Matriculation Checklist

Benvenuti! Now that you have been accepted to the Umbra Institute, you may already have started to prepare for your departure. Going abroad is a big step and certain aspects may seem overwhelming. In this portion of the website, you will find practical information to help you get ready for an exciting, challenging, and fulfilling semester.

Along with your acceptance email, you should have received a Post-Acceptance Checklist containing extensive information about your need for a visa. Please consult this document and contact Umbra staff at [email protected] if you have any questions. 

Once you have applied to the Umbra Institute, please complete the following steps. 

Step 1: Program Approval 

Make sure that you have completed any required forms at your home institution and that you are approved for study abroad. 

Step 2: Health Care and Insurance

All students are obligated to have health insurance while studying in Italy. Confirm with your study abroad office that you are set to receive full health insurance, which includes mental health coverage, for your time abroad. It is important to review what is included and to share that information with your emergency contact(s). 

Should you need to find insurance on your own, Umbra recommends HTH, GeoBlue, or CISI. They are not the only options, but past students have informed us that they are regularly accepted in Italy. Should you select an alternative provider, make sure that they offer the same coverage that you can find outlined by GeoBlue, HTH, and CISI.

Step 3: Passport and Visa

Get a passport (if you do not have one already). If you do have one, make sure that it will be valid for at least six months after the end of the program you select. 

Summer students do not need a visa as long as they hold an American passport. International students should speak with their study abroad office or contact the Umbra Institute. 

Fall and spring semester students will need to acquire an Italian visa. Make your visa appointment as soon as you are accepted, if not as soon as you apply. It is easier to cancel an appointment than to get the first one. Further visa guidelines will be sent upon acceptance, but the most important thing is to schedule an appointment for a date between 40 and 90 days from the start of your program. 

Step 4: Course Selection and Umbra Application

Make sure that you have submitted your application, which includes course and program preferences, to the Umbra Institute. Click to view the application. 

If you would like to update your application or course selection, simply login, make the necessary changes, and resubmit the form. 

Step 5: Housing

Complete the Housing Request Form.

If you need to make any changes, resubmit the form. Please know that Umbra takes your comfort and health seriously and invites you to utilize the form’s comment section. 

You may request a specific roommate in the housing form, but make sure to tell your friend that you are requesting them. We do not accept roommate requests if they are not reciprocal. 

Step 6: Book Your Flight

Once you have been accepted, follow the instructions in the Post-Acceptance Checklist provided to book your flights within the designated arrival/departure dates and times.  Please read all relative text in the checklist. 

Submit the Umbra Flight Form.
We provide arrival assistance and transfer to Perugia, which requires us to track your flight for changes and delays. 

Step 7: Submit Final Forms to Umbra

Complete Umbra’s Student Info Form and Waivers. 
Please provide detailed and accurate health information. This is used when we provide you meals, or in case of emergency. These forms also contain information about the EU’s GDPR privacy act, student code of conduct, housing agreement and expectations, and a waiver of liability and hold harmless. 

Step 8: Read Pre-Departure Information

Read the Student Guide
The login information will be sent to you not long before the start of your program. It is important to check your emails regularly to ensure receipt of important information. If you cannot find the email, please contact us at [email protected] for a password to access the download page.

The Pre-Departure Student Guide contains nearly all the information and advice you need to prepare yourself for your study abroad experience. However, it is not at all unusual for students to have many questions and concerns not addressed in the Guide. We encourage you, your parents, and relatives, to contact our US office with any questions.

Email: [email protected]
Telephone (East Coast Timezone): 1 (407) 745-0929
Telephone (in Italy):011-39-075-5734595

Our US office is located in Eastern Standard Time and is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. If you call the Institute in Italy, please note that it is open Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Italian time. Please remember that we are six hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern Standard Time before calling. After hours, you may leave a message. 

Download and Print the Parent Guide
Please make certain that your parents or relatives have read and retained a copy of the Parent Guide prior to your departure. You should also designate an emergency contact and leave them a folder with copies of your personal documents, the parent/guardian guidebook, and any credit/debit cards you plan to bring with you, just in case they are lost or stolen as you travel.

Step 9: Click to Check the Academic Calendar

Check the Academic Calendar and the Pre-Departure Student Guide for key dates, such as arrival, departure, mid-terms, semester break, final exams, etc. Please ask all friends and relatives to visit during the break if they intend to stay significantly longer than a weekend. See the visiting Perugia link for more information.

Step 10: The Umbra App

Download the Umbra Institute App and the Umbra App User Manual.
The Umbra Institute App is our main way of communicating with you. With the App, you can receive important notifications; get in touch with faculty, Umbra staff, and fellow classmates; view and sign-up for upcoming events; check out essential locations and local discounts in Perugia, and more!

The Umbra Institute App is available to download on Google Play and the App Store. After downloading the App, your request for access will be approved as your study abroad experience at Umbra approaches.  

Step 11: Learn About Perugia

Check out the Umbra Institute on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for helpful videos, articles, pictures, and posts about life in Perugia. Each semester, current students sign up to be Umbra Reps to share their experience with future students. Find useful blogs about budgeting, working out in Perugia, voting from abroad, a Vegan’s guide to Perugia; or videos about student services, Italian class, and more. 

Check out Google Maps to walk yourself around the city. Search for blog articles written by past students or locals. Discover more about Perugia through Umbra’s website. Want to brush up on your Italiano? Check out apps like Duolingo. 

There are so many resources available for students to learn more about Perugia and Italy. 

Step 12: Prepare for the Optional Trip and Independent Travel

Register for the Optional Trip. 
All optional trips fill up completely each semester. Sign up to receive updates for how you can reserve a space during the program you selected. 

Do not book any independent travel prior to your arrival in Perugia. We encourage you to research destinations for weekends, fall break, or spring break, or even for after your program ends. Many classes have important field trips on weekends during the semester and summer session so it is important to wait to book your travel until after you’ve received the course syllabus the first day of class. Missing a field trip can put you behind in the class and will mean missing valuable learning moments that can directly impact an exam or class project.