Overseas mobility - incoming students

Thanks to bilateral mobility agreements between non-EU universities and Ca’ Foscari, incoming overseas students are selected by their universities for participation in international cultural exchanges. Their stay in Venice will enhance their university education, increase their knowledge of other cultures and languages, and provide them with an important life experience.

Contacts and reservations

Procedures for your home university

To be nominated as an Overseas Incoming student, you must contact the International Relations Office of your home university to:

  • make sure that your University has a valid bilateral exchange agreement with Ca' Foscari University (please check the list of partner universities);
  • get information about the detailed procedure for selection and grant;
  • make sure that your home university send us your official nomination ( incoming.mobility@unive.it) before the deadline.

Deadlines for nominations by partner universities:

  • April 1st - Overseas Incoming mobility for the first semester or whole academic year (arrival in September);
  • October 1st - Overseas Incoming mobility for the second semester (arrival in January/February).

Procedures for incoming Overseas students

After being officially nominated, Overseas Incoming students receive Ca' Foscari Welcome Message, with a unique code (token) for the online registration.

To register correctly, students have to prepare beforehand, and then upload, the following documents:

  • transcript of records (prepared by the home university);
  • learning agreement;
  • English or Italian certificate (B2 level) - check the "Recognized certification" tab;
  • copy of a valid ID or passport.

Forms must be uploaded in the website for the online registration.
Original documents will be handed at the first meeting in Venice.

Deadlines for incoming students' online registration

  • April 30th - Overseas mobility for the first semester or the full academic year (September arrivals);
  • October 30th - Overseas mobility for the second semester (January arrivals).

Starting from a.y. 2020/21 in order to get a VISA for study, students need to apply to the Universitaly portal: this tool has been designed for international students willing to study in Italy both for an entire study cycle or just for a mobility.

This procedure does not concern citizens of Countries in the European Union, as well as from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of San Marino and the Holy See.

In order to apply to the Universitaly portal, we warmly recommend to check the Guideline in attachment.

Please, do not forget to select: “I WANT TO SPEND A PERIOD OF MOBILITY FOR STUDY/TRAINEESHIP”.

Please, remember also to upload your Acceptance Letter while applying.

Once you have completed the procedure on the Universitaly portal, the International Office staff will check your applications which will be then forwarded by the system to the competent Embassies/Consulates. Each VISA application will be processed according to the relative methods and time frames of each Country diplomatic institution.

Please, mind that that the Universitaly application is compulsory but does not guarantee or imply any automatic right to the issuing of the relative study visa, which is the exclusive responsibility of the competent embassy or consulate.

Read the list of Italian embassies and consulates abroad [ITA].

Do not forget to:

  • have an identification document valid for foreign travel;
  • only for non-EU students: ask the Welcome Unit of Ca’ Foscari University ( incoming.mobility@unive.it) for an official university acceptance letter for the VISA;
  • have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC card) issued by your National Health Authorities (for EU students) or another health insurance (for non-EU students);
  • take your appointment with the Welcome Unit in order to finalise your enrolment.

Appointments with the International Relations Office

  • Arrange an appointment with the International Relations Office (choose "Welcome Unit"). Each appointment is individual.

Programmes and courses

  • Overseas Incoming students can attend all the courses offered, as detailed in the Guideline for course catalogue.
    Ca' Foscari offers a great variety of courses entirely taught in English or with facilities in English (bibliography, final exam, support).
    Each course website presents all the details: professor's name and contacts, timetable, programme.  In case of mobility for research activities, the student won’t receive any credit at the end of the mobility period.

Changes to the Learning Agreement

  • In case you want to change the Learning Agreement you can send the appropriate form by email to the Welcome Unit. 

Extension of stay

  • If you wish to request an extension of your study period at Ca’ Foscari University, you need to provide the Welcome Unit ( incoming.mobility@unive.it) with the authorization from your home university (an e-mail will be enough).

In order to officially close your Overseas period in Venice, please write an email to the Welcome Unit ( incoming.mobility@unive.it) and send the following data and documents:

  • Learning Agreement and Changes to the Learning Agreement (if any);
  • List of courses you have taken and grades received;

The Welcome Unit staff will end you the official Transcript of Records by email.

Confirmation of Stay

This document reports:

  • the Date of your Arrival at Ca’ Foscari, which corresponds to one of our Welcome Days;
  • the Date of your Departure from Ca’ Foscari, which corresponds to the last academic activity the student accomplishes at Ca’ Foscari University (normally, the date of the last exam).

Transcript of Records

As soon as your exam results have been registered at the end of the study period in Venice, a Transcript of Records will be issued by the Welcome Unit; this document includes the list of the exams the student has passed at Ca’ Foscari and a conversion of the grades according to the ECTS scale.

The ECTS grades are generated automatically upon the creation of your transcript by taking into account the results obtained by all of the students who have taken the same exam at Ca' Foscari in the last three years.

Here is an example of how the calculation works: Mario Lopez received a grade of 19/30 on the "English Language" exam associated with the code LT005P.

The percentage of Ca' Foscari students who obtained the same grade on the same exam in the last three years is 2%, which on the ECTS scale is interpreted as an E.

The formula used in this conversion process can be found in the ECTS guide published by the European Commission.

Please, be informed that only exams with a passing grade will be reported in the final Transcript of Records.

Incoming students with special needs

Incoming students with special needs can report any needs by sending an appropriate medical certificate to the Welcome Unit that will contact the Inclusion Unit to request specific support.

Among the available services:

  • initial support in familiarizing with the university buildings where the students’ lessons are held, the libraries and the administration offices;
  • reservation of seats in the classrooms and potential help in obtaining the study materials and lectures notes;
  • support in preparing for the exam and during the exam itself, tutor support (if required);
  • mediation of the office with professors in agreeing on the examination procedure, as follows:

    • additional time,
    • use of PC,
    • enlarged examination text (indicate font and/or typestyle),
    • Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter,
    • additional time + use of PC,
    • additional time + enlarged examination text,
    • additional time + Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreter,
    • oral instead of written exam modality,
    • written instead of oral exam modality.

Last update: 03/09/2024