If you are planning on visiting Italy, you might need a Schengen visa to enter the country. Although the application process is easy and straightforward, some people might find it difficult. This is why it is crucial to understand the Schengen visa application process to avoid any misunderstandings or mistakes that could delay or affect the outcome of your application.
Our visa experts have crafted the following guide to assist you at every stage of the Italian Schengen visa application process. Filled with valuable insights and in-depth information based on our expertise, this comprehensive guide will aid you in thoroughly preparing for your upcoming Italian adventure.
Here is the step-by-step guide on how to apply for an Italy Schengen visa:
Depending on your nationality, you may not need an Italy to enter the country at all, which is why it’s important to verify this before planning your trip.
You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to Italy if you are:
Additionally, even if you are from a country which has a visa-free agreement, you may need to apply for a visa if you have been denied entry, for any reason.
You do not need a Schengen visa to enter Italy if:
You can also verify your visa requirement via the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Here you have to answer a few questions as follows:
According to your answers, the website will create an overview of your data and will provide you with the visa application form and what documents you need based on the reason for the visit you picked.
If you do not need a visa, the website will display the following information:
You must keep in mind that the Schengen visa is the same uniform visa but can be issued for different purposes based on the reason why you are visiting Italy. Furthermore, you also have the option to apply for a long-term national D visa if you plan to stay longer than 90 days (the maximum validity period of a Schengen visa).
Once you’ve answered the initial questions, here, the website will guide you on where to apply for the visa. If there’s a visa application centre (VAC) in your country, you’ll be directed to submit your application there. Otherwise, you’ll need to submit your application directly at the Italian embassy or consulate. The website will provide the necessary address details based on the available options in your country.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, Vatican City | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Andorra | The Spanish Embassy |
Residents in all other European countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Angola, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Burundi | The Belgian Embassy |
| Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe | The Portuguese Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritius, Niger | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
Residents in all other African countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, Taiwan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| North Korea | The Swedish Embassy |
| Timor-Leste | The Portuguese Embassy |
Residents in all other Asian countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Trinidad and Tobago | The Deutsch Embassy |
Residents in all other South American countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| The Bahamas | The US Embassy |
| Belize | The Mexican Embassy |
| Jamaica | The Deutsch Embassy |
| Saint Lucia, Haiti | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
Residents in all other North America and the Caribbean countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Australia, New Zealand | The Italian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Cook Islands | The New Zealand Embassy |
| Vanuatu | The French Embassy |
Residents in all other Oceanian countries not mentioned above have to submit their Italian Schengen visa applications to the Italian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
If Italy is the only country in the Schengen Area you plan to visit, it’s straightforward – apply at the Italian embassy/consulate or the authorized Visa Application Center (VAC) in your country of residence. However, if your journey includes Italy and at least one more Schengen state, apply at the Italian embassy/consulate/VAC in your country of residence only if:
You can’t apply for a short-stay Italian visa from a country where you are currently on a short-stay visa. You must hold a residence permit in the country where you are applying.
To start your visa application, complete the official visa application form with your personal details, travel history, and purpose of visit. Ensure all information is accurate and complete. You can either fill out the form electronically and then print it or print it first and fill it out by hand. The printed copy will be crucial during your visa appointment or when submitting your application through designated channels.
After you’ve received an answer as to whether you need a visa and where to submit your application, you can go ahead with the online application as follows:
To proceed with the application, you must click on “View” under the Documents and Forms section, which can be found in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where you completed the questionnaire.
Once you click on View, you will automatically be taken to the official website of the online application. There you can find the three steps of the application process. Start the online Schengen visa application by clicking on “Proceed to online form.”
You also have the option to change the language as required depending on the available options from your chosen country.
After clicking to proceed with the online application, you will be taken to a new window where you must provide your personal details.
Please take note of the part where it says that information is not required for family members of EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens. Once you complete the answers click “Next” to continue.
The next part of your online application includes questions about your home address. Make sure to complete it all correctly.
This section is applicable only to minors (under 18) applying for a Schengen visa for Italy. You can skip this step if not applicable to you.
Provide the data for your travel document, such as travel document number, country of issue, etc.
This section requires information regarding your travel, such as the reason for your trip, the country you will be traveling to, the duration of your stay, etc. Make sure you provide correct and relevant information.
This section requires information about the person(s) who are inviting you to go to Italy if that is applicable. Click on “Select a choice” and choose the option that applies to you.
Once you have completed the information required above, you will be required to answer the following questions about how you are going to support yourself financially during your stay in Italy.
Then, continue with “Next” to finalize your application.
This section applies only to family members of EU, EEA, or CH citizens (spouse, child, or dependent ascendant). If you are a non-EU national, skip this step and click “Print”.
Once you reach this point, your application is filled out and ready to print. You have the option to save your data and print your application later, whichever option suits you best.
Either way, once you click “Print,” your application will be downloaded automatically as a PDF file, and then you can print out the application and attach it to the rest of the documents so you can submit it to the corresponding embassy or visa application centre.
Please ensure to print the complete file, especially the final page with the barcode which you will need as it contains your entries in a machine-readable format.
Once you’ve finished filling out the visa application form online, you have to schedule an appointment with the corresponding Italian foreign representative as follows:
You are advised to book an appointment for your visa application a minimum of 15 days before your intended travel date. However, you cannot book an appointment earlier than six months before traveling. It’s important to schedule an appointment promptly to ensure you receive your visa on time; you must also take into account if there are any open slots for your appointment which may prolong the waiting time for an appointment.
Scheduling an appointment for an Italian visa application is free of charge. However, there are other fees associated with the application process, which we have outlined below in this article.
We highly advise against scheduling appointments through non-accredited third-party intermediaries, as they may add extra fees.
To change or cancel your Italy visa appointment, you must use the services available at the designated centre where you initially scheduled your appointment:
Please note that you cannot cancel or reschedule an appointment with either option on the day of your actual appointment; you must do so a minimum of 24 to 48 hours in advance.
To meet the short-term stay visa requirements for Italy, applicants must submit the following documents to the Italian embassy or consulate:
Each visa application undergoes a personalized review, so the required documents may differ. The Italian authorities may also ask for additional documentation in some cases.
Please ensure that you have all the documents with you since you may risk getting your visa denied if something is missing from your application.
Travel Medical Insurance is compulsory for Schengen visas under Regulation (EU) 2009/810 of the European Parliament.
Italy visa applicants can obtain visa insurance from either Europ Assistance or vti.travel, a European insurance comparison website, comparing insurance policies of AXA, Allianz, Europ Assistance and Mutuaide.
These insurance providers are acknowledged and accepted by Italian Embassies and Consulates worldwide. Moreover, you can cancel the insurance at no cost by submitting proof of Italy visa rejection.
For a duration ranging from 1 to 5 days, the amount required for an Italy Schengen visa per person is €269.60. Please note that the required amount increases as the days you plan to spend in Italy also increase.
After you print out the application form and assemble your documents, you must attend the visa appointment and submit in person your visa application at the designated visa application centre or embassy/consulate.
On the day of your visa appointment, you must submit your biometric information, i.e., your fingerprints and photographs.
However, you may be exempted from this requirement if you’ve applied for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months since your data will still be valid, and you do not need to resubmit your biometric information again.
You will also need to attend a visa interview, answering questions about your planned trip to Italy. The focus of the interview will solely be on your planned activities during your visit and the duration of your stay.
On the day when you submit your application you are also required to pay a Schengen visa fee of €90 ; the fee is halved to €45 for minors. Please note that if you apply for your visa via a visa application centre, you may be required to pay an additional fee of up to €40 to have your visa processed.
Someone else can apply on your behalf only if you’ve given them the authorisation to do so and only in cases where you are not required to show up in person at the designated appointment to submit your biometric information.
Wait for your visa application to be processed. You will be notified of your Schengen visa application status (approved/rejected) once a decision has been made.
To track the status of your application, you need a reference number which is usually stamped on the receipt of your visa application fee.
The actual tracking process depends on where you submitted your application:
If your visa application is approved, you will receive a notification, usually an email, to notify you of the final decision. You can then pick up your passport, enter Italy, and stay in the country as per the validity of your visa.
If you’ve received a negative decision, you will find the reasons for your refusal highlighted in the denial notice.
In this case, you can either appeal against the decision or reapply for the visa. To reapply for the visa, ensure that you already have addressed the issues that caused your denial in the first place and then go through the process again.
To appeal against a negative decision on your Schengen Italy visa application, you need to send an appeal request to the Regional Administrative Court (T.A.R.) of Lazio based in Rome. You must send your request within 60 days of having received your negative decision.
Additionally, you may not be able to send the appeal on your own; you need to employ a legal representative to send the appeal request on your behalf.
No, you will not receive a refund of your Italy visa fee, even in cases of denial. The fee is meant to cover the costs and expenses it takes to receive, process, and give a final decision on your visa, which is why a refund is not possible, regardless of the final outcome.
Finally, you can collect your passport in one of the following ways:
Once you obtain your visa, you can find the dates you can travel to Italy on your visa sticker, which will be stamped on your passport.
On the day of your departure, you must have with you other documents besides your Schengen visa. These documents include the following:
The Schengen visa for Italy allows stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day window for short visits. The day count starts as soon as you enter Italy and stops the moment you leave the Schengen Area.
It is possible to extend your Schengen visa for Italy, but only under exceptional circumstances such as force majeure, humanitarian needs, or significant personal reasons. To extend your stay, you need to contact your local “Questura” office where you are staying in Italy so you can submit a request for an extension.
Going over the allowed 90-day limit can result in many consequences, including immediate deportation, a penalty, or you will be banned from entering the Schengen Area.
Therefore, it is recommended to use the Schengen calculator to ensure you don’t surpass the permitted stay in Italy, avoiding any legal issues.
With an Italian-issued Schengen visa, you are free to explore other Schengen countries within the period of your visa, provided you adhere to the 90/180-day regulation.
Beyond the Schengen Area, your Schengen visa also permits travel to certain non-EU and non-Schengen countries.
The Schengen visa does not permit engagement in paid employment in Italy. For work purposes, a specific work visa is required.
