Moroccan students accuse Italian Consulate in Casablanca of unjustified study visa refusals

Moroccan students seeking to pursue higher education in Italy say they are facing what they describe as unjustified rejections of their study visa applications at the Italian Consulate in Casablanca, despite meeting the stated requirements, according to a complaint received by Hespress AR.

The complaint says study visa refusals at the Casablanca consulate have reached unprecedented levels, with students reporting that applications have been rejected on what they consider vague or illogical grounds.

Some applicants said they had secured final university admission and submitted the required documents but were still denied visas, raising concerns that they could lose an entire academic year.

Students also identified difficulties obtaining the Dichiarazione di Valore, or Declaration of Value, a document used to certify the equivalence of their Moroccan baccalaureate for academic purposes.

According to the complaint, appointments to obtain the document are extremely limited, while repeated requests sent by email to the consulate often go unanswered.

Students say the lack of appointments creates further problems when they attempt to submit their visa applications through VFS service centers. Some applicants reported being turned away because their files were considered incomplete without the Declaration of Value.

The students argue that this requirement creates an additional hurdle because some Italian universities do not require the document for final admission.

A spokesperson for the affected students also pointed to what they described as differences between the Italian consulates in Casablanca and Rabat.

While the process in Rabat is reportedly more straightforward, the Casablanca consulate has allegedly rejected applications over what students consider unreasonable grounds, including claims that financial documents were missing.

The spokesperson said the applicants feel they are being treated unfairly and face discriminatory conditions compared with students applying through Rabat.

The students argue that the administrative difficulties and lack of clarity surrounding the process are jeopardizing their ability to continue their studies in Italy and could force some to postpone their academic plans for an entire year.