Rules for entering Italy without a visa 

To enter Italy without a visa, you must have

• a biometric passport, the validity of which expires no earlier than three months before leaving the country;
• money at the rate of 45-50 euros per day per person;
• an insurance policy that covers treatment and observation costs and is valid in all EU countries.

The Italian Schengen visa allows its holder to travel to any Schengen country and stay there for a maximum of 90 days within six months. Since Italy is part of the Schengen area, you can also enter Italy with a Schengen visa. For stays longer than 90 days, you must apply for an Italian national visa.

However, depending on the country, not everyone needs to apply for an Italian visa for a short stay. Some countries can freely travel to Italy with only a passport or identity document.

Do I need to apply for a visa to visit Italy?

The main indicator of whether you need to apply for a Schengen visa for Italy is your nationality. 

You can travel to Italy without a visa if you are:

• A citizen of a Schengen country.
• A citizen of a member state of the EU (European Union) or EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland.
• A citizen of another country (not a member of the EU/EEA/Schengen area) that has a visa-free travel agreement with the EU.
• Holder of a residence permit/visa issued by another Schengen country.

For a more extensive list of who needs a Schengen visa for Italy, see here.

What documents are required to apply for an Italian Schengen visa?

The following list of documents is required to obtain a short-stay Italian Schengen visa:

• Italian visa application form.  Fill out the form and then print it out.
• One passport-size photo. The photo must be taken within the last six months and meet the requirements for obtaining a visa to Italy.
• A valid passport. You will need to provide your passport along with the rest of the required documents to obtain a visa. Make sure that your passport has at least two blank pages to put the visa on and:

1. Not older than 10 years.

2. Valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave Italy and the entire Schengen area.

• Your residence permit card along with a copy (if you are not a citizen of the country from which you are applying).
• Proof of residence:

1. Hotel reservation. 

2. If you have a host in Italy: a completed and signed copy of the sponsorship form together with a copy of your host's passport and Italian residence permit card (if applicable).

Proof of travel (if any):

1. Round-trip ticket, reservation or flight itinerary.

2. Proof of personal transportation.

3. A ferry ticket.

• Schengen tourist visa insurance. Health insurance for the entire territory of Italy and the Schengen area. The minimum medical insurance for the Schengen area is 30,000 euros.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources for the period of stay in Italy. The Italian authorities want you to prove that you have the necessary financial means to support yourself during your stay in Italy. You will need to confirm that you have this amount depending on the length of your stay.

1. Up to 5 days - the total amount is 269.60 euros per person and 212.81 euros for two or more people.

2. 6-10 days - the daily amount is 44.93 € per person and 26.33 € for two or more people.

3. 11-20 days - the total amount is € 51.64 per person and € 25.82 for two or more persons, plus the daily amount is € 36.67 per person and € 22.21 for two or more persons.

4. More than 20 days - the total amount is 206.58 euros for a person and 118.79 euros for two or more persons, plus a daily amount of 27.89 euros for a person and 17.04 euros for two or more persons.

• Proof of civil status. This can be a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of a spouse, etc. Civil status documents should not be issued more than six months ago.
• Upon request:

1. Copies of the relevant pages in your passport, for example, pages with previous visas.

2. Cover letter. A personal letter in which you explain why you are applying to visit Italy, how long you plan to stay, when you are leaving, and other important details of the trip.

• A checklist of documents. Check off the submitted documents and attach the document checklist to the application file. The checklist is usually available at the Italian consulate/embassy.

Additional requirements for obtaining an Italian visa for minors

Minors applying for a short-term visa to Italy or parents applying for a visa for their minor child must complete the following additional Italian visa requirements in their application:

• Birth certificate of the minor traveling to Italy. An additional copy may also be required.
• An Italian application form signed by both parents.
• A letter from both parents giving permission for the trip and financial responsibility for the minor's trip.
• Certified copies of both parents' IDs/passports.
• A family court decision if only one of the parents has full custody of the child.
• If the minor will travel alone with another person:

1. The adult must take responsibility for the minor.

2. The original and a copy of the accompanying person's passport page containing the owner's data, expiration date, the latest photo and a valid copy of the visa.

3. Notarized parental permission to travel to Italy signed by both parents/guardians.

Determine where to apply for a visa to Italy

Where you can apply for a visa to Italy depends on the country. So, depending on which country you are from, you will have to submit your application in one of the following ways:

• An Italian representation in your country, such as an Italian embassy or consulate.
• A visa application center to which the Italian government has transferred visa applications, such as FS Global, COX and Kings or TLS International.
• A representative office of another Schengen country. If there is no Italian representative office in your country, the Italian government will transfer visa applications to the embassy/consulate of another Schengen country.

1. Apply for a visa to Italy

As soon as you know where you need to apply for an Italian visa, you must contact the Italian representative office to make an appointment. You cannot apply without an appointment.

When booking an appointment, keep in mind the waiting time as the application date may not be for several weeks.

2. Apply for a visa to Italy and have an interview for a visa to Italy

When the date of your appointment comes, you must personally appear at the Italian representative office. You also need to arrive there on time, as the impression you make on the visa officers can help determine whether you are granted an Italian visa or not.

3. Pay the visa fee for Italy

On the day of application, you will have to pay the visa application fee. The cost of a short-stay visa is the same for all Schengen countries, including Italy.

Almost all applicants must pay the visa fee. The fee is non-refundable, even if your application is rejected.

Currently, all adults must pay 90 euros for a Schengen visa to Italy, while minors aged 6 to 12 pay a reduced fee of 45 euros. For minors under 6 years old, the visa is free of charge.

How many times can you enter Italy with a Schengen visa?

Usually, when you apply for a Schengen visa, you will be issued a single entry Schengen visa (USV).

There may be a single Schengen visa for Italy:

• Single entry Schengen visa for Italy. With a single entry Schengen visa for Italy, the holder can enter Italy (and any other Schengen country) only once. Once in the Schengen area, you can travel between countries and stay there for up to 90 days. However, once you leave the Schengen area, you cannot return, even if you have not spent all the days during which your visa was valid.
• Double Schengen visa for Italy. With a double entry Schengen visa for Italy, you can enter the Schengen area only twice, as the name suggests. However, the total number of days you can spend in Italy (and other Schengen countries) for both entries cannot exceed 90 days within six months.
• Multiple entry Schengen visa for Italy. If you have a multiple-entry Schengen visa, you can enter Italy (and any other Schengen country) as many times as you want. However, you cannot exceed the 90 days you are allowed to stay on all your combined entries.
• In rare cases, for example, for humanitarian reasons, you can only be issued a Limited Territorial Validity visa for Italy (LTV). With this type of Italian Schengen visa, you can only enter Italy and possibly other specific Schengen countries.
• In addition, important and well-known persons, such as diplomats who often need to enter Italy, can be issued a C visa, which can be valid for one (C1), two (C2), three (C3) or five years (C5). 

What if you want to stay in Italy for more than 90 days?

If you want to stay in Italy for more than 90 days, you must apply for an Italian national visa. Once you have obtained an Italian national visa, you can enter Italy and apply for an Italian residence permit (Permesso di Soggiorno) to obtain permanent residence.

Italian visas for San Marino and Vatican City

Despite the fact that San Marino (microstate) and Vatican City (city-state) are not part of the Schengen area, EU or EEA, you can still enter there with an Italian visa. This is because they are both located in Italy, so the same visa rules apply to them as well.

Requirements for a tourist visa to Italy 

• A complete tourist itinerary. You must attach a document that indicates the dates of your trip (entry and departure), as well as flight numbers. You must also indicate which places you will be visiting in Italy or elsewhere in the Schengen area. This does not have to be an airline ticket, only a reservation of the ticket itself is possible.
• A letter from the tour organizer (if you are traveling with a travel agency).
• Certificate of accommodation. Depending on where in Italy you will be staying, it can be a hotel or hostel reservation or a rental agreement.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources to cover the duration of your stay.

However, if you plan to visit a relative or friend in Italy, you should submit the following documents:

• An invitation letter from your host. If you are visiting a family member/friend in Italy, then they will be your Italian host. Your host may be an Italian citizen or a residence permit holder (in this case, he/she must attach a copy of his/her residence permit to the letter). The letter of invitation must state that you are their relative/friend and specify the dates when you will visit them.
• Proof of kinship. If your host is a family member, such as a spouse, child, or parent, you must provide proof. This can be a birth certificate, marriage certificate or certificate of registered partnership. You should include this in your invitation letter.
• Proof of sufficient financial means. Depending on how you will finance your trip, this can be:

1. Your own bank statements for the last six months (if you will finance the trip yourself).

2. A sponsorship letter from your host along with bank statements (if your host will be financing your trip).

• Proof of accommodation. Depending on where you will be accommodated during your stay in Italy, you may submit:

1. The address of the host's house/apartment.

2. Hotel/hostel reservation or rental agreement. (If you are not going to stay with a family member/friend, you may be asked to confirm that you will actually visit them in another way.)

In addition, there is a set of standard documents that everyone, regardless of the purpose of the trip, must submit when applying for a visa to Italy:

• Italian visa application form.
• Valid passport/travel document.
• Photographs.
• Civil status documents.
• Copies of previous visas.
• Travel insurance.
• Proof of travel.
• Proof of accommodation.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources.
• A cover letter.
• Documents on employment status.
• Visa fees.
• Any additional documents for minors.
• Any additional documents depending on the purpose of entry.

Starting January 2023, Venice will introduce pre-registration and an entrance tax for visiting the city for tourists who do not stay overnight.

All tourists who intend to visit Venice will need to register on a special platform and pay an entrance tax ranging from 3 to 10 euros depending on the season and day of the week.

Medical insurance

The insurance policy for a Schengen visa must meet the following requirements:

• It must cover at least 30,000 euros for medical expenses and emergency evacuation.
• It must be valid in all 26 Schengen countries.
• It must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in Europe.

The cost of treatment. This includes:

1. Inpatient and outpatient treatment.

2. Visits to the doctor.

3. Hospitalization.

4. Surgery.

5. Prescription drugs.

6. Emergency dental care.

Cost of repatriation or evacuation. 

1. If you are seriously ill or get into a serious accident that requires medical assistance from your home country, then travel insurance covers the cost of repatriation. 

2. It also covers repatriation in case of death.