A list of great reasons why Italy is the way to go - by Luca B
Reason 1
Thousands of students travel abroad each year to learn Italian language. They realize that the most effective way to learn Italian language is to learn in the country the language is spoken and may be used not only in the classroom, but all day and in the street, shops, restaurants...
Italy is a world leader in the culinary arts, interior design, fashion, graphic design, furniture design, etc. Those planning careers in such fields greatly benefit from knowing Italian and Italy.
Reason 3
Living in Italy can be a fantastic cultural experience. Although it can be said that Italian cannot be considered as a vehicular language, it is just as true that it cannot be relegated to a language of the past. Are you an art and culture enthusiast? Italy, the country with the highest concentration of art, history, culture, nature, good food and wine in the world, is one of the most popular vacation countries in Europe.
Wherever you choose to study Italian in Italy you will find something unique: beautiful natural scenery, history, customs, delicious food, colourful festivals and warm people.
Reason 4
The Italian welcome is warm everywhere, people are friendly and all seasons are good for a visit.
What you should know
Information about visas for entry into Italy
Citizens from countries from which a visa is necessary to enter Italy can enroll in and attend a course provided that they have a visa for TOURISM (for stays of up to 90 days) or for STUDY (indispensable for periods of over 90 days).
Before enrolling in one of our courses we would ask you to contact the Italian diplomatic representation or Consulate nearest your place of residence to obtain precise, up-to-date information.
In some countries it takes a long time to obtain a visa and for this reason it is advisable to contact the Consulates as soon as possible.
For countries, such as:
Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Savador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malesia Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Poland, Rumania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, there is no obligation to apply for an entry visa for purposes of tourism for periods of up to 90 days.
To check up on any changes in these lists, we advise visiting the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.esteri.it/eng/5_32_183.asp? and the site of the European Union: http://europa.eu.int/abc/travel/doc/index_en.htm
In any case, even if a visa is not required, to avoid problems with the Police, always make sure that your passport is stamped with the date of entry into Italy by the Italian Border Police.
The documents normally required by the consular authorities are:
1. Passport valid for at least 3 months (for some countries it must be valid for at least 6 months) longer than that of the visa applied for
2. Return air ticket (or return ticket for any other means of transport) or the flight booking
3. Proof of possession of sufficient financial means for self-support during the stay in Italy, according to the parameters specified above.
The applicant, by means of appropriate documentation (e.g. declaration of employment, cash, credit card, travellers cheques or other), will have to prove that he/she is in a socio-economic situation or work or family position that can guarantee his/her genuine interest in returning to his/her country of origin at the end of the period of validity of the visa.
4. Confirmation of hotel booking or any other suitable accommodation.
5. Health insurance with adequate cover and valid for all the countries of the Schengen area.
Anyone applying for a visa for purposes of study must also:
a) stipulate a medical insurance policy, valid in the event of urgent hospitalization without limits on expenses or duration with 1'"INA - Le assicurazioni d'Italia". This insurance is fairly cheap, on 03/10/2003 it costs euro 38.73 for 6 months or 77.46 euro for 12 months and covers risk of hospitalization in the event of injuries or illnesses that necessitate emergency hospitalization, but cannot be used for out-patient or domiciliary medical examinations. For this reason it is necessary to have also medical insurance from ones own country, valid in Italy, that covers these risks.
b) show documented proof of the course to be attended (certificate of enrolment in the course).
Those applying for a visa for purrposes of tourism must also:
Stipulate medical insurance cover, valid in the case of urgent hospitalization without any limit on expenses or duration, with INA -Le assicurazioni d'Italia". This insurance covers the risk of hospitalization in the event of traumas or illnesses that necessitate urgent hospitalization, but cannot be used for surgery or domiciliary examinations. For this reason it is also necessary to have medical insurance from the country of origin, valid in Italy, covering these risks.
Once the possession of the minimum requisites required by law has been verified and the necessary information obtained from the Consulate, the student can then enroll in the course by sending to the school the enrolment form and effecting a single payment of the entire cost of the course booked. Only at that point can the school, in order to make possible the initiation of the visa application procedure, issue the enrolment certificate, the letter of confirmation for the course with the address of the accommodation booked and the receipt for the amount paid.
It is not possible to issue a visa (nor the extension of a pre-existing visa) to a foreigner who is already on Italian territory. To make possible officially extensions of the period of stay, only extensions or renewals of the residence permit are valid.
In Italy the Police cannot extend or renew residence permits of the visa is type "C".
Further information about the issue of visas and residence permits can be found by visiting the following sites:
Mistero degli Affari Esteri
http://www.esteri.it/eng/2_11.asp
Addresses of all the Italian Diplomatic and Consular Representations in the world (in Italian). Information about visas in languages other than Italian can be found in the web sites of some Embassies.
Ministero dell'Interno - Polizia di Stato
http://www.poliziadistato.it/pds/cittadino/stranieri/stranier.htm
Information about entry into Italy and work permits (in Italian)
At the end it should be remembered that within eight days from the date of entry into Italy, all foreigners are required to apply for a residence permit to the Police (Questura) of the town in which they reside. The secretary of the School provides assistance with the application for the residence permit.
Teacher in ILM http://www.ilm.it/ an Italian Language school in Pisa and Viareggio, Tuscany
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luca_B
