Turkish students struggle to secure visas for Italian universities

ISTANBUL

Around 1,000 Turkish students accepted to Italian universities are unable to attend due to delays and hurdles in their visa processing, local media has reported.

The delays have left students and their families in distress as the clock ticks closer to critical deadlines for university registration.

Students who graduated from some of the Türkiye’s top institutions and earned spots at universities in Italy are now at risk of losing their educational opportunities. Many families gathered outside the Italian consulates in Istanbul and the western province of İzmir to voice their frustrations.

At the protest in Istanbul, Canan Yılmaz, a tearful parent, shared her ordeal, stating that her family had changed plane tickets seven times due to the uncertainty.

Similarly, Mehmet Çelik, a student awaiting his visa for over 100 days, expressed his concern. “We have two weeks left to upload our visas to the university portal. If we fail, all our efforts and expenses will have been in vain.”

In İzmir, another protest drew attention to the issue as parents and students placed a black wreath outside the Italian Consulate. One parent, Şenay Yalçıner, highlighted the financial strain families face, saying “We continue paying for tuition, dormitories and housing, but our children are stuck here.”

Deniz Akar, General Manager of IEFT Education Abroad Fairs, shed light on the broader problem. “Students face difficulties obtaining visas not only for Italy but for most EU countries. This contradicts the EU’S principles of free movement and education rights,” Akar emphasized. Currently, it is very difficult to find a visa appointment for European countries except the United Kingdom, he added.

He noted that Italian universities actively recruit Turkish students because of their strong academic performance, yet bureaucratic hurdles undermine this mutual interest.

“It’s disheartening to see long queues at Italian university stands while students face such barriers to actually studying here,” he added.

Italian FM pledges to expedite visas

Italian Foreign Minister Antanio Tajani acknowledged the issue, attributing delays to a surge in visa applications. He emphasized that Italy is committed to resolving the problem by increasing consulate staff and expediting visa processing.

There are no intentional obstacles for Turkish students, Tajani assured and added that consulates are working as quickly as possible to address the backlog.

Many countries, including Canada and Australia, have implemented stricter measures to manage student migration, often delaying or denying opportunities for deserving international candidates. Canada has announced that it will reduce student visa issuance rates by 35 percent over the next three years.