Italy runs on paperwork and a 16-character tax code: the codice fiscale opens SIM cards, transport passes and rental contracts, and the residence permit must be requested at a post office within eight working days of arrival. Cards work almost everywhere in the cities, but small cafés, markets and the tabaccheria still like cash, and many offices close at lunchtime and on Sundays.
Money
Euro (€)
Language
Italian
Time
UTC+1, UTC+2 from the last Sunday of March
Plugs
Type C, F and L; 230 V
Tipping
Not expected; a coperto (cover charge) is often on the bill
112 works everywhere, and operators bring in an interpreter when needed. 113, 118 and 115 still work; where the 112 centre is active they are routed through it.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Contactless cards work in shops, transport and most restaurants, but keep some cash for cafés, markets and the tabaccheria; an Italian IBAN needs a codice fiscale.
Sa
Satispay
Phone payments in shops and splitting bills with friends
Optional
Why you need it: Italian students settle up for dinners and shared groceries in Satispay, and many cafés and university canteens take it at the till.
Open a euro account first (Revolut or Postepay Evolution)
Download Satispay and verify with your passport
Link the IBAN and set a weekly budget
Before you rely on itIt only works with a bank account in your name in the SEPA area, so an Azerbaijani card cannot be linked. A prepaid card with an IBAN works only if it accepts SEPA direct debits.
Prepaid card with an Italian IBAN, opened at the post office
Optional
Why you need it: A cheap way to get an Italian IBAN for rent, deposits and Satispay without a full bank account, from the same post office you visit for the permit.
Paid · €5 to issue and €19 a year; first top-up of at least €24 online or €27 at a post office (2026)Varies by residence status
Book a slot at a post office in the Poste Italiane app
Bring your passport, codice fiscale and permit receipt
Ask for Postepay Evolution and set up the app to see the IBAN
Before you rely on itPost office staff can ask for the permesso receipt and proof of address from non-EU customers; requirements are not spelled out online, so bring everything.
Source: poste.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
Re
Revolut
App bank account with a euro IBAN and a card
Optional
Why you need it: Once you live in Italy it can give you a euro IBAN and a card in a day, which landlords, Satispay and transport passes accept.
Free, paid extrasVaries by nationalityVaries by residence status
Wait until you have an Italian address and your visa or permit receipt
Sign up in the app with your passport and a selfie
Upload proof of your right to reside if asked
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: Revolut does not open accounts for residents of Azerbaijan, so sign up only once you live in Italy, and expect to be asked for your visa or permit receipt. Approval is not guaranteed; bring a Visa or Mastercard from home as well.
Source: revolut.com · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Essential apps4
Italy’s everyday apps are practical rather than all-in-one: one for the post office queue, one for transport, one for taxis.
PI
Poste Italiane
Book a post office queue slot and track parcels
On arrival
Why you need it: You will visit the post office for the permit kit and payments; booking a ticket in the app spares you an hour-long queue.
Join the free CartaFRECCIA and X-GO programmes for youth fares
Buy regional tickets in the app and check in before boarding
Before you rely on itA regional ticket with no fixed train must be validated before you board: stamp a paper one in the machine on the platform, or check in on the app. Inspectors fine on the spot.
Source: trenitalia.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
It
Italo
Private high-speed trains between major cities
Optional
Why you need it: It competes with Trenitalia on the Milan–Bologna–Rome and Venice–Verona lines, so compare both before booking a trip.
Pay by contactless card on board for your first rides
Log in to Studenti Online with your UniBo credentials and buy the student pass
Use the QR code emailed to you until the card arrives
Before you rely on itIn 2026/27 the UniBo pass is on sale only until 15 December 2026 while funds last, before spring arrivals land. Ask the international office whether a later window opens; otherwise the under-27 monthly pass is €30 (2026).
Source: unibo.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
AA
ACTV and Venezia Unica
Venice waterbuses (vaporetti), buses and trams
On arrival
Why you need it: Students under 26 at a Venice university get the Venezia Unica card for €20, which cuts a waterbus ride to the local fare.
Paid · Card €20; with it, €1.50 for 75 minutes and a €25 student monthly pass (2026)Varies by city
Take your passport and Ca’ Foscari enrolment proof to a Venezia Unica point
Get the Venezia Unica card with the student rate
Load the student monthly or annual pass
Before you rely on itWithout the card you pay the much higher standard fare. The student card is for students up to 26 at institutions in Venice, Erasmus and exchange students included; the student monthly pass is for ages up to 25, and older students pay the ordinary €37.
Source: actv.avmspa.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
LC
Libera Circolazione (Trentino Trasporti)
All buses and local trains in Trentino for UniTrento students
On arrival
Why you need it: Incoming exchange students at Trento qualify for the flat annual pass, which also covers trains into the valleys and the ski towns.
Paid · €70 a year for UniTrento students, plus €4 for the smart card (2026/27)Varies by cityVaries by university
Enrol at UniTrento first: incoming exchange students are eligible
Apply online through the Provincia service, or at a Trentino Trasporti ticket office when the online service is down
Pay the €70 and collect the €4 smart card
Before you rely on itThe pass runs from 1 September to 31 August whatever your arrival date, so it costs the same for one semester. The card takes up to 30 days, usually about a week; buy tickets in the meantime.
Source: provincia.tn.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
AV
ATV Verona
Verona city and provincial buses
Optional
Why you need it: Buses link Porta Nuova station, the centre and the university’s sites; a monthly student pass beats single tickets for daily trips.
Paid · Student monthly urban pass €25 (2026)Varies by city
Before you rely on itDiscounted student passes are sold only at ATV ticket offices (Porta Nuova bus station, Piazza Simoni), not at resellers, and ATV’s page does not say whether university exchange students qualify; ask at the office. ESU Verona partly refunds passes through a yearly call; check whether exchange students qualify.
Source: atv.verona.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
SIM, eSIM & internet2
SIMs are cheap and contract-free, but expect to show your passport and a codice fiscale to activate one, and roaming is for trips only.
Il
iliadEssential
Cheap monthly SIM with large data and EU roaming
On arrival
Why you need it: You need an Italian number for the Questura, landlords and delivery apps, and iliad’s no-contract plans suit a five-month stay.
Paid · From €7.99 a month for 150 GB plus 12 GB in the EU; SIM €9.99 (2026)
Bring your passport and codice fiscale to an iliad store, or register online
Choose a plan and pay the SIM fee
Set up automatic monthly payment by card or IBAN
Cancel online before you leave Italy
Before you rely on itRoaming is fair-use: Italian use must stay predominant, so the EU data is for trips, not for living abroad. Going over 150 GB costs extra only if you agree to it. Expect to be asked for a codice fiscale at activation along with your passport.
Source: iliad.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ed
eduroam
Campus wi-fi at Italian universities
Before departure
Why you need it: Italian universities generally offer eduroam, so lectures and libraries are online without burning mobile data.
Ask ADA IT whether your account works on eduroam abroad
Install the eduroam CAT profile for your institution before leaving
Otherwise log in with the host university credentials once enrolled
Before you rely on itVisitors from another eduroam member connect with their home login; whether that includes ADA was not confirmed, so ask ADA IT. The host university account works once it is issued.
Source: garr.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
Visa, registration & legal5
Visa in Baku, permit request at the post office within eight working days of arrival, then fingerprints at the Questura.
TD
Type D study visaEssential
Entry visa for a study stay of more than 90 days
Before departure
Why you need it: A spring semester runs longer than 90 days, so you need a national (type D) study visa, applied for in Baku before you fly.
Paid · Visa fee €50 (2026), plus the VFS Global service chargeVaries by nationality
Wait for your Universitaly pre-enrolment to be validated by the host university
Book an appointment at the VFS Global centre in Baku, which takes applications for the Italian Embassy
Bring the embassy’s national study visa checklist, complete
Apply well ahead of departure: your passport stays with them until the decision
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: the Baku checklist asks for proof of means (€10,179.85 a year for 2026/27; ask how much they expect for one semester), health insurance of at least €30,000, accommodation or a hotel booking for the first days, proof of the language of your courses, and a passport issued within 10 years and valid 90 days beyond your return. Documents not in Italian or English are not considered. Residents of Azerbaijan who are not citizens also need a copy of their Azerbaijani residence permit.
Source: ambbaku.esteri.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
UP
Universitaly pre-enrolmentEssential
The online pre-enrolment every study visa starts from
Before departure
Why you need it: The embassy will not issue a study visa until your host university has validated your pre-enrolment here, so it is the first thing to do once you are nominated.
Choose the mobility option (a period of study, e.g. Erasmus or exchange), not a full degree
Upload your passport, photo and the host’s acceptance or learning agreement
Wait for the host university to validate it, then book the visa appointment
Before you rely on itValidation can take weeks, and the host decides what it needs to see first; ask its international office. Only students who need a visa do this; it is not enrolment at the host university itself.
Source: ambbaku.esteri.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
PD
Permesso di soggiorno (residence permit)Essential
Residence permit for study, requested within 8 working days
On arrival
Why you need it: The visa only gets you in: a stay over 90 days needs a permit, and the request must reach a post office within eight working days of arrival.
Paid · About €116 in total for a permit of up to a year (2026): €70.46 payment slip, €30 postal fee, €16 revenue stampVaries by university
Pick up the yellow-striped kit at a post office with a Sportello Amico counter
Fill in Modulo 1, buy a €16 marca da bollo at a tabaccheria, attach copies of passport, visa, insurance and means
Post it unsealed at the Sportello Amico and keep the receipt and the Questura appointment letter
Go to the Questura on the appointment date with four identical passport photos (white background) for fingerprints
Before you rely on itThe post office receipt (ricevuta) is your proof of legal stay until the card is ready, often three months or more; keep the original. Most host universities run a free help desk that checks the kit before you post it.
Source: unibo.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
CF
Codice fiscale (tax code)Essential
The 16-character ID asked for by SIMs, banks and landlords
Before departure
Why you need it: Without it you cannot get a SIM, a transport pass or a rental contract, so ask for it in Baku before you leave rather than queue for it in Italy.
Download the codice fiscale request form from the Italian Embassy in Baku page
Email it to baku.consolare@esteri.it with a copy of your passport and a line on why you need it (study exchange)
Keep the certificate they send back, printed and as a PDF on your phone
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan and other residents of Azerbaijan: the Baku embassy issues it by email. Missed it? An Agenzia delle Entrate office in Italy assigns one with form AA4/8, and the Questura also assigns one with your permit, but that comes too late for week one.
Source: ambbaku.esteri.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insurance or SSN registrationEssential
Health cover the visa and the permit both require
Before departure
Why you need it: You show a policy for the visa and again in the permit kit; for one semester a private policy usually beats the €700 calendar-year SSN fee.
Paid · Voluntary SSN registration: €700 per calendar year for students (2026)Varies by nationalityVaries by residence status
Buy a policy covering at least €30,000, valid in Italy for the whole stay, before the visa appointment
Make sure it covers hospital, emergency care and repatriation
Put a copy in the permit kit and carry the policy number
Before you rely on itVoluntary SSN registration runs 1 January to 31 December and cannot be paid pro rata, so it gives you a family doctor but costs the full year. A Questura can ask for the policy in Italian or English, stating that it is valid in Italy.
Source: unibo.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life6
Rooms are scarce and expensive in Milan, Bologna, Rome and Venice; start with the university or regional student-housing body before private listings.
CF
Ca’ Foscari Housing Office
Residence rooms and checked private flats in Venice
Before departure
Why you need it: Venice has few flats and many tourists; the university residence at Santa Marta keeps beds for exchange students.
Paid · Santa Marta: €450–564 a month at social-housing rates, bills included (2026/27)Varies by cityVaries by university
Apply for a residence place as soon as you are nominated
If none is left, ask the Housing Office to search and check a lease for you
Before you rely on itThe office’s private search service charges a fee if it finds you a place. Many students also look in Mestre on the mainland, where rents are lower but the commute is by bus or train.
Source: unive.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
PD
Politecnico di Milano residences
University residences and partner housing in Milan
Before departure
Why you need it: Milan is among the most expensive rental markets in Italy, and exchange students can book Polimi residences at full rate.
Before you rely on itRates and deadlines are only on the residences portal and change each term; partner residences (Camplus and others) cost more but have more space.
Source: polimi.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
EG
ER.GO
Emilia-Romagna student services: rooms and canteens in Bologna
Before departure
Why you need it: Bologna has a chronic student-room shortage; ER.GO’s room exchange and canteens are worth checking before you sign a private lease.
Cost variesVaries by cityVaries by residence status
Before you rely on itMost ER.GO rooms go to degree students through yearly calls; ask UniBo’s international office which options exist for a one-semester exchange.
Source: er-go.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
OU
Opera Universitaria Trento
Residences and canteens for UniTrento students
Before departure
Why you need it: Opera keeps residence places for UniTrento’s international mobility students, which settles housing before you fly.
Submit the Other users accommodation request in Opera’s web apps
Pay the deposit and rent as instructed
If no place is left, search off campus through Opera’s TRent portal
Before you rely on itRates are on Opera’s Rates and payments page, not the overview; ask the housing desk (alloggi@operauni.tn.it) if anything is unclear.
Source: operauni.tn.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
EV
ESU Verona
Student residences and canteens in Verona
Before departure
Why you need it: Besides merit-based places, ESU rents beds to any student at regulated prices, below the private market.
Before you rely on itThe site does not say how exchange students apply; email urp@esu.vr.it and ask the University of Verona international office. Canteen access needs the ESU card.
Source: esu.vr.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
RR
Registered rental contract
Why your lease must be registered with the tax office
On arrival
Why you need it: A private room in Rome, Milan or Bologna needs a written lease: the Questura asks for proof of accommodation, and an unregistered lease gives you no protection.
See the room in person or by live video before paying anything
Ask for a written contract in your name with your codice fiscale
Ask the landlord for the registration receipt within 30 days
Before you rely on itAny lease over 30 days in a year must be registered within 30 days, which is the landlord’s job. Never wire a deposit for a flat you have not seen: fake listings aimed at students are common.
Before you rely on itItalo Young is for ages 14–29, Smart class, booked at least 11 days ahead, and non-refundable. Trenitalia’s Young fares (under 30) need free CartaFRECCIA or X-GO membership.
Source: italotreno.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language4
Offices, forms and landlords work in Italian; English is common among students but not at the Questura or the post office.
WA
WhatsAppEssential
The messaging app everyone in Italy uses
Before departure
Why you need it: Landlords, classmates, ESN and even some university offices communicate by WhatsApp; Telegram is far less common.
Save +39 06 8530 5557 and consul_rome@mission.mfa.gov.az
Note the consular phone hours: Monday to Friday, 14:30–17:00, except in urgent cases
Keep a scan of your passport and visa in your email
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy and its consular section are at Via Giovanni Battista de Rossi 27, 00161 Rome.
Source: rome.mfa.gov.az · the provider or a government body · Checked
WA
Where ARE U
Calls 112 and sends your exact location
Before departure
Why you need it: If you cannot explain in Italian where you are, the app sends your GPS position to the 112 operator and allows a silent call.
Before you rely on itIt works in regions where the 112 single response centre is active; elsewhere just dial 112. Operators bring in an interpreter when needed.
Source: areu.lombardia.it · the provider or a government body · Checked
CD
Commissariato di PS Online
Postal Police site to report online fraud
Optional
Why you need it: Rental deposit scams and fake ticket sites target students; this is where you report them and read current warnings.
Before you rely on itThe site is in Italian; for a theft you also file a denuncia at a police station or Carabinieri post, which you need for insurance and a new passport.
Meals, opening hours and coffee have firm rules; learning them in week one saves money and awkward moments.
01Coffee at the bar is cheap
An espresso standing at the counter costs little; the same at a table, especially in the centre of Venice or Rome, can cost several times more. In many bars you pay at the till first, then show the receipt.
02Coperto is not a tip
The coperto (cover charge) per person is printed on the menu and added to the bill. Tipping is not expected; rounding up for good service is enough.
03Lunch closures and Sundays
Many small shops and offices close for a long lunch, roughly 13:00 to 15:30, and much is shut on Sunday. University offices often open only a few mornings a week, so check their hours before you go.
04The tabaccheria sells more than tobacco
Look for the T sign: it sells bus tickets, the €16 marca da bollo for the permit kit, and phone top-ups.
05Validate tickets or pay a fine
Stamp paper bus and regional train tickets in the machine as you board, or check in on the app. Inspectors fine on the spot, and being new is no excuse.
06Residenza and domicilio differ
Forms ask for both: residenza is your registered legal residence, domicilio is where you actually live. For a one-semester stay your Italian address usually goes under domicilio; ask the help desk if unsure.
07Dinner is late, cappuccino early
Restaurants fill from about 20:00. Cappuccino is a morning drink; ordering one after a meal is allowed but marks you as a visitor.
08Watch bags on busy lines
Pickpockets work crowded metros, buses and stations in Rome and Milan. Keep your passport in a zipped inner pocket or at home with a copy on your phone.
09Strikes are announced ahead
Transport strikes (sciopero) are common and published in advance, usually with guaranteed services at peak hours. Check the operator’s site before travel days.
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