Students: your stay, insurance, transport
This page offers international students useful information about living in Italy and in Venice in particular: how to obtain the documents necessary for your stay in Italy (tax code and Residence permit), how to get health insurance, how to find accommodation and how to get around Venice by public transport.
You should also take a look at the page about your Multiservice Card, your university ID that gives you access to libraries, allows you to make photocopies and to obtain a handy rechargeable prepaid card.
UK students after Brexit (1st January 2021)
In accordance with the provisions of the EU Regulation 2019/592, starting from 1 January 2021 (the end of the transition period) the United Kingdom will be added to Annex II of the EU regulation 2018/1806.
Starting from 1 January 2021, British citizens planning to stay in Italy for more than 90 days within 180 days, will be subject to National visas requirements.
If you are a British Citizen willing to study in Italy, please contact the nearest Italian Embassy/Consulate in your Country in order to get the full lists of documents needed in order to apply for the Visa for Study purposes. The Counselling and Welcome Unit will be at your disposal if we can help you to produce some of the required documents, please write an email to immigrationteam@unive.it.
If you are a UK student currently in Italy, you can download here the key actions for UK national students in Italy: check your residence, access to healthcare, your travel, your student support and tuition fees.
What is it?
The Italian Codice Fiscale, or Tax code, identifies citizens in their relations with public bodies and administrations. It consists of 16 alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers reproducing your personal data: surname, name, gender, place and date of birth).
Tax codes are issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Office). Citizens entitled to receive healthcare from the National Health Service will receive a Health Insurance card with their Tax Code.
How to request it
As of August 26th, 2013, you are able to request your Tax Code directly at the International Office - Welcome Unit, thanks to an agreement with the Agenzia delle Entrate, the revenue office issuing this document. If you want to receive the Tax Code Certificate through our office, we kindly ask you to write an email to immigrationteam@unive.it.
Otherwise, before your arrival, you can also request The Tax Code Certificate to the nearest Italian Diplomatic authority in your Country of residence (in this case, we kindly ask you to send a scanned copy of the Tax Code Certificate to immigrationteam@unive.it).
EU Citizens
If you are a EU citizen you can stay in Italy for up to 3 months provided you have an international recognised travel ID issued by your country of origin. After 3 months of entry to Italy, you will be required to register by taking the following documents to your local Anagrafe (Registry Office): self-certification of enrolment, health insurance and documents demonstrating that you have the financial means to support yourself.
Non-EU Citizens
If you are a non-EU citizen intending to stay in Italy for over 3 months, you need to request the Italian residence permit within 8 days from your arrival in Italy.
Ca' Foscari University Venice, in cooperation with the local Immigration Office (Questura), have established UNI-QUEST, a help desk to support the University's international community in applying for or renewing their residence permit.
The UNI-QUEST help desk is located at Ca' Foscari main building (Dorsoduro 3246 ground floor) and it is held on Tuesday morning from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Book an appointment.
The mandatory documents to bring to the appointment will be listed in the booking confirmation email.
At the appointment, the Welcome Unit staff, in collaboration with Immigration Office staff of the Immigration Office (Questura), will provide the kit for requesting and renewing the residence permit and will offer support in filling out the forms and verifying the required documentation.
Once complete, the kit must be sent to the Immigration Office via post. The Post Office will give you two receipts:
- a barcode receipt (accettazione assicurata) i.e. the residence permit application receipt which is legally valid in Italy;
- a sheet containing the date and time of the mandatory appointment at the Immigration Office (Questura) where you will submit the original copy of the documentation you put in the kit and where you will be taken the fingerprints.
You can check the status of your application [ITA].
When your residence permit card is ready, you will have to go to the Immigration Office again to collect it.
If you reported an Italian phone number in the application kit, you will receive a text message with the date and time for picking it up.
Downloads
For more information
International Office - Welcome Unit
Tel. +39 041 234 7575
immigrationteam@unive.it
Health insurance
EU students, SEE State students (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and students from Switzerland
All necessary healthcare for European and EU-equated students is covered by the Italian National Health Service: you need to have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued by your national health authorities.
If you do not have a EHIC card, you should contact the health service in your country prior to your departure.
This card ensures that you will have the same access to the public health care sector (e.g. access to a doctor, recovery in a hospital or a health care centre) as a citizen of the country you are visiting. In general you should be provided with adequate care that will allow you to continue with your stay. However, it is important to note that the card does not cover payments for private sector health care providers, for which it is necessary to ask the S2 route to your belonging country.
In case of transfer of your residency in Italy, you should ask your belonging country to issue the S1 route, which gives you the possibility to receive the same health care as the Italian residing citizen, through the compulsory inscription to the National Health Service. The inscription to the National Health Service has to be done in the Health District you belong to.
Contacts:
Students from countries with bilateral agreements
Students from countries with bilateral agreements benefit of the same health insurance from the National Health Service thanks to the specific health certificates released by the health Services Institutions of their belonging countries. Please find below a list of the states and their relative health certificates:
- Australia – Medicare Card (valid for 6 months after the start of your stay in Italy)
- Brazil - I/B 2 Certificate
- Croatia – 111 Certificate
- Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro – OBR7 Certificate
- Principality of Monaco – I/MC 8 Certificate
- Republic of San Marino – I/SMAR 8 Certificate
These certificates have to be delivered to the Health District before applying for health care. The Health District in turn will give you a specific certificate, that will be useful anytime you need health care. These forms do not cover the costs of private health care, but allow you to obtain urgent health services, especially during your stay in Italy, in the public health centers. If you need planned health care, it is necessary to have a specific Certificate released by your country. As an alternative to all the certificates cited above, it is possible to voluntary subscribe to the Regional Health Service following the procedures described below.
Non-European students
When applying for their residence permit, non-European students are required to provide evidence of health insurance coverage. The health insurance coverage can be obtained:
- With a private insurance contract. You can subscribe a private insurance contract valuable in Italy and abroad with the following requirements:
- It must be valid in Italy;
- It must cover all risks of illness;
- It must have a coverage for the entire period of your stay in Italy and have specific dates of release and expiration;
- It must include indication about the procedures needed to ask for a reimbursement;
- It must be legally translated in Italian language if the insurance policy has been issued by your belonging country.
- With a voluntary registration to the Regional Health Service. In this case the student should go to the Health District and provide:
- A copy of the residence permit or the receipt of the application form for obtaining the residence permit released by the qualified Post Offices (Post receipt);
- An Italian fiscal code;
- Receipt of the payment of €700,00 that must be executed using the so-called "Modello F24" form, indicating the following codes:
- Regional Code (Codice regionale): 21
- Duty Code (Codice tributo): 8846
- Reference (Causale): "Contributo per le prestazioni del servizio sanitario nazionale saldo"
- Year (Anno di riferimento): the year for which you registered for the National Health Insurance System (i.e. 2024).
The voluntary registration gives you the right of obtaining the same health care as an Italian citizen, it has a validity of a calendar year (1st January – 31st December), it is not apportionable and cannot be backdated.
Contacts:
Healtcare assistance in Venice
If you are not feeling well and need to see a doctor, you can refer to one of the General Practitioners of any Healthcare District in the area of the Azienda Sanitaria n°12 Veneziana (ULSS 12) or to the one that is assigned to you if you enrol voluntarily to the Regional Health Service.
In case of emergency, you can go to the First Aid section of Venice Hospital at “SS. Giovanni e Paolo” Hospital in Venice, Castello 6777 (public boat service: line no. 41 or 52, waterbus lines n. 41, 51, 52) or Ospedale dell'Angelo in Mestre (via Paccagnella n 11; bus H1, H2 from Mestre; bus 80H from Venice). Do not forget to bring with you:
- ID or passport;
- TEAM card or the form that the Health District has given to you (for students from countries with bilateral agreements) or, alternatively, a valid Health Insurance or your Health Card if you have already enrolled to the Regional Health System.
In case of emergency, dial the free number 118.
Pharmacies and medicines
Normally, pharmacies follow a commercial schedule, however there are a few 24-hour pharmacies open in case of emergency.
If you are undergoing a special treatment, remember to check the availability of your medicine and to bring your prescription with you to the pharmacy.
For a list of 24h pharmacies in Venice, please check the this webpage.
Administrative offices - ULSS 3 Venice
Distretto Sociosanitario (Health District) n° 1
Dorsoduro 1454 - Venice
T + 39 041 529 4920
Monday > Friday 8.30 AM > 11.30 AM
Distretto Sociosanitario (Health District) n° 2
Piazzale Ravà 1 Lido – Venice
T + 39 041 529 5126 / 5133
Monday, Tuesday, Friday 8.30 AM > 11.30 AM
Wednesday 2 PM > 4 PM
Distretto Sociosanitario (Health District) n° 3
Via Cappuccina 129, Venezia-Mestre
T + 39 041 260 8168 / 69
Monday, Tuesday, Friday 8.30 AM > 11.30 AM
Tuesday, Thursday 2.30 PM > 3.30 PM
Distretto Sociosanitario (Health District) n° 4
Via Triestina, Mestre/Favaro Veneto
T + 39 041 635 463
Monday > Friday 9 AM > 12 PM
Tuesday, Thursday 2.30 PM > 4.00 PM
Downloads
Below you will find a list of general expenses you should include in your budget together with the related average prices. While the following amounts are obviously approximate, you need to consider a monthly budget of 750€.
Estimated living costs
Accomodation
- Historic centre of Venice:
- Around €450 per month for a single room, excluding utilities
- Around €350 per month for a shared room, excluding utilities
- Mainland Venice:
- Around €350 per month for a single room, excluding utilities
- Around €250 per month for a shared room, excluding utilities
Other living costs
- Food: €50-80 per week
- Public transport: vaporetto/bus tickets cost €1.50 each
- 25€ per month (monthly student pass)
Finding somewhere to live in Venice
You can either carry out your own search for a room to rent in a student flatshare in Venice or use the services offered by the Housing Office or ESU Venezia.
Housing Office
The Housing Office is a service provided by Ca' Foscari university on behalf of students, researchers and university staff. It helps users to find affordable accommodation meeting their needs by providing them with contact information for halls of residence, private flats, hotels or accommodation provided by religious institutions approved by Ca’ Foscari.
When you enrol, you will be sent a Housing Office form by Ca' Foscari giving you access to the housing services.
For more information go to the Housing office page.
ESU Venezia
ESU is a regional body providing students with various services such as accommodation and catering services (university refectories). ESU offers students accommodation in halls of residence as well as providing them with information about privately rented accommodation. There are 6 halls of residence situated in Venice with a total capacity of 530 places. Places will be allocated from the 15 September 2013 to the end of June-July 2014.
In order to be eligible for a place in the ESU halls of residence you need to meet the requirements listed in the Allocation Policy, which can be downloaded in English or Italian from www.esuvenezia.it. You can make your application online.
For further information and to get in touch with ESU just go to www.esuvenezia.it or to the Student Information desk at:
San Tomà (entrance by the kiosk)
San Polo 2843, Campo S. Tomà, 30125 Venice
tel. +39 041 275 0926 - fax +39 041 721 401
Private accommodation
If you wish to find a room for rent in a student flatshare you can either ask the Housing Office or ESU Venezia for help, get in touch with the many flatshare ads displayed on noticeboards in the various university departments and libraries, or look for flatshare opportunities online. Make sure you contact the landlord in person, visit the room before signing any kind of tenancy agreement and check that the tenancy agreement conditions are valid.
The Municipality of Venice
The municipality of Venice is composed by its lagoon area (Venice historic city, Murano, Burano, Lido and Pellestrina) and mainland area (Mestre, Marghera, Favaro Veneto and Chirignago-Zelarino). Venice historic city is a well-known car-free area and is connected to the mainland by a 4 km bridge (Ponte della Libertà) which is the only vehicular access to the historical centre of Venice. Piazzale Roma, Venezia Santa Lucia railway station and Tronchetto island function as transport-interchange hubs between land transport and water transport (waterbuses or vaporetti).
Getting to Venice
From Venice Marco Polo Airport you can reach Venice lagoon areas by bus (ACTV No.5 or ATVO Venezia Express) and airport-waterbus (Alilaguna). You can reach Venice mainland areas by bus (ACTV No.5 or ATVO Venezia Express).
From Treviso Canova Airport you can reach Venice lagoon and mainland areas by bus (ATVO Bus Express).
From other airports or other areas you can reach Venice by train (Venezia Santa Lucia and Venezia-Mestre railway stations).
Getting around Venice
Venice historical city is a very safe city that you can walk around at any time of day or night. It is connected to its mainland by public transport lines (bus, trams and trains).
The Venetian urban transport system is run by ACTV, which operates buses, trams, waterbuses and the people-mover shuttle train located within the municipality of Venice and beyond.
In order to use public transport, whether in the lagoon or on the mainland, we recommend getting a Venezia Unica card. Venezia Unica is a city-pass which allows you to access with one simple card to public transport and many other useful services in the municipality of Venice. It gives the possibility to buy transport monthly tickets with a student discount and, if activated for waterborne services, gives the possibility to buy water transport tickets and monthly tickets at a lower cost. For more information about ticket typologies and costs visit the ACTV website.
The Venezia Unica card can be requested at most important ACTV offices, including the office at Piazzale Roma and is valid for 5 years. To apply for the card you’ll need the following:
- Application form (available at the desk)
- A passport-sized photograph (3 x 3.5 cm)
- Passport
- Tax Code
- (in order to obtain the student discount) Carta Conto or Certificate of Enrolment at Ca' Foscari
Once you have got your Venezia Unica card, you can load it with single tickets, 10-ticket carnets or monthly tickets online, at ACTV offices or at authorised sellers (tobacconists or newspaper kiosks).
Upon the activation of waterborne services, the ACTV single or monthly ticket is valid in case of change of travel means (i.e. from bus/tram to waterbus or the opposite). The ticket validation process is mandatory and must be repeated at each change of travel means.
The Venezia Unica tickets and monthly tickets do not include routes outside the municipality of Venice (which require supplementary fees), the railway service between Venice, Marghera and Mestre (which is managed by the companies Trenitalia and Italo), nor the water transport service to and from the Venice Marco Polo Airport (managed by Alilaguna) and Aerobus service (ACTV Aerobus).
Last update: 06/11/2024