Afghan Students Complain Over Long Waiting Times for Italy Visa Appointments

Afghani nationals applying for Italian student visas have not yet received answers from the embassy, despite some of them filing visa applications months ago.

A group of nearly 150 Afghanis have been waiting for months to be contacted by the Italian embassy in Tehran, Iran, for a visa appointment – a custom procedure for third-country nationals who need a visa to enter the Schengen Area, Schengen.News reports. 

Since 2021, when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Afghanis have had to file their Schengen visa applications abroad. In this case, the Afghan nationals applying for a study visa to Italy must submit their application to the Italian embassy in Tehran. 

Iranian students have already voiced their concerns about long-due visa appointments at the Italian embassy, explaining that this delay is affecting their mental and financial well-being. 

On the other hand, the Italian embassy in Tehran has issued a press release revealing that there are no appointments left for study visa applications.

Students Waiting for an Answer For Over 5 Months 
A.Q, an Afghani student, told Schengen.News that he has applied for a visa since July and has not received any response yet. Qayoumi reveals he is one of many Afghani students waiting for an appointment.

However, visa appointments are not the only challenge Afghan students face on their journey to pursue an academic career in Europe. Bureaucratic procedures are a hassle for nationals of Afghanistan, who do not even have the chance to apply for a visa from within the country, as mentioned earlier. 

Afghan students in Iran face a three-month visa validity, which cannot be extended while in the country except for business purposes. This means that students often need to return to Afghanistan to renew their visas, adding further expenses and hardships for them. 

Afghan Students Forced to Pay Bribes for Temporary Bank Accounts Amid Visa Challenges 
One of the hassles that Afghan students have to deal with is opening bank accounts in Iran, which, due to restrictive banking regulations, can be very challenging. 

Some individuals have reported they were forced to pay bribes to bank officers to open temporary bank accounts, which are usually valid from six months to one year. 

This visa situation is contributing to Afghan students choosing irregular pathways to increase their chances of obtaining an Italian student visa. 

Expenses for Afghani students are even higher as the Italian Embassy in Iran does not legalise Afghan documents, forcing students to use CIMEA (an Italian credential evaluation agency). CIMEA’s services cost around €400, adding even more expenses to an already costly process.

Source: https://schengen.news/afghan-students-complain-over-long-waiting-times-for-italy-visa-appointments/