Incoming International Students Guidelines

 

These guidelines are addressed to EU and non-EU students who intend to carry out a mobility period within International Agreements or Memorandum of Understanding stipulated among the University of Catania and their Institutions. Such mobility, free of inscription fees, can take place from 10th October and 31st July every academic year (in August and September there is no provision of didactic activities). In order to organize their stay, the University of Catania held two obligatory orientation activities (Welcome Days) in the first week of October and March each year, considered as integrated part of the mobility period.
In case of a single student application, it is necessary to refer to home International Relations Office to get their authorization and to formally transmit the application form to the International Relations Office of the University of Catania (IRO). In case of a group of students application, the sending International Relations Office will send to IRO Catania an annual mobility programme indicating students number, personal data, mobility periods (I/II semester or academic year) and their study plans (indicating pertinent area). Such didactic information will be formalized, in case of acceptance, in learning agreements.
The following guidelines cannot be applied to international mobility Ph.D. students who must follow the application procedures indicated by Ph.D. Office (Didactic Area).

 

 


Application procedures

Application procedures start from the online application form (obligatory) that students must fill in within the deadlines. It is available on the website. Students data will be automatically transferred to the Erasmus incoming students database of the University of Catania. Only after the reception of these data, and after checking their coherence with the agreements stipulated, IRO will send students, by e-mail, acceptance letters, indicating the assigned Study Course and didactic tutor.

The University of Catania will not register students who haven’t filled in the online application form and obtained the acceptance letter.

A basic Italian language knowledge is required (an A2 level of Italian language as for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as, even if some courses are held in English language (generally postgraduates courses within international educational offer), the majority are in Italian.

 

 

Arrival procedures

Registration procedures will start at Welcome Days. Students must come with acceptance letter, learning agreements and one passport-size photo.

They will be provided with a university card they have to keep during all their mobility in Catania, show at exams and give back to IRO before their departure. Welcome Days date will be indicated as arrival date on attendance certificate. The University of Catania organizes two Welcome Days, one for each semester, whose dates are indicated on the website.

Welcome days attendance is obligatory.

Welcome days will be also attended by our International Didactic Units (IDU) who will meet incoming students to provide:

  1. necessary information on mobility didactic aspects;

  2. help in changing their learning agreements.


The University of Catania will not accept students arriving after Welcome Days, with the exception for those who, for very relevant reasons (documented by their International Relations Offices) cannot take part and therefore receive formal authorization by IRO.

 


 
Mobility instructions

The University of Catania considers constant attendance to classes of fundamental importance, especially for those who will have to face final exams in a second language. Consequently, mobility at the University of Catania will have to be full-time and uninterrupted.

Host University holidays cannot be considered as mobility period interruption.

A minimum 60% rate of classes attendance is required, in order to be admitted to exams. Upon their arrival students will be provided with specific information on classes attendance registrations and exams.

 

 

Departure procedures

At the end of their mobility, students must visit IDU with the following documents in original:

  • student card;

  • learning agreement;

  • evaluation certificates (proving passed and not passed exams)

  • lessons attendance

  • Italian Language Course certificate


IDU, once checked all documents, will issue a Transcript of Records and will send it to IRO by e-mail. No document will be given to students. After, they must visit IRO with the same documents presented to IDU in original.

IRO will issue an attendance certificate that, together with the Transcript of Records will be sent to partner Universities. In order to obtain these certificates, students must come personally during receiving hours as they are not allowed to delegate other people. On planning their departure trip, students must take into consideration IRO public opening days and hours.

 

 

Forms:

Learning Agreement

Only after receiving the acceptance letter, students can fill in their Learning Agreements, indicating the courses they want to attend and related ECTS credits and send them to IDU who will proceed with their approval. The maximum ECTS credits for the entire academic year is 60, for one semester is 30 and for a term is 15. the minimum ECTS credits to be accepted in Catania is 9. A learning agreement must include at least 70% of courses given within the destination Department and maximum 30% of courses given in other Departments, if previously agreed among Departments.

The University of Catania will not accept students who haven’t regularly transmitted their Learning agreement before their arrival. For information on courses to choose it will be necessary to get in contact with their didactic tutor and IDU.

Students will have two months time, starting from registration date, to change their Learning Agreements. Students accepted for one semester can make only one change. Students accepted for the entire academic year, instead, can change their Learning Agreement twice, one for each semester, and the second change must be done within March.

(Download)
 

Classes attendance registration

It is necessary to register students attendance to all classes indicated in their Learning Agreement. Professors will regularly register the date and classes hours attended. At exam sessions, Professors will check if the minimum 60% of classes attendance has been provided and, if so, will allow the student to take the exam. If not, the student will not be allowed to take the exam.
 


Evaluation Certificate

All students admitted to courses must use the Evaluation Certificate for their exams. Each time they take an exam they have to give this document to the professor who will fill it in entirely (it must be filled in even if the exam has been failed). At the end of the exam students must get the original document, keep it and give it to IDU, at the end of their mobility, for Transcript of Records issuing.

(Download)
 


Mobility extension request

In order to obtain mobility extension it is necessary to:

  • ask home institution for authorization;

  • ask home institution to transmit their authorization to IDU, who will proceed with its acceptance and communication to IRO.

Students can extend their mobility period, only if their request has been accepted.

(Download)

 


Attendance Certificate

IRO will issue this certificate at student departure (as indicated in “Departure procedures” section) and will send it directly to partner universities, together with the Transcript of Records.

The dates indicated on the document will be:

  • arrival – welcome day date indicated on student card;

  • departure – the day of the student personal last appearance at IRO.

The University of Catania will issue these certificates only on its governing bodies approved format and will not indicate dates which are different from those above indicated.

 

 

Italian Language Course
Students accepted may benefit from remaining places in Italian Language courses for Erasmus students, the University of Catania may organize within its didactic programmes, and they have to be authorized by IRO.
Those courses will be free of charge for Erasmus students and could be activated both in the first and second semester. Each student will be allowed only to one course. Information regarding these courses will be provided at Welcome Days.

 

 

VISA, insurance and medical assistance

In order to obtain VISA, upon student request, IRO will issue an acceptance letter indicating:

  • type of mobility

  • if it is covered by scholarship

  • accommodation

Once in Italy students must follow Italian procedures to obtain their stay permission.

The University of Catania will take out and insurance policy limited to participation at didactic/formative activities, excluding sport activities, for all incoming students.

EU students can benefit from medical assistance only if they have the European Sanitary Card, non-EU students need to have their own medical insurance.

 


 
Italian “Codice Fiscale”
Student accepted must get the Italian Codice Fiscale. In order to obtain it, they need to go to Agenzia delle Entrate with their passport/identity card and residence permit (if non-EU citizens).

For updated information on Residence permit and Fiscal code, non-Eu students can click here.

 

 


Accommodation
The University of Catania verifies, every year, available accommodation and catering services. For updated and detailed information, please click here.