Visa information
The following information is provided for guidance only; it is not necessarily authoritative or complete. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website provides authoritative visa information.
Before departure
Do you need a visa?
If your stay is up to 90 days: Australian citizens travelling to Italy on an Australian passport for periods of up to 90 days do not require a visa.
If you don’t have an Australian passport, but you are a citizen of a country that is exempt from applying for a visitor visa to enter Italy, you also do not require a visa for stays in Italy of up to 90 days. Please refer to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for a complete list of countries whose citizens are exempt from applying for a visitor visa to enter Italy and make sure you check this list before planning your trip to Italy as it may be subject to change.
If you are travelling on a passport of a country whose citizens require a visa to enter Italy, you will need to apply for a visa before departure. Please refer to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for a complete list of countries whose citizens require a visa to enter Italy and make sure you check this list before planning your trip as it may be subject to change.Please enquire with your Consulate before departure on the type of visa you will need.
If your stay is 91 days or more: If your stay in Italy (or the Schengen area) is 91 days or more, then you will need to apply for a visa to enter Italy before departure. Please enquire with your Consulate before departure on the type of visa you will need.
Upon arrival
Declaration of presence
The declaration of presence (dichiarazione di presenza) is mandatory, irrespective of your visa status and the duration of your stay in Italy.
If your stay is up to 90 days: If you arrive in Italy from outside the Schengen area (e.g., from Australia, Canada, Malaysia or the United States), the declaration of presence is done by having your passport stamped on arrival with a Schengen stamp.
If you arrive in Italy from inside the Schengen area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland), even via a connecting flight, you are required to make a declaration of presence at the questura (police station) within eight days of arrival.
If you are staying at a hotel or similar accommodation, their staff will do this for you upon check-in. Make sure you obtain a copy of this document for your own records.
The absence of a declaration of presence could result in a fine or create difficulties during subsequent encounters with local police or other authorities throughout the Schengen area.
If your stay is 91 days or more: you can stay in Italy for up to 150 days without the need to apply for a stay permit (permesso di soggiorno) upon arrival. The only documents required are the declaration of presence (dichiarazione di presenza), which needs to be filed directly at the local questura (police station), accompanied by a dichiarazione di garanzia (declaration of guarantee) that will be provided by the Monash Prato Centre. Both documents must be filed within eight days of arrival.
We're here to help
We will provide support to students, academics and other visitors staying in Prato in submitting their declaration of presence.
If you've chosen to stay outside of Prato, we'll be happy to give you advice, but we may not be able to access the local questura (police station) in Florence or other cities as we do in Prato.
For students and teaching staff enquiries, please contact our Academic Programs and Internships Coordinator or Student Services.You can also contact Monash Abroad.
For all other visitor enquiries, please contact info@monash.it
Consular contact information
For Australians travelling to Italy
Italian Consulate in Melbourne
509 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004
For Australians requiring consular assistance in Italy
Via Antonio Bosio 5, 00161 Rome
Tel.: +39 06 852 721
Opening hours: 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday except public holidays
Emergency consular assistance for Australians planning to travel, or already travelling, overseas
Emergency consular assistance is available 24 hours a day by calling the Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra:
1300 555 135 (within Australia)
+61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas)
If you’re overseas and it is outside working hours, you can call the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country you’re visiting and follow the phone prompts for connection to the Consular Emergency Centre.