How to Get Italy Visa
An Italy Schengen visa allows the holder to travel to any country within the Schengen area and remain there for a maximum of 90 days within a six month period. Since Italy is part of the Schengen area, you can enter Italy with a Schengen visa as well. For stays that are longer than 90 days, you have to apply for an Italy National visa instead.
However, depending on the country, not everyone needs to apply to get an Italian Visa for short stays. Some countries can freely travel to Italy with simply a passport or identification document.
Do I Need to Apply for Visa to Visit Italy?
The main indicator of whether you have to apply for a Schengen visa for Italy is your nationality. You can travel to Italy without a visa if you are:
- A national from a Schengen Country.
- A national from an EU (European Union) or EEA (European Economic Area)member state or from Switzerland.
- A national from another (non-EU/EEA/Schengen) country who has been exempt from Schengen Visas. For instance, the United States is a country that is exempt from Schengen visas, which means Americans can travel to Italy without having to apply for a visa first.
- A holder of a residence permit/visa issued by another Schengen country.
Otherwise, you will most likely have to apply for a visa.
Italy Visa Application
When you apply for an Italy visa, you must go through these application steps:
- Determine the type of Italy visa you need.
- Submit the application on time.
- Determine where to submit the application.
- Book an appointment.
- Fill in an Italy Visa Application Form.
- Gather the required documents.
- Submit the Italy visa application and enter the Italy visa interview.
- Pay the Italy visa fee.
- Wait for processing.
Determine the type of Italy visa you need
Before you apply for an Italy visa, you should first determine what type of visa you need. The type of visa you have to apply for depends on your purpose of travel. As such, you may have to apply for an Italy visitor visa, business visa, or tourist visa accordingly.
Knowing the type of visa you need is also important because different types of visas may have additional/different requirements
You can apply for:
- An Italy Business Visa if you need to go to Italy for business-related purposes such as: to attend a meeting, presentation, or conference, meet with clients, conduct business, visit a partner company etc.
- An Italy Visa for a sports/cultural/religious event if you want to travel to Italy to attend an event of the aforementioned kind.
- The Italy Medical Visa if you need to travel to Italy to get medical treatment in an Italian medical institution.
When Should I Submit the Application for an Italy Schengen Visa?
You can apply for an Italy short-stay visa:
- At the latest: Two weeks before your planned trip
- At the earliest: Six months before your planned trip
You must submit your Italy Schengen Visa application at least three weeks before you intend to travel because it takes around three weeks for visa applications to be processed, if not longer.
For example, if you have omitted to submit a particular required document, it will delay the processing time. That’s because the visa officials have to send you back your application so you can resubmit once it is completed.
Furthermore, depending on the country and time of year, even booking an appointment can take some time so you have to keep that in mind if you need to enter Italy at a particular time.
Determine where to submit your Italy visa application
Where you can submit your Italy visa application differs based on the country. So, depending on what country you are from, you will have to submit your application in one of the following:
- The Italian representation in your country, such as an Italian embassy or consulate.
- A Visa Application Center to which the Italian government has outsourced visa applications, such as FS Global, COX and Kings, or TLS International.
- Another Schengen country’s representation. If there is no Italian representation in your country, the Italian government will have outsourced visa applications to the embassy/consulate of another Schengen country.
If you are travelling to more than one Schengen country
The Italian visa for short stays is a Schengen visa. As such, you can use it to travel to other Schengen countries as well, as long as you do not exceed the amount of days allowed.
So, if you will be travelling to more than one country, you should only submit an application to the Italian representation if:
- You will spend the longest amount of days in Italy than other countries
- Italy is the first country you will visit
Book an Italy visa application appointment
Once you know where you should submit your Italian visa application, you must contact the Italian representation for an appointment. You cannot submit an application without a prior appointment.
Keep the wait times in mind when booking the appointment since your application date might not be for a few weeks.
You must attach the application form with all the other required documents.
Gather the required documents
Before you apply for Italy visa, make sure you have all the required documents you need. Ask for information about any additional requirements when booking your application.
Pay the Italy visa fee
On the day you submit your application, you will have to pay a visa processing fee. The short-stay visa fees are the same for all Schengen countries, Italy included.
Almost all applicants have to pay a visa fee. The fee is non-refundable even if your application is rejected.
Currently, all adults have to pay €80 for an Italy Schengen visa, whereas minors aged 6-12 pay a reduced fee of €40. For minors under 6, the visa is free of charge.
Certain other groups of people are also exempt from a visa fee. See here for more information regarding Italian visa fees.
Wait for your Italy visa application to be processed
After you submit your Italy visa application, you will have to wait for it to be processed., It is usually processed within 2-3 weeks. However, the processing time can take much longer depending on the country you are applying from and your specific circumstances. So, you should always take into account the Italy visa processing time and apply well in advance of your planned trip.
You should also be careful when you submit your documents because if anything is incorrect or missing, the Italian authorities will send you back your application and ask you to resubmit. This sets the visa processing time back even further.
A Schengen Visa?
Typically, when you apply for a Schengen visa, you will be issued a Uniform Schengen Visa (USV). The Uniform Schengen Visa for Italy can be:
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