The Italian Visa is an authorization that allows foreigners to enter the Country. The Visa is required for non-EU nationals willing to enter Italy for multiple reasons. Here is a breakdown of the Italian Visa types.
What is the Italian Visa?
A Visa is an authorization that allows citizens to enter a foreign destination Country. As such, the Authorities issue Visas for both transit and stay. Furthermore, Visas have expiration dates.
In order to obtain a Visa to enter Italy, travellers must apply at the Italian Consular offices located worldwide. Although the visa appointment can be requested online, a visit in person is usually required to submit the documents, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, it is important to remember that once issued, a Visa can be revoked by the Authorities.
What is the normative framework for Italian Visas?
We can divide Italian Visas into 2 main types:
- Short-term visas, and
- Long-term visas.
Italy Visa for short stay in Italy
Short-term visas are applicable for stays of no more than 3 months within a six-months period.
Short-term visas are regulated by EU Regulation 810/2009, adopted in Italy with Ministerial Decree of May 11th, 2011. These Regulations describe procedures and conditions that each Country must abide by. It is, therefore, a set of shared rules among EU Countries.
Italy Visa for long stay in Italy
On the other hand, long-term visas are applicable for stays of more than 90 days. Legislative Decree 286/1998, also known as Unique Text on Immigration (Testo Unico Sull’Immigrazione), regulates long-term Italian visa types.
Types of Italian Visa
Visas are generally categorised in Uniform Schengen Visa (USV), type C, or National Visas (NV), type D. However, there are also Airport Transit Visas (Type A) for transit through the international zones of airports located in the Member States’ territories, which does not allow the holder to enter the Schengen Area.
The Uniform Schengen Visa (USV) for short-term stay in Italy
The short-term stay visa is valid for stays of up to 90 days and includes the following categories:
- Business – released to foreign nationals to perform business activities in Italy (attend meetings, negotiations, training sessions);
- Tourist – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy for purposes of tourism and leisure;
- Study – released to foreign nationals who intend to study in Italy among recognised educational establishments;
- Medical Care – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy to undertake medical treatments in a public or private clinic;
- Mission – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy for reasons connected to their public role;
- Religious Reasons – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy for participating to pilgrimages or for worship reasons;
- Sports Competitions – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy to participate in sport competitions.
Uniform Schengen Visas may be issued with a validity of one year (C1), two years (C2), three years (C3) or five years (C5).
Foreign citizens with a uniform short-stay Schengen visa can stay in Italy or another Schengen country for a period of time not exceeding the length of the visa, except in the case of proven inability to leave or in other adequately justified special cases (e.g. business visa extension for negotiations, supplier contacts, etc.). In such cases the local Questura decides on visa extensions.
The National Visa for long-term stay in Italy
As already mentioned, long-term Italian Visas allow foreigners to stay in Italy for more than 90 days. We can group these Visas in 2 main areas: for work-related activities and non-work-related activities.
Long-term stay with the Italian Visa for work activities
In case of work activities in Italy for long periods, companies and employees should carefully look after the correct type of Italian Work Visa. Based on the case, in fact, you might need to apply for a specific Italian work visa:
- Work – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy on the basis of a work contract with an Italian company;
- Intra Company transfer – for intra company transfers of highly specialized workers/executives or trainees;
- Blue Card – for the local hiring of highly specialized workers or executives;
- Art. 27 letter I – for workers employed by natural or legal employers, resident or with their headquarters abroad, who are temporarily transferred to employers resident in Italy;
- Art. 27 paragraph 1-bis – for entry into Italy of non-EU workers posted by EU companies for services under a service agreement (see also our dedicated article on the Van der Elst Visa).
Long-term stay with the Italian Visa for non-work activities
There are many types of Italian Visas that allow foreigners to enter the country and stay for long periods of time. However, as with the work visas, applicants should keep in mind the purposes of their non-work activities, in order to apply for the correct type of Italian visa:
- Family Reasons – released to foreign nationals who require to join a close relative living in Italy on the long term. This type further includes the following:
- On the one hand, Visa for family members, accompanying a foreigner who has already obtained a “D” visa to Italy;
- On the other hand, Visa for family members of a foreigner already living in Italy.
- Elective Residence – released to foreign nationals who intend to move their residence to Italy;
- Investor visa – released to foreign nationals who intend to invest in a business in Italy;
- Italy Startup Visa – addressed to foreign entrepreneurs who wish to open an innovative startup in Italy, strongly tied with innovation and technology;
- Internship Visa – released to foreign nationals moving to Italy for a training project in a company;
- Mission – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy for reasons connected to their public role;
- Religious Reasons – released to foreign nationals coming to Italy for participating to pilgrimages or for worship reasons;
- Re-Entry Visa – released to foreign nationals who were been holding a residence permit for Italy, but lost it for whatsoever reasons, and require to return to the country.
- Adoption – released to foreign nationals who have been adopted in Italy.
The long-stay visa only allows entering Italy.
Once arrived in the country, foreigners must convert the visa into a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno), as this is the only document that allows them to reside legally in Italy.
Airport Transit Visa for Italy (ATV)
The nationals of the following countries are subject to the requirement of an Airport Transit Visa (ATV), type A, for Italy (Article 3 of EC Regulation No. 810/2009): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Syria.
The nationals of the countries listed above are exempt from the requirement of an Airport Transit Visa if they meet one of the following conditions:
- they are already holders of a valid uniform visa (type C) or national long-stay visa (type D) or stay permit issued by a Member State;
- they are holders of a valid stay permit issued by an EU Member State which does not take part in the adoption of Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 or by a Member State which does not yet fully apply the provisions of the Schengen acquis (e.g. Romania), or they are third-country nationals holding one of the valid stay permits mentioned in Annex V of Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009, issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America, guaranteeing the holder’s unconditional return;
- are holders of a valid visa for an EU Member State that does not participate in the adoption of Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 (e.g. the United Kingdom), or for a Member State that does not yet fully apply the provisions of the Schengen acquis (e.g. Romania), or for Canada, Japan or the United States of America, when they travel to the issuing country or to another third country, or when they return from the issuing country after having used that visa;
- they are family members of EU citizens;
- they are holders of diplomatic passports;
- they are members of aircraft crew and nationals of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Italy is working on a new digital nomad Visa
Italy has been working on the introduction of a new Visa that would allow freelance workers or employees of foreign companies to work remotely from Italy. With this new Visa, workers would not be required to physically attend a workplace, and it would also be an exception from the the Flow Decree limit and the request of a nulla osta.
However, please note that the Italian Digital Nomad Visa is still under discussion and therefore not yet available for application.
How long does it take for an Italian Visa application?
There are different processing times depending on the types of visa. Article 23 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009) establishes that applications for Short-term visas (Uniform Schengen Visa) shall be decided on within 15 days of the date of the lodging of an application. That period may be extended up to a maximum of 30 calendar days in individual cases, notably when further scrutiny of the application is needed or in cases of representation where the authorities of the represented Member State are consulted.
On the other hand, art. 5 the decree 394/1999 (subsequently modified with decree 334/2004) establishes that Long-Term visas (National Visas) shall be decided on within 90 days of the date of the lodging of an application. This period may be extended if further scrutiny of the application is needed.
Requirements for the Italian Visa Application: documents, fee and tracking
Each Italian visa requires applicants to submit specific documents. For more information, you can always contact the competent Italian Consulate or Embassy of the country where you live. However, there are documents that are common to all visas, like:
- Visa application form;
- Passport (must be valid for 3 months after expiration date and must contain at least two blank “visa” pages);
- Two recent passport-size photos;
- Application fee (where applicable).
With regards to costs for Italian visas, they vary depending on the type of visa. Where applicable, they usually range between €80,00 and €116,00.
Except for specific cases, applicants should pay these fees in the national currency of the country where they submitted their application.
To check on the status of your visa application, you can contact the consulate where you submitted the application.
Countries exempt from Italian Visa and the Schengen Area
Not all foreigners wishing to travel to Italy need a Visa. Visa free travellers can be divided in 2 groups: the Schengen Area travellers and the Visa Free Countries.
Schengen Area Countries
The Acquis Schengen (a convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of June 14, 1985) created a free movement area in Europe. More specifically, the Agreement was signed by the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic. The main goal was to approve the gradual abolition of their common borders.
Therefore, thanks to the Acquis Schengen, EU citizens can move from an EU country to the other without Visas.
Countries exempt from Italian Visa
On the other hand, for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period (in case of tourism, mission, business, invitation, religious reasons, transit, transport, sports competition and study) nationals of the following Countries do not need any type of visa:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Japan, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Solomon Islands, Israel, Kiribati, Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan, East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
Also, some Countries need to meet some specific conditions:
- Taiwan – the visa waiver only applies to holders of passports that include an identity card number;
- Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine – the visa waiver applies only to holders of biometric passports;
- Serbian citizens holding passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona uprava) are excluded from the visa waiver.
Nationals of San Marino and the Holy See are always exempt from the visa requirement.
Italian Visa Denial
Once a foreigner applies for an Italian Visa, the Authorities may deny the issuing of such document. In that case, the Authorities must give a reason for the denial. In fact, Consulates shall communicate the reason of the denial to the interested party in a language that they understands. Failing to do that, the communication shall be notified in English, French, Spanish or Arabic.
In case of Italian Visa denial, foreigners may appeal against such decision at the Regional Administrative Court (T.A.R.) of Lazio within 60 days of notification of the decision.
Only in the case of visa refusals for family reunification or accompanying family members, applicants may file complaints with the competent ordinary court without time limit.
If you are looking for support for your Italian Visa application, check out our Immigration services to Italy.