Essential documents: Visa, Passport or identity card?

EU students:
from 11 April 2007, UE citizens wanting  to stay in Italy, must simply own a valid document of identification (identity card or passport) and must show a declaration of presence (https://questure.poliziadistato.it/statics/06/dichiarazione-presenza.pdf) at a Police office. After three months of arriving in Italy, it is necessary, however, to register your place of residence at the Town Hall, presenting an attendance certificate issued by the Conservatory.

UE citizens do not need to have aresidence permit to stay in Italy.

Non UE Students:
All citizens who are not from UE countries can enter in Italy by presenting a valid passport and, if required, a visa issued by their country of origin.
Within eight days of arriving in Italy, students must file a request for a residence permit to study at the police headquarters of  Bologna (Address: Piazza Galileo Galilei,7 Bologna tel: +39 051 6401111 fax: +39051 6401777 e-mail: urp.quest.bo@pecps.poliziadistato.it).

How to arrive in Bologna

  • By air : "G.Marconi" airport of Bologna has national and international flights by different air-line companies, including low-cost. It is located about 6 Km from the city with which it is connected by an Aerobus service, which departs from the airport to arrive at the railway station, every 15'. Visit:  www.bologna-airport.it
  • By train: The railway station, situated a short walk away from the historical centre, represents one of the most important railway junctions at a national level, linking North Italy with the Centre and the South. In order to arrive at the Conservatoire from the railway station, it is advisable to use the shuttle-bus "C" getting off at the bus stop of PiazzaVerdi-Teatro Comunale, in the heart of the university area. For routes and timetables of trains consult the site: Trenitalia - Ferrovie dello stato (state railway)  www.trenitalia.it
  • By coach: The city of Bologna can be reached through a service of national and international coaches that arriveat the Terminal, a few minutes walk from the historicalcentre. For further information regarding routes andtimetables consult the site: www.autostazionebo.it/html/destinazioni.cfm
  • By car: Bologna can also be easily reached by car,s the main motorways pass through it. The A1 motorway (motorway of the sun) connects the cityVwith Milan, Florence and Rome. The A13 motorway connects Bologna with Venice andVPadua. The A14 motorway connects Bologna with Ravenna, Rimini andVAncona. From the motorway exit it is possible to get on to the ringroad that allows you to reach many areas of the city.

How to get about in Bologna

Most of the historical centre of Bologna is a Limited Traffic Area = Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL): from7.00 to 20.00, every day from Sunday to Friday only authorised vehicles can enter.

  • By bus: Bologna is provided with an excellent bus service made up by numerous lines that connect all the districts of the city and the neighbouring areas. Bus tickets can be bought directly on the bus if it has an automatic ticket machine, or from T-PER information points , or from news agents and tobacconists. It is also possible to buy a city-pass at a better price, a ticket which is valid for 10 rides , lasting 1 hour each time and to be used in the urban area. Students can have amonthly or yearly pass at a reduced price. The network of the urban service can be found at the following address:  www.tper.it
  • By bike: a service of renting public bikes called "C'entro anch'io" has been in operation since 2005. There are 22 renting -points with a total of 184 bikes available to be used. Students can apply to use this service after paying a small one-off deposit. For further information and applications to this service you can ask at an TPER Call Center 051 290290 , or at an information TPER point at the address: via IV Novembre or at the Bus-station.

Weather conditions

Bologna has a continental climate: winters can be quite harsh with snowfalls which are sometimes quite abundant despite being near the Padana Plain.
The minimum winter temperatures, registered over the last 20 years, are around minus 10°C, whereas the summers are hot and sultry, caused by the humidity in the air and the temperatures can go over 35°C in the months of July and August. Spring and autumn, in general, are mild and with pleasant temperatures.

Money

Italy is  part of the Eurozone and therefore, the current currency is the Euro.

If you need to open a current account at a bank you should go to one of the many banks present in the territory of Bologna and have the following requisites:
– To be at the age of 18
– Not to be filed for bankruptcy

The essential documents are:
– A valid document of identification
– An identifying  code number (Codice Fiscale = CF)

It is advisable to pay a lot of attention to the economic conditions estimated by the current account which can differ widely and therefore it is better to get as much information from different  banks in order  to make the cheapest choice.

To get the identifying  code number = (Codice Fiscale CF) you need to go to one of the following offices, depending on your living area:

Centro Di Servizio Delle Imposte Dirette
Via Marco Polo 60
TEL: 051- 208111
Orari: dal lunedì al sabato 8,45-12,45
Giovedì 14,30-16,30

Ufficio entrate Borgo Panigale
Via Marco Emilio Lepido, 178
Tel. 051-4131711

Ufficio entrate Porto, Reno, Saragozza e provincia:
Via Paolo Nanni Costa, 28
Tel. 051-4130211

Ufficio entrate Navile, San Donato e San Vitale:
Via Andrea da Formigine, 3
Tel. 051-4194711

Ufficio entrate Santo Stefano e Savena
Via Larga, 35
Tel. 051-6002711