Information Regarding Student Visa in Italy

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is it possible to complete the application and the visa process without the help
of agency/agents/dalals?
Answer: Absolutely. The entire process can be completed without paying these people.
Remember, they will charge you 5-6 lakh taka for tasks that you can complete by following
the instructions in this document. Moreover, most of the agents are frauds! They will
provide you with incorrect information and lie to you to get your money.
Question 2: What is the possibility of obtaining Italian student visa?
Answer: If all your documents are in order and you follow all the instructions, then the
possibility is very high.
Question 3: What is the cost of Italian student visa?
Answer: The cost of preparing the documents (translation, IOM verification etc.) is around
25,000 30,000 taka. There is no embassy fee but there is an application fee charged by
VFS.
Question 4: Are you an agent?
Answer: NO.
The academic year in Italy is made up of two semesters, September/October (First
Semester) and February/March (Second Semester). But the Italian embassy in Bangladesh
only considers Masters applications for the second semester.
Italys university fees vary based on the institution and the selected course. The average fee
is between 850 euro and 3,000 euro.
All international students are entitled to the same student assistance services as Italian
students, on basis of the same requisites of financial means and/or merit (known as
Regional Scholarships). This applies to scholarships, student loans, housing assistance, meal
tickets, and fee waivers. These services are managed by the DSU offices in your region
(Diritto allo Studio Universitario).

Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
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Basic Requirements
Most universities in Italy do not have a minimum academic results requirement, you should
check the requirements for the university that you are interested in before applying.
Generally, you should have more than 50% GPA in order to qualify for admission but at least
3.5 CGPA in SSC/HSC and 3.0 in Bachelors level is preferred.
Undergraduate (First Cycle Laurea)
You should have successfully completed SSC and SSC and qualify for Bachelor studies in
Bangladesh. You must also have the original certificates in your possession.
Master's (Second Cycle - Laurea Magistrale)
If you are applying for a master's program at an Italian university, you are required to be in
possession of a relevant bachelor's diploma from Bangladesh. If the language of instruction
for your Bachelor studies was not English, you will be required to provide IELTS scores.
Besides the ranking and the reputation of your university/department of your choice, you
might want to consider other factors such as tuition fee and cost of living in the area,
availability of university and regional scholarships, the experience of current and former
students at the university etc.
While IELTS or TOEFL is not mandatory in most Italian universities - you may be asked to
prove your English language proficiency by the university and/or the Italian Embassy.
Step 1: Search for Your Course and University
1. Search for a study program or course that best meets your personal expectations and
academic profile. Make sure you look for programs that are entirely taught in English.
2. Use the following websites:
Bachelors Programs (First cycle): http://www.bachelorsportal.eu/countries/15/italy.html
Masters Programs (Second cycle): http://www.mastersportal.eu/countries/15/italy.html
General Information: http://www.study-in-italy.it/index.html
Other links: http://cercauniversita.cineca.it/
http://www.universitaly.it/index.php/offerta/cercaUniv
3. Some universities have pre-evaluation procedures for International students. Contact
the university if you have any confusion or questions or to learn whether you are eligible
for the course of your choice.

Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
2

Step 2: Apply to the Course of Your Choice

1. Both pre-evaluation and application procedures are usually online.
2. Check the deadlines and register on the universities website to complete the application
procedure.
3. Most universities require you to upload/send scanned copies of your academic
certificates and transcripts electronically.
4. You should receive an automatic confirmation email after you submit your application.
Check that you have received such an email.
5. Some universities also require you to print the application submission confirmation, sign
and send it to the university via regular mail. Check if the university you are applying to
has this requirement.
6. Wait for the decision from the university.
Step 3: Verification and Legalization of Academic Documents
You must have all your previous academic certificates and transcripts/mark sheets attested
and verified before your pre-enrollment interview. IOM Dhaka will conduct verifications of
SSC, HSC, Bachelors, and Masters certificates and transcripts/ mark sheets.
1. SSC and HSC certificates and mark sheets must be attested by the respective boards.
2. Bachelor and Masters certificates and mark sheets must be attested by the university
registrar.
3. All these documents then have to be attested by the Ministry of Education and Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
4. Submit all the attested documents to IOM for verification.
The following documents need to be attested and verified depending on the programme
you are applying to:
Undergraduate
1. Attested certificate copy of SSC
2. Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of SSC
3. Attested certificate copy of HSC
4. Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of HSC
Graduate
1. Attested certificate copy of SSC
2. Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of SSC
3. Attested certificate copy of HSC
Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
3

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of HSC

Attested certificate copy of Bachelors examination
Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of Bachelors Examination
Attested certificate copy of Masters examination (if completed)
Attested transcript/mark sheet copy of Masters examination (if completed)

Please contact IOM at 01713-065514 or dhakadva@iom.int for appointments or any

questions regarding the verification process and fees. You must take all the original
certificates, transcripts, and your original passport to the appointment.
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
House 13A, Road 136
Gulshan 1, Dhaka (Opposite of Village Restaurant).
Translation
All your academic documents must also be translated from Tradusoft.com Translation
Agency - the only official translator for the Italian Embassy in Bangladesh.
Tradusoft.com Translation Agency
Bashati Dream
Apartment A5, 5th Floor
House 3, Road 20, Gulshan 1, Dhaka
(Behind Navana Tower)
Step 4: Pre-Enrollment and Dichiarazione di Valoro in Loco (DOV)
Once your admission is confirmed and you have received an offer letter/admission
confirmation letter from the university you will have to make an appointment with the
Italian embassy for your pre-enrollment interview.
The pre-enrollment window in Bangladesh for the first semester usually opens in
March/April and receives applications until the end of June or beginning of July. You must
send an email to dhaka.studenti@esteri.it on the days specified by the embassy with the
following information:

Name and surname

Date and place of birth
Name of the Italian university
Name of the course
Highest foreign degree obtained and final score
A scanned copy of the Italian translation of the bachelor or master certificate
Office where to be interviewed (Dhaka, Chittagong, or Sylhet)
Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
4

The embassy will contact the students until their quota is reached on a first-come-first-serve
basis and will provide further instructions. Students who do not receive such a confirmation
will have to try again during the next appointment period which will be published on
http://www.ambdhaka.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Dhaka.
Your IOM verification must be completed before your appointment and you will have to
submit all the attested and translated study certificates during the interview. The interview
is in English and you will be asked about your university, course of study, your previous
educational background, reasons to study in Italy, your present occupation etc.
If your pre-enrollment interview goes well and all your documents are in order, the embassy
will issue a Dichiarazione di Valoro in Loco (DOV) for you. The DOV is an official document
issued by the Italian Diplomatic Representation (Italian embassy in Bangladesh) in the
country in which the qualification was issued. Basically, it is a document stating that your
previous academic qualifications are valid to study in Italy.
The DOV usually includes the following information:

Legal status and nature of the awarding institution in Bangladesh

Requirements for admission to the programme ending in the qualification concerned
Length of the programme and/or global workload in hours/credits
Validity of the qualification in Bangladesh to academic and/or professional ends.

It takes a couple of months for the DOV to be issued. Be patient and wait for the notification
from either the Italian embassy or VFS.
Step 5: Visa Application
Once you have been issued with the DOV, you can apply for the study visa. The following
documents must be submitted to VFS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

D-type visa application form

MRP passport valid for at least three months after visa expiry date
Offer letter/admission confirmation letter from the university
Declaration of Value (original and photocopy)
Original and copy of all academic certificates (translated and legalized)
Student file with BDT 600,00 (approximately 5,900 euro) plus tuition fee if you do not
have tuition waiver/scholarship.
7. Recent passport-size photos
8. Proof of accommodation
9. Ticket booking
Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
5

VFS - Italy Visa & Legalization Application Centre

Z N Tower, 1st Floor Road 8, Block-SW (1)
Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone: +88 02 9895742,
E-mail: info.itbd@vfshelpline.com
Website: www.vfsglobal-it-bd.com
Student File
Student file is mandatory for Italian study visa application. This account must be in your own
name and can be opened at any bank in Bangladesh. You should deposit funds equivalent to
5,900 euro (approximately 6 lakh taka) for one year. Please ask your university to specifically
state the amount of tuition fee and living expenses in your offer letter or to provide you
with another letter with the information in English.
You might be asked to provide evidence of source of the fund in your student account
during your visa interview at the embassy. Please try to open your student file as early as
possible to avoid any suspicion.
Visa Interview
The visa interview is conducted in English and is very important. The consular will crosscheck your information and ask you various questions. You might also be asked to write a
short essay to prove your proficiency in English. For AY 2014-15, the topics for essays
included; 1) how study abroad will change your life/affect your future career, 2) Economy of
Italy, 3) Relationship between Italy and Bangladesh, 4) Role of women in the development
of Bangladesh etc.
You might be asked about the following issues during your visa interview:

Information about your university and course and the reason for your selection

Reasons to study in Italy

Your previous educational background

Source of funding for your study

Information about the area/region that the university is located in

Your future plan

Accommodation in Italy

Your current occupation

Prepare for the interview. Be confident and speak clearly. Do not contradict information you
have already provided.
Good Luck!

Shouro Dasgupta
Ca Foscari University of Venice. 2014
6