have incorporated this procedure for the verification of your documents. This process may take around 1.5 months till you get all your documents legalized and duly translated. Though the time and effort required varies from state to state, by far this is the most tedious process among all.
The procedure for acquiring Declaration Of Value :
(Get ready to get all kind of stamps on the back your original certificates :D)
Step 1 :
Get an attestation from 'the registrar' of the respective University/ Institute. (Behind your original certificate).
Step 2 :
Get the documents 'Notarized' from an Advocate. (This can be done at a fee of Rs.50 - 100 per document in any court (eg. Mumbai, High Court)
Step 3 :
For personal documents (marriage/birth certificate etc.) get them legalized from the Home Department. (eg. if in Maharashtra) 9th floor, Admin building, Mantralaya.)The office opens at 10.00 a.m. (Avoid the lunch breaks). There is usually a long queue for the entry. Go early and go prepared (with food, cap, umbrella, books etc.) At the security check, (after telling your purpose of visit), you will be handed a token. Ask for the name of the department, the floor no. etc.
Step 4 :
For educational documents get them legalized from the State Government ( if Tamil Nadu ), go to the respective 'Secretariat office' and ask for the HRD Department. ( If Maharashtra), from Joint Secretary, Higher and Technical Education Dept., Mantralay, Mumbai) Get a token from the booth outside, (by telling your purpose of visit). After a few security checks, get to the correct floor and search for the Secretariat office. Inside the office you get an application that needs to be duely filled. Please remember to carry 'xerox copies' of all your documents and your passport. Fill the application correctly with the required information and then you will need to submit your originals there! (Your documents will be verified with your university and they will Seal(authenticate) at back of Document) .
(This process may take 1 week)
Step 5 :
Legalization by the Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi, for both personal as well as educational documents. The documents need to be sent to Delhi for an Apostille.
(This process may take 2-3 weeks)
Step 6 :
Legal translation into Italian. Please refer to http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/mumbai/italiantranslator.html for south India and http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/delhi/italiantranslator.html for other parts of India. The traslation may take a week or two, depending on the transalor's availability. Since you require an authorised translator, it is safe to get it done from the recommended names.
(This process may take 1- 1.5 weeeks)
Step 7 : DOV
The original documents along with the translated scripts need to be submitted to the Indian Consulate through Vfs for authentication/attestation.
1. Original translated document and its photocopy. (both sides)
2. Original apostllled document, from MEA, India and its photocopy.
3. Photocopy of Passport.
p.s. Always keep photocopies of the documents you submit anywhere.
(This process may take 2 - 2.5 weeeks)
YOU CAN GET THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE DONE THROUGH VFS WITH A PAYMENT OF A CERTAIN FEE. KINDLY INQUIRE AT YOUR NEARBY OFFICES FOR THE REQUIRED TIME AND THE FEE STRUCTURE.
(You are more likely to save time and a lot of money if you get at least the state level procedures done on your own. You simply have to be ready for a little running around and have enough time and patience).
7) Accommodation proof in Genova
Get a letter of support of stay from your Institute/University for the same.
8) Cover Letter
Write a cover letter addressing the Consulate General, of whichever office you are applying to (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata). A cover letter may comprise of your purpose of visit, your means of support, the attached documents and the reason of your return to India.
Once you have all the documents in place, submit them to your closest Vfs center (The consulates have authorized the Vfs services for the acceptance of the documents for Visa purpose). You can track your application status through the code generated by the office.
Note: There is a possibility of applying for a Visa along with DOV, if all necessary document are ready for Visa except the DOV.
Be patient and all the best !
(in the University of Genova or an Institution)
the following is the procedure for the Long Term VISA (type D) STUDY VISA. A long-term entry visa (for more than 90 days) is called a “National Visa” NV and grants access for long-term 'sojourn' (stay) in the State that issues it.
The information given is to best of our knowledge, but it is subject to change.
Every Indian state has its own educational system, hence the procedure may change accordingly. Also the visa rules are subject to change yearly. Most of the updated information is available on the VFS website. We recommend all the students to get as much information from every source as possible.
WE RECOMMEND YOU TO KEEP PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WITH YOU BEFORE YOU HAND THEM OVER/SUBMIT THEM ANYWHERE!
There are 3 centers for ITALIAN VISA APPLICATION in India:
- NEW DELHI - Embassy of Italy
- MUMBAI - Italian Consulate
- KOLKATA - Italian Consulate
Documents required :
1. Scholarship Letter
2. Admission Letter
3. Passport
4. Passport size photos
5. Travel Insurance
6. Travel ticket (one way)
7. Declaration of value or Declaration of worth
8. Accommodation proof in Italy
9. Cover Letter
1) Scholarship Letter and Admission Letter
Scholarship letter and the admission letter has to be obtained from Italian University or your respective Institute. At times, both are given in one document.
2) Passport
First, check the current validity of your passport. The period of validity of a passport must be at least 3 months longer than that of the visa. The passport shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.
Second, make sure your passport has minimum 2 blank Visa pages.
3) Passport size photographs
Get clear photographs clicked from a proper photo booth which knows the photo dimensions for Italian Visas. Get a double bunch of these as you would need ample of them even for the procedures in Italy.
4) Travel Insurance
Only certain travel insurance companies having a tie-up with the Italian consulate are entertained for the application. Please check here for the 'Schengen States consular posts' approved list of Indian Travel Insurance Companies providing Travel Medical Insurances for Schengen Visa Procedure:
http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/mumbai/news.html
5) Travel Ticket
A photocopy of your one way travel ticket.
6) Declaration of value or Declaration of worth (Start this process as soon as you receive your admission letter)
DOV is:
- Legal authorization of the last recent degree, by which you become eligible to study in Italy
- Legal translation into Italian (of the the above document/s)
- For Master Courses : Degree Certificate of Undergraduate. (If u have not received the Degree certificate yet, you can get the permission from your university and can process the Provisional certificate for DOV).
- For Doctoral courses (PhD) : You would require the Degree Certificate of postgraduate/masters.
- For other courses : The Highest Degree Certificate of your qualification/education.
The Italian Visa officials have incorporated this procedure for the verification of your documents. This process may take around 1.5 months till you get all your documents legalized and duly translated. Though the time and effort required varies from state to state, by far this is the most tedious process among all.
The procedure for acquiring Declaration Of Value :
(Get ready to get all kind of stamps on the back your original certificates :D)
Step 1 :
Get an attestation from 'the registrar' of the respective University/ Institute. (Behind your original certificate).
Step 2 :
Get the documents 'Notarized' from an Advocate. (This can be done at a fee of Rs.50 - 100 per document in any court (eg. Mumbai, High Court)
Step 3 :
For personal documents (marriage/birth certificate etc.) get them legalized from the Home Department. (eg. if in Maharashtra) 9th floor, Admin building, Mantralaya.)The office opens at 10.00 a.m. (Avoid the lunch breaks). There is usually a long queue for the entry. Go early and go prepared (with food, cap, umbrella, books etc.) At the security check, (after telling your purpose of visit), you will be handed a token. Ask for the name of the department, the floor no. etc.
Step 4 :
For educational documents get them legalized from the State Government ( if Tamil Nadu ), go to the respective 'Secretariat office' and ask for the HRD Department. ( If Maharashtra), from Joint Secretary, Higher and Technical Education Dept., Mantralay, Mumbai) Get a token from the booth outside, (by telling your purpose of visit). After a few security checks, get to the correct floor and search for the Secretariat office. Inside the office you get an application that needs to be duely filled. Please remember to carry 'xerox copies' of all your documents and your passport. Fill the application correctly with the required information and then you will need to submit your originals there! (Your documents will be verified with your university and they will Seal(authenticate) at back of Document) .
(This process may take 1 week)
Step 5 :
Legalization by the Ministry of External Affairs, Delhi, for both personal as well as educational documents. The documents need to be sent to Delhi for an Apostille.
- An Apostille is a type of attestation in which documents are legalised in a particular format that is acceptable in all nations that belong to the Hague Convention. Essentially, Apostille is an international attestation that is acceptable in about 92 countries, and most of the western world recognises Apostille.
- Apostille stamp is a square shaped computer generated sticker stamp, pasted on reverse of the document by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. This is a unique computer generated stamp having a unique identification number, through which any member country of The Hague convention can check its authenticity online. Under normal circumstances, once the document is apostilled, it does not require to be attested further from the concerned embassy.(http://www.mea.gov.in/)
(This process may take 2-3 weeks)
Step 6 :
Legal translation into Italian. Please refer to http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/mumbai/italiantranslator.html for south India and http://www.vfs-italy.co.in/delhi/italiantranslator.html for other parts of India. The traslation may take a week or two, depending on the transalor's availability. Since you require an authorised translator, it is safe to get it done from the recommended names.
(This process may take 1- 1.5 weeeks)
Step 7 : DOV
The original documents along with the translated scripts need to be submitted to the Indian Consulate through Vfs for authentication/attestation.
1. Original translated document and its photocopy. (both sides)
2. Original apostllled document, from MEA, India and its photocopy.
3. Photocopy of Passport.
p.s. Always keep photocopies of the documents you submit anywhere.
(This process may take 2 - 2.5 weeeks)
YOU CAN GET THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE DONE THROUGH VFS WITH A PAYMENT OF A CERTAIN FEE. KINDLY INQUIRE AT YOUR NEARBY OFFICES FOR THE REQUIRED TIME AND THE FEE STRUCTURE.
(You are more likely to save time and a lot of money if you get at least the state level procedures done on your own. You simply have to be ready for a little running around and have enough time and patience).
7) Accommodation proof in Genova
Get a letter of support of stay from your Institute/University for the same.
8) Cover Letter
Write a cover letter addressing the Consulate General, of whichever office you are applying to (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata). A cover letter may comprise of your purpose of visit, your means of support, the attached documents and the reason of your return to India.
Once you have all the documents in place, submit them to your closest Vfs center (The consulates have authorized the Vfs services for the acceptance of the documents for Visa purpose). You can track your application status through the code generated by the office.
Note: There is a possibility of applying for a Visa along with DOV, if all necessary document are ready for Visa except the DOV.
Be patient and all the best !