Italian Visa
Entry Requirements for Your Italy Vacation

Italian Visa

Taking a trip to Italy can easily end up being one of a lifetime - filled with beautiful memories, amazing adventures & lots of good food. Before your trip can commence it's worth inquiring whether or not an Italian visa will be required to travel here.

Italians are diligent when it comes to choosing who and for what purpose are allowed access through their boarders. If you plan on travelling here for tourism and will be there less than 90 days - you'll need to find out whether an Italy travel visa is required prior to arriving. For this information and steps to follow in obtaining a visa from an Italian consulate - we suggest visiting the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy and trying out their quick & helpful form on the subject. Feel free to read on below and discover our own experience on obtaining a travel Italy visa from the Embassy.



More Italy Visa Info

Shorter Stays - Less than 90 Days

If you are from the European Union, the European Economic Area or a Swiss Citizen - an entry Italy visa is not required. These European exempt countries are:

  • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom

Also, there are more than 50 other nations exempt from requiring an Italian visa for short stays of 90 days or less, as long as a valid passport is on hand. These visa exempt countries, republics, commonwealths, regions and states are:

  • Albania*, Andorra, Antigua and Bermuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia-Herzegovina*, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, El Salvador, East Timor, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Macao, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova*, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia(* unless issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate), Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (passports with ID card #), Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican and Venezuela - (Countries marked with * require biometric passports)

The Italian government requires all other countries to obtain a visa before travelling here. In addition, all non-EU nationals in the above list are requested to carry their passport on them at all times while in Italy. It is equally important to make sure all travel documents are up to date with at least 3 months validity after your return date.

Please note: The lists above will change with time depending on political and economic situations worldwide, so we encourage doing your own research. Here is a link on the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy websiteto the most current list of nations whose residents are exempt from short-stay visa requirements; and also a helpful form to get your Italy consulate & visa questions answered. 

Longer Stays - More than 90 Days

Each case is different, depending on the country you come from and the purpose of your visit - whether it's family, business, study, medical or whatever else the situation may be. Searching an Italian consulate in your city or the closest one available is also another good place to start. They will usually have a website with a Visas section under Services, where you can determine what is required for you to proceed. While visiting your local Italy Consulate website, you will be able to see application guidelines, acquire all the necessary forms and make an appointment to see a consular officer. 

Applying for a travel visa with an Italy Embassy can be a tedious process, and it is important that you take the time to complete all of the steps correctly and with precise accuracy. Any errors or discrepancies could cause the process to be delayed. Some things to look out for when applying for a long-stay visa:

  • Fill out a proper Application form for long stay, clearly and correctly 
  • Use black ink to fill out your application & do not leave blank spaces, if a question does not apply - use N/A (not applicable)
  • If applicant is a minor, parents or legal guardians must submit a written consent form 
  • You'll need 2 passport type colour photos (35mm x 40mm) provided with the application
  • You must provide a passport which is valid for at least 3 months after your return date. Sometimes the Italian Consulate will want you to provide photocopies of visas issued before, if any - and have at least two blank pages in the passport
  • You must provide a copy of your round-trip ticket or flight reservations, chances are you will probably need to change your return date based on the expiry date in the visa that you obtain
  • The Italy Embassy will ask you to obtain proper travel insurance with a total coverage amount of at least €30,000 for the duration of your stay, this must be purchased prior to applying
  • You must have arranged accommodation for the duration of travel or provide an invitation letter, which is a separate form signed by the person guaranteeing your stay in Italy
  • Italy Consulate also requires that you provide 3 months of bank statements of your accounts
  • You may be required to provide a Permanent Resident Card or details pertaining to your citizenship at the time of your Visa appointment
  • Visa processing time can take up to two weeks so it's important to do this ahead of time to avoid last minute disappointments. Leaving at least a month for the entire process would not be a bad idea
  • When applying for an Italian visa, you will be required to give up your passport along with the application. Passports will be mailed back to you so it's a MUST to bring a self-addressed, prepaid envelope of registered mail with tracking number. Be sure to photocopy the envelope for your records
  • Within 8 days of entry into Italy, the holder of a long-stay visa must request a residence permit (Permesso di soggiorno) from a local police headquarters (Questura) in the city they plan to reside in. This is NOT required for business trips, tourism, study purposes and short visits of under 3 months
  • Be sure to also carry a copy of your visa application with you on your trip as proof of adequate financial means, purpose of trip and whatever else the border authorities might have a concern with at time of crossing

We hope this information was somewhat useful as the general idea of the process to apply for ordinary use Italian visa. We encourage our visitors to do their own research, visit the official site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy & visit a website of their local Italian Embassy or Consulate and for further forms and process details. 


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