Italy’s New visa policy affects Due Santi
In big news for the University of Dallas, a new Italian law, effective as of January 2025, requires all students to apply in person at an Italian consulate in the U.S. to obtain a class D student visa. This means students planning to go to Rome in the upcoming fall semester cannot have their visa obtained in bulk as in previous semesters. This change will also affect the length of time UD students are able to spend in Italy, taking the program from its original 109-day semester down to 89 days.
Furthermore, this legal change means that students will not be legally allowed to travel in the Schengen zone–29 European countries–before or after their Rome program.
Dr. Andrew Moran, associate professor of English and head of the Rome Summer Program, said, “I expect that students, while they only have 89 days in the Schengen zone, will still have a full experience in Europe, by visiting non-Schengen countries before and after the semester.”
These non-Schengen countries include Ireland and the UK, which many UD students in past semesters have greatly enjoyed visiting.
Students traveling should be aware that going beyond their 90-day travel limit in the Schengen zone would be considered traveling illegally. The ramifications would include being stopped at borders and airports, being subject to fines and deportation and being banned from entering Schengen countries for a number of years.
Because of this shortening of their in-person semester, there will be two weeks of asynchronous classes for the Fall Romers.
In a letter to prospective Romers and their parents, Dr. Ron Rombs, dean and director of the Rome campus, said, “We have adapted our calendar and program to ensure that it continues to offer the academic, spiritual and personal opportunities for growth that have made it a hallmark of the UD undergraduate education.”
Despite the shortened schedule, many students remain optimistic about the program.
Thomas Darnell, freshman economics major and future Fall Romer, said, “It is very disappointing having a limited amount of time, but I think everyone’s in the same mindset of just making the most out of it and realizing that we’ll have more time working over the summer. Hopefully we’ll make the time we have more enjoyable because the finances will be less tight.”
UD is keeping the traditional 10-day portion of the program, and the Greece trip will remain 10 days as well. It is unclear at this time how class on potential weekends will be affected, as well as the exact amount of travel weekends included over the course of the semester.
To put this issue in context, other college study-abroad programs have always been limited in their travel time.
Moran said, “Many American programs, if not most, already have an 89-day semester, and UD distinguished itself, and will again distinguish itself, I believe, by the full semester.”
In the future, it may be possible for students to get visas on an individual level. There is also a possibility that the Italian government might pass an amendment allowing university students to have a quicker application time.
Some members of the UD community remain hopeful that things will work out for the better.
Darnell said, “We’ll still be able to have a great time there, and it’ll still be a great moment. It’ll still be a key memory of this school for me.”
Moran said, “Sometimes limitations force people to rethink things and maybe even make them better, and so the professors in Rome will be putting much thought into how to make their classes as excellent as possible.”
Only time will tell how this change will shape the Rome program.