If you are a non-EU citizen planning to stay in Italy for more than 90 days to study Italian, you need a study visa. Our long-term courses are designed around that process: documentation in the format the Italian consulates expect, attendance reporting when required, residence permit support after arrival, and a curriculum that takes a real beginner to a documented B1/B2 within a year.
Long-term is not a separate course content — it is Standard or Light run for 3, 6, 9, or 12 months with the documentation framework built in. You can extend or convert later if your situation changes.
Programme lengths
3 months
The minimum duration that triggers a study-visa requirement. Realistic level progression: one to two CEFR levels depending on starting point and intensity (Standard vs Light).
6 months
A semester. Realistic progression from absolute beginner to B1, or from B1 to B2 with CILS exam preparation. Popular with students preparing for university enrolment the following year.
9 months
An academic year (Sep–Jun or Oct–Jul). Brings most students from beginner to B2/C1 with CILS certification. Often the preferred length for gap-year students and pre-university candidates.
12 months
A full year. Beginners reach C1 reliably. Ideal for residence permit renewals built around a documented full-year study commitment.
The documentation framework
The reason students choose us for long-term is not the lessons (you can get Italian lessons in 200 schools). It is that the documentation actually works at the consulate and the prefecture. Concretely:
Pre-departure
Enrolment certificate in consulate-accepted format, programme syllabus, weekly hours breakdown, accommodation declaration where required, fee receipt. Issued on consulate-grade letterhead in the layout your specific consulate expects.
Post-arrival
Support for residence permit application (Permesso di Soggiorno), codice fiscale, opening a bank account if needed, registration with local authorities. We do this every week — not as an exception.
Ongoing
Attendance tracking issued in formats consulates and prefectures accept for renewals and for verification requests. Reports issued on request, not on demand.
At the end
Final certificate with documented level achieved (CEFR), total hours attended, and accreditation references. Suitable for university enrolment, professional registration, or citizenship applications.
Standard or Light, inside a long-term?
Standard long-term (20 in-class lessons/week, 12+ weeks) is the cleanest visa narrative and the fastest progression. Most long-term students choose Standard. Light long-term is right if you are also working, raising a family, or renewing a residence permit and need a documented commitment without the full classroom load. Both are study-visa eligible.
Where to take a long-term programme
Milan
Working city; long-term Light particularly suited to professionals already in Italy.
Florence
On-campus residence available; long-term Standard for pre-university students particularly strong here.
Mantua
Low cost of living, low distraction; particularly suited to 6 to 12-month immersion programmes.
Turin
Real working city with a more mature student profile; suited to long-term students aiming at Italian university enrolment.
Connected pages
Student visa for Italy — the visa application process step by step.
Visa & residence permit support — the on-the-ground services we provide before and after arrival.
Residence permit renewal course — the dedicated pathway for students already in Italy whose permit comes up for renewal.
Talk to us about your long-term plan
Tell us your nationality (for the right consulate guidance), your dates, your current level, your goal at the end (CILS? university enrolment? citizenship application? residence permit renewal?). We respond with a concrete long-term plan — programme length, format, city, documentation pathway.