The Italian Tourist Visa is tailored for those who want to visit Italy for tourism purposes. Depending on your nationality, you may be required to apply for an Italian tourist visa before travelling to Italy.
A short-stay Schengen visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The visa may be issued for one, two or multiple entries, and its validity period may be longer than the authorized length of stay.
Who needs to apply for a tourist visa for Italy?
 Italy is a member of the EU and of the Schengen area. Visa requirements for short stays are largely harmonised at EU level and depend primarily on the nationality of the traveller.
The Italian Tourist Visa is required if you:
- Are a national of a third country listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, whose nationals are required to hold a visa when crossing the external borders of the Member States.
- Have previously been refused entry to Italy or another Schengen country. A previous refusal does not by itself create a visa requirement, but it may affect the assessment of a subsequent visa application.
The Italian Tourist Visa is NOT required if you are:
- A citizen of an EU Member State;
- A citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland;
- A national of a third country listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, which provides for visa exemption for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Please note: A previous refusal of entry to Italy or another Schengen country does not by itself create a visa requirement, but it may affect the assessment of a subsequent visa application.
Required documents to apply for an Italian Tourist Visa
Official Documents
When applying for an Italian Tourist Visa, applicants must provide the following official documents:
- Visa application form: The application form must be duly completed and signed. The form and signature requirements may vary depending on the competent Italian Embassy or Consulate;
- Original Passport with a copy and  a recent passport-size photograph meeting ICAO standards. The number and specific format of photographs may vary depending on the competent Embassy, Consulate or visa application centre;
- The passport must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen area, have been issued within the previous 10 years and contain at least two blank pages.
Proofs to support the stay in Italy
Apart from the above-mentioned official documents, applicants must also provide proofs of:
- Sufficient financial means to cover the entire stay in Italy and in the entire Schengen area;
- Â Travel arrangements, such as a flight itinerary or reservation showing the intended dates of arrival and departure and, where applicable, the planned itinerary within the Schengen area;
- Accommodation in Italy: depending on where the applicant will be staying in Italy. This could be a hotel/hostel reservation, a rental agreement, or an invitation letter if the applicant is staying with friends or family residing in Italy;
- Travel medical insurance, private, valid throughout the Schengen area for the entire intended stay, with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 for emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation, including in the event of death.
Further proofs
Sometimes the authorities may ask for the following additional documentation:
- Copies of relevant pages of your passport, such as pages containing previous visas;
- A cover letter where applicants explain why they are applying to visit Italy, how long applicants intend to stay, and other relevant trip details.
A&P can provide full support in providing both mandatory and additional documents that Italian Authorities might require.
How to apply for an Italian Tourist Visa
To complete the application process for tourist visa Italy, the applicant must do the following:
- Prepare the abovementioned documents and recent passport size pictures;
- Fill-in the visa application form;
- Book an appointment at the competent Italian Embassy, Consulate or Visa application Centre in the applicant country of residence and attend the interview in person;
- Wait for the competent authority to issue the tourist visa and be available in case the authorities want to carry out another interview.
It is fundamental to apply in advance for the Italian tourist visa. Indeed, the processing time for an Italy visa can take up to 3 weeks, depending on the country of origin of the applicant.
Visa fee
The standard Schengen visa fee is:
- EUR 90 for applicants aged 12 and over;
- EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12.
Additional service fees may apply when the application is submitted through an external visa application centre.
How to apply for the Italian tourist visa
To complete the application process for tourist visa Italy, the applicant must do the following:
- Prepare the abovementioned documents and recent passport size pictures;
- Fill-in the visa application form;
- Book an appointment with the competent Italian Embassy, Consulate or authorised visa application centre and submit the application in person, where required, including the collection of biometric data;
- Wait for the competent authority to process the application and provide any additional documents or information if requested.
Visa applications are normally processed within 15 calendar days. In individual cases, the processing period may be extended up to 45 calendar days. Applicants are therefore advised to submit their application well in advance of the planned travel date.
Duration of the Italian tourist visa
A short-stay Schengen visa may allow the holder to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, depending on the conditions stated on the visa.
The visa itself may be issued for one, two or multiple entries and may have a validity period longer than 90 days.
If you need to stay in Italy for more than 90 days, have a look at all the available types of Italian visas.
Notify your arrival with the Italian Declaration of Presence
Travellers entering Italy for a short stay are not required to obtain a residence permit. Depending on their route of entry, their presence in Italy may need to be declared in accordance with Italian law, via the submission of the declaration of presence.
Entry/Exit System (EES)
The EES electronically records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The system applies both to visa-required and visa-exempt travellers and records biometric data, including facial images and fingerprints, where applicable. For travellers entering Italy directly from a country outside the Schengen area, the EES registration records the entry that previously was evidenced by the border stamp.
For more information on the other types of long-term visa for Italy, take a look at our complete guide on Italy Long-Stay Visa.Â