Can I travel in Italy and the EU before the semester program starts?

We strongly advise that you limit any pre-program travel to locations outside of Italy. If you need to arrive in Italy, please only arrive 1-2 days before your program begins. Why? Almost all students studying in Italy with a student visa must apply for a permesso di soggiorno within 8 days of arriving. This is an immigration requirement, and a late application is in violation of the law. It is in complex Italian legal language and there are no public resources in English to help you, plus there are procedural reasons why it is better to do this with your host Institute during orientation. If you follow our guidance and arrive on arrival day or only shortly before, then our team will support you through a simplified version of the permesso application during your first week in the program. Note: If you are arriving in Perugia or Florence early, please let us know as you may need to complete this process on your own and you will not have early access to your apartment.