Terms and conditions

Before sending the application form please, read attentively the General Conditions of Participation.

Application must be received by our Italian language school at least 20 days before the starting dates of courses. The confirmation will be sent to you by e-mail.

The following is required for application:

• fill out the enrollment form,
• read attentively and sign the General Conditions of Participation;
• enclose the receipt for the payment of the course + enrollment fee + the deposit for the accommodation. Payment can be made through: Bank transfer. For Extra UE bank transfers we have to charge you for the whole bank costs. As soon as we receive the payment we will be able to send you an e-mail confirmation for the course.
  Services: The contractual services provided appear in the brochure on the web-site and in the price list. Collateral agreements must be confirmed in writing.

Cancellations must be sent to the school centre by registered letter or e-mail. If a cancellation is made before 30 days prior to the beginning of the course, 30% of the total amount will be retained. If a cancellation is made less than 30 days before the beginning of the course or after the course has been started (even the first day), the full course fees are forfeited, i.e. no refunds will be possible. It can be used for future enrollments within one year. Courses begin only on the published dates. There can be no refund for students who begin a course late or leave before completion of the course or miss lessons. The missed lessons cannot be recovered.

Lessons are held from Monday to Friday and can take place either in the morning or in the afternoon. Lessons are not held (not refunded and not recovered) on national and local public holidays (April 21st – 22nd, April 25th, May 1st, June 2nd, August 15th, November 1st, December 8th, Christmas holidays from 22nd December).  One lesson is 50 minutes.
If there should be only one participant for a certain course/level, the tuition cost will be converted to 1,30 h of one-to-one tuition. In the event that there will be only 2 or 3 students for a particular level, the number of hours will be reduced by 1 hour per day. The number of course hours include the initial test. Should a student be unable to attend a course, he or she cannot transfer the payment both for the course and accommodation to another student.

First day at school: We will be expecting you at school at ca. 8:30/9.00 am. If you are absolute beginner you will attend your first lesson. All other students may take a written or oral test which enables us to find the appropriate level. After the test, some teachers will describe programs, the school organization and will give you some useful information about the area. After the test the class lists and timetables will be communicated. If you have any questions about the level assigned, you should contact our course director immediately.

Accommodation is available from the Sunday evening before the beginning of the course to Saturday morning after the course up to 9,00. In case of cancellation the sum paid for the reservation is not refundable. Different arrival or departure days must be confirmed to the school. The school is only a linguistic intermediary between students and landlords and cannot be directly responsible for the relations between them. However, you will be assisted by a member of our staff in case of problems. Please inform the school (by phone or email), at least four days before your arrival, of your estimated time of arrival. If you arrive a day earlier, or if you want to stay a day longer, get in touch with the school. Bed-linens are provided, but you need to bring your own towels. The rest of the accommodation fee must be paid at your arrival or at the first day of school. Students must pay for the reserved period on the enrollment form or e-mail even if they arrive 1 or more days after. The money paid for accommodation is not refundable in case of cancellation or in case you leave the house before the reserved period. Each student will be required to pay a forfeiture deposit of 100 euros that will be refundable on the day of their departure. It must be understood that this deposit will not be refunded to those students who cause problems or ignore the Residential Rules posted in every apartment. Some specific examples of problems are listed below: – damage to furniture, fittings or objects within apartments. – extra cleaning, such as dirty dishes or rubbish left in apartments. – late departures that delay the scheduled cleaning of the rooms for subsequent guests. – when students reserving a single room attempt to lodge additional persons in the room without prior authorization from the school. – when students attempt physical alterations in the rooms without prior authorization from the school. Please note: the school is not obliged to inform students of the impending arrival of other students in apartments that are designated for shared accommodation.

We also provide a personal transfer service from the airport of Brindisi and the train station of Lecce to your accommodation. If you would like the school to arrange a transfer, please send us your arrival information (date and time of arrival and flight or train number) with the application form. Please, confirm your arrival at least one day before by calling the school or e-mailing. Contact the school in case of delays. Staff will be available to transport students to their apartments reserved through the school from 6pm to 7.30 pm.

U.S.A. and European citizens do not require a visa to enter Italy. Citizens of other countries should contact their nearest Italian Embassy or Consulate to check the details regarding entry permits. Our Certificate of enrollment fulfills one of the requirements to obtain a visa. This certificate can only be issued by our school centres after the whole course fee has been paid.

Participants are not insured against illness, accidents, theft or loss of personal possessions, either by the schools or by those offering the accommodation. Citizens from European Union countries are entitled to free medical care in Italy if they hold an E111 form which can be obtained from their local health authority in their home country before departing for Italy.

The school Porta d’Oriente reserves the right to dismiss any student whose conduct is unsatisfactory at the discretion of the person in charge.

The participant authorizes the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci to include her/his personal data in a mailing list for third parties and promotions. This consent can be withdrawn at any time in accordance to art. 13, 196/03 of the Italian Law and art. 21 of EU Regulation 679/16.

Any disputes or disagreements about the interpretation and the application of this contract will be settled in Lecce’s Tribunal Court according to Italian laws.

By signing or by sending the registration form or any other written form of registration, the participant understands and accepts the “General Conditions of Participation”.