International Students

These guidelines are addressed to EU and non-EU students who intend to carry out a mobility period (from 2 months to 10 months) within International Agreements or Memorandum of Understanding established between the University of Catania and their Institutions. Such mobility, free of inscription fees, can take place from 1^st October to 31^st July every academic year (in August and September there is no provision of didactic activities), and cannot be extended. In order to organize their stay, the University of Catania held two orientation activities (Welcome Days) in the first week of October and March each year, considered as integrated part of the mobility period.

In the event of a single student application, it is necessary to refer to home International Relations Office to get their nomination to be uploaded to the application form online. In case of a group of students application, the sending International Relations Office will send to International Moblity Office (IMO) of the University of 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 in the specific section.

• Application procedures
• Arrival procedures
• Mobility instructions
• Departure procedures
• Forms
• VISA, Insurance and medical assistance
• Italian “Codice Fiscale”
• Accommodation

Application procedures

Application procedures start from the online application form (obligatory) that students must fill in and upload their nomination letter. Students data will be automatically transferred to the database of the University of Catania. Only after the reception of these data, and after checking their consistency with the agreements stipulated, IMO will send students, by e-mail, acceptance letters.
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) since most of the courses are held in Italian, although some of them are in English (generally postgraduates courses within international educational offer).

Arrival procedures

Registration procedures will be made at IMO office. Students must come with acceptance letter, learning agreement and two 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 IMO 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.

Mobility instructions

The University of Catania considers constant attendance to classes of fundamental importance. 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 by International Didactic Units (IDU).

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;

The IDU, once checked all documents, will issue a Transcript of Records and will send it to IMO by e-mail. No document will be given to students. Then, they must visit IMO to get the Attendance certificate. 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 IMO 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 IMO.

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

VISA, insurance and medical assistance

In order to obtain VISA, upon student request, IMO 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.