Loyola University Chicago

• Inoculation Certificate
• International Student Identification Card
• Non-U.S. Citizens
• Permission to Reside in Rome
• United States Passport
• Visa

• Clerks of court
• Larger post offices
• Travel agencies

You can also call the National Passport Information Center at 1.900.225.5674 or may also download the form from the Internet at www.travel.state.gov. In order to secure a passport, you must present these items with your completed application form:

• Proof of U.S. citizenship (certified copy of a birth certificate or naturalization certificate)
• Proof of identity (driver's license or state-issued I.D.)
• Two photos 2"x2" frontal view taken within six months (b&w or color)
• Social Security Number
• $55.00 passport fee + $30.00 execution fee + $12.00 security surcharge = $97.00.

If you are over the age of 18, your passport will be valid for 10 years. You may fill out the application form at home but you should sign and date it only in the presence of the clerk to whom you are giving your application form and documents.

Passport agencies will only process applications for travelers with itineraries showing a departure date within 14 days or travelers who need to obtain a passport in order afterwards to secure foreign visas to travel. All agencies take applications only by appointment. The automated appointment number for all agencies is 877.487.2778. Passport agencies are located in:

• Boston (10 Causeway Street)
• Chicago (230 South Dearborn Street)
• Colorado (3151 South Vaughn Way, Aurora)
• Connecticut (50 Washington Street, Norwalk)
• Honolulu  (300 Ala Moana Boulevard)
• Houston (1919 Smith Street)
• Los Angeles  (11000 Wilshire Boulevard)
• Miami (51 SW 1st Avenue)
• New Orleans  (365 Canal Street)
• New York (376 Hudson Street)
• Philadelphia  (200 Chestnut Street)
• San Francisco  (95 Hawthorne Street)
• Seattle (915 2nd Avenue)
• Washington, DC  (1111 19th Street, NW)

If you already hold a passport, be sure that it remains valid for at least 90 days past the end of the academic term in which you will be in attendance at the Rome Center.

All U.S. nationals who will reside in Italy must have a visa from an Italian Consulate in the U.S. Failure to secure a study visa prior to your departure for Italy will mean dismissal from the program.

In most instances, students should apply through the Rome Center's Chicago Office for the study visa; when this is not allowable, students must apply individally in person. Students applying individually should follow the regulations of the consulate having jurisdiction over their home state verbatim.

Note Well: Students who hold dual citizenship between the United States and a member country of the European Union do not need to acquire the student visa.

Visas to other countries which require them may be obtained in Rome or in the United States, although it may be easier to obtain these before departure.

Study Visa Procedure
Two copies of a formal letter of admission (lettera d'iscrizione), with the university seal affixed, are required for the Consolato Generale d'Italia. This letter will be prepared for each student only after he or she has e-mailed a complete round-trip itinerary to the Rome Center's Chicago office.

There are ten (10) Italian consulates in the USA; each has clearly defined jurisdiction. A student will usually have one or two options, as he or she is eligible to submit  documents (either in person or through the Rome Center office) to the consulate having jurisdiction over his/her state of permanent residence or the state in which the student's home institution is located.

The following documents are those needed by only those students eligible to apply through the Italian consulate in Chicago:

• Valid passport (actual document ... not a photocopy)
• Completed (except for signature) Schengen visa application form with 2x2 passport photo affixed (frontal view only, no glasses). If you will not be signing your application form in person in front of the Rome Center representative, you may sign your application form before submitting it but you must have your signature notarized by a vice-consular official in Chicago's jurisdiction or your application will be invalid
• Complete round-trip flight itinerary
• Photocopy of driver's license or state ID
• Photocopy of student ID.

If you are not eligible to apply through the Chicago consulate, you will be notified in your information packet to which consulate(s) you may submit your documents. In most instances, additional documentation to the items mentioned above will usually be needed. Each of the ten Italian consulates maintains a website to which you should refer for precise instructions.

All students must coordinate preparation of their documentation for the study visa with the Rome Center's Chicago Office. Whenever possible, the Rome Center Office will submit a student's visa application to the appropriate consulate on his or her behalf. Consulates which require that a student appear in person (Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, or Philadelphia) usually require supplemental documentation so it is imperative that visa applicants communicate early and frequently with the Rome Center Office to be sure that they are not lacking any credentials before they go in person to their respective consulate. Many consulates also have satellite offices at which students may present themselves; these locations are listed on the consulate's website.

Any non-U.S. citizens participating in the Rome Center program are advised to obtain all the necessary information concerning visa requirements of countries they plan to visit in addition to Italy. Often the procedures are easier, faster and more economical if completed in the United States. Updated information is usually available at their consular offices.

A student who is not a U.S.A., Canadian, or E.U. citizen and who does not carry a U.S.A., Canadian, or E.U. passport should keep in mind that, even though planning to travel with an officially- sponsored Loyola group, he or she may encounter obstacles -- may in fact be denied permission to travel -- from officials for other countries if the student has not obtained all the necessary visas for his or her particular citizenship status.

Under Italian law, all foreigners must obtain permission to live in Rome (the permesso di soggiorno) within eight days of arrival. The John Felice Rome Center staff will assist students in the application process upon their arrival at the Rome Center. Students must show the study visa stamp inside their passport to apply for the residency permit.  The required fees cover a tax stamp (€14,62), electronic notification (€27,50), and a postal handling charge (€30,00). 

Students should bring four (4) passport size photographs of themselves (not wearing glasses) for this purpose. Proof of international medical insurance and purchase of the Italian state hospitalization insurance (I.N.A. Assitalia), the latter obtained through the Rome Center after arrival, are also needed for this procedure, as is an official letter of admission (lettera d'iscrizione)imprinted with the University seal and notarized by the Italian Consulate.

Two copies of this official letter are provided to each student. The Italian Consulate will notarize one of the letters and return it with the student's passport and visa stamp. Students must bring this notarized letter with them to Rome to submit when applying for the permesso di soggiorno. Failure to bring this notarized letter may result in dismissal from the program.

There are no vaccinations required for travelers to Western Europe. However, certain vaccinations may be required for persons traveling to Eastern Europe, Africa, and Middle Eastern countries. It is wise to check the regulations of countries in which students intend to travel. It is suggested that students consult with their physicians regarding routine inoculations when having the Medical History Report completed.

Students must have international student health insurance and must provide evidence of emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage. Students are free to choose whatever provider best meets their needs; ISIC is but an option.

The International Student Identification Card (ISIC) is honored in many cities throughout Europe for discounts on lodging, entertainment, eating at student restaurants and for entry into publicly owned museums, art galleries, archaeological sites. It also carries emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance.

To find out more, go to: http://www.statravel.com.

The card is also available through international student organizations. Proof of full-time student status, name, address, date of birth, a photograph of passport size, and $25.00 are required for the application.

The International Student Travel Confederation provides online listings of discounts available to students.