New Delhi: The Italian embassy in Pakistan Thursday raised concerns over what it described as an “unprecedented surge in forged or dubious documents being submitted with study visa applications”, warning prospective students that fraudulent paperwork could have consequences beyond the immediate rejection of their applications.
The embassy has asked Pakistanis seeking student visas to avoid submitting such falsified documents, particularly those concerning proof of financial means or subsistence. “Study visa aspirants are advised to strictly avoid presenting forged documents, particularly related to the means of subsistence,” the embassy said. Such documents, it added, “will not only lead to the immediate rejection of their current visa application but may also negatively impact any future applications”.
Italy is home to the largest Pakistani community in the European Union—about 1,50,000 Pakistanis. Its embassy’s warning comes at a time when Pakistan and Italy have sought to deepen their broader bilateral relationship. In June, the two countries signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed, and Italy’s Foreign Affairs Secretary General, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia, signed the accord during a ceremony at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, according to an official handout, Dawn reported.
The agreement is expected to facilitate exchanges of diplomatic delegations and further strengthen engagement between Pakistan and Italy. It was viewed as a reflection of the mutual trust and longstanding friendship between the two countries, calling it an “excellent addition” to the existing framework of bilateral cooperation.
The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has noticed an unprecedented surge in dubious/forged documents attached to the study visa applications. pic.twitter.com/e8fSG7LET1
— Italy in Pakistan (@ItalyinPakistan) September 2, 2026
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry had welcomed the development. In a post on X, it described the trajectory of relations between Islamabad and Rome as positive and said both sides had welcomed the signing of the agreement: “They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest and agreed to remain in contact.”
The two countries already maintain a broad framework of bilateral cooperation. Pakistan and Italy have signed 15 government-to-government agreements covering areas including tourism, culture, science and technology, sports, higher defence studies and counter-narcotics efforts.
In addition, 21 memoranda of understanding have been signed between universities and think tanks in the two countries.
Italy has reserved a quota for 10,500 Pakistani workers over the next three years and issued more than 3,200 student visas for the 2025-26 academic year, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Under a bilateral migration memorandum signed last year, Italy has allocated the worker quota and introduced pre-departure training programmes to support legal migration and improve workers’ skills.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)