Pakistanis flooding Italy embassy with fake documents for student visa

The Italian Embassy in Islamabad has warned Pakistani students against submitting forged documents with study visa applications. The Embassy said that there has been an unprecedented surge in dubious and forged documents attached to study visa applications by the Pakistanis.Pakistan was the fifth-largest non-European Union country among new study-permit holders in Italy in 2024. (Image: Getty)The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has flagged an unprecedented surge in dubious and forged documents attached to study visa applications, and has warned that submitting fake certificates would lead to the immediate rejection of their applications and could negatively impact any future applications.The Italian Embassy in Islamabad also warned Pakistani applicants not to submit fake proof of funds.Italy is not alone in warning Pakistani visa applicants. In recent years, Australia and Germany have also flagged submissions of fake documents, false claims and fraudulent agents in Pakistan.Pakistan has faced several visa-fraud cases, including the 2021 theft of 1,000 genuine blank Schengen visa stickers from the Italian Embassy in Islamabad. A British envoy in 2012 called Pakistan a "world leader" in visa scams, while Pakistani authorities have repeatedly intercepted travellers using forged documents, according to reports.SURGE IN FAKE DOCUMENT SUBMISSION IN ISLAMABAD MISSION: ITALY"The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has noticed an unprecedented surge in dubious or forged documents attached to study visa applications," the Embassy posted on X on Wednesday (September 2).For the 2026–27 academic year, applicants must show they have at least 10,179.85 Euros, or about PKR 3.26 million, to support themselves in Italy.However, the Study Visa — University Enrolment Guidelines stated by the Embassy of Italy said that the assessment is not simply based on the bank balance shown on the day of the application. Officers would look at the broader socio-economic situation of the student or the sponsor and whether sufficient funds are regularly available to support the student during their stay. The Embassy also specified that assessment of financial requirements will not be based solely on the nominal account balance at the time of the visa application or on one-off or ad hoc deposits.According to Italy's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), 1,030 Pakistani citizens received new residence permits for study in Italy in 2023. The figure fell to 833 in 2024, a decline of around 19%. Pakistan was the fifth-largest non-European Union nationality among new study-permit holders in Italy in 2024. The Italian Embassy has not publicly disclosed how many applications contained forged documents or provided a numerical breakdown of the alleged surge.PAKISTAN'S LONG HISTORY OF VISA FRAUD AND SCAMSItaly is not the only country warning Pakistani visa applicants about fraudulent documentation and scams. The Australian High Commission in Islamabad had earlier warned visa applicants from Pakistan that immigration scammers submit bogus documents or false claims as part of an application.Germany has also warned Pakistani visa applicants about fraudulent agents. In a notice published in May, the German Missions in Islamabad said agents were masquerading as embassies in Pakistan, offering fake registrations, promising faster visa appointments, while stressing that official waiting-list registration was free.In June 2021, around 1,000 blank Schengen visa stickers were reportedly stolen from the locker room of the Italian Embassy in Islamabad. The theft was confirmed by Pakistani authorities after the Italian diplomatic mission reported the incident.The information was shared with Pakistan's Interior Ministry and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The incident raised security concerns as the stickers were genuine Italian visa documents, not forged ones.The stolen visa material was later linked to an attempted journey through a third country. In one case, a passenger travelling through the Maldives was intercepted while attempting to travel onward to Europe using a visa sticker identified as one of the 1,000 stickers stolen from the Italian Embassy in Islamabad.In July 2012, then British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson described Pakistan as a global leader in visa and passport forgery. He said around 4,000 people had been caught the previous year while attempting to acquire British passports using fake documents.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Sep 3, 2026 16:33 IST