Italy

Visa Italy

Europe · Europe du Sud

In Italy, visas fall under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), which publishes the portal "Il visto per l'Italia". The portal consulted on 2026-09-17 offers a guided procedure in four questions — nationality, country of stable residence, duration and purpose of the stay — which states whether an entry visa is necessary and then provides the required information and forms. The application falls to the Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for the place of stable residence.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (MAECI) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Submission channel: Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for the place of stable residence; the portal has an "Outsourcing" section linking to a list of approved external visa service providers
Electronic visa: Not stated on the portal consulted
Portal language: Italian (version consulted); the portal is also offered in English, Arabic, Russian and Chinese
Short stay: According to the portal, a short stay means a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days, calculated as a single period for all the European countries that use the Entry/Exit System (EES)

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Short-stay visa ("fino a 90 giorni") — general purposes: The portal lists in particular TURISMO, AFFARI, CURE MEDICHE, GARA SPORTIVA, INVITO, MISSIONE, MOTIVI RELIGIOSI, RICERCA, STUDIO, TRANSITO and TRASPORTO. Official page (new tab)
Short-stay visa — work purposes: The portal lists LAVORO AUTONOMO and LAVORO SUBORDINATO, with variants for entertainment and for sporting activity. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa ("oltre 90 giorni") — family and residence: The portal lists MOTIVI FAMILIARI, MOTIVI FAMILIARI - FAMILIARI DI CITTADINO UE, RESIDENZA ELETTIVA, REINGRESSO and ADOZIONE. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa — study, training and research: The portal lists STUDIO, STUDIO - FORMAZIONE PROFESSIONALE, STUDIO - TIROCINIO, RICERCA and VACANZE LAVORO. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa — work and investment: The portal lists LAVORO AUTONOMO, LAVORO SUBORDINATO and its variants (sporting activity, seafarers, entertainment), as well as INVESTITORI. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa — other purposes: The portal lists CURE MEDICHE, MISSIONE, MOTIVI RELIGIOSI, VOLONTARIATO - CONTINGENTE NAZIONALE and VOLONTARIATO - SERVIZIO VOLONTARIO EUROPEO. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The portal "Il visto per l'Italia" offers a guided procedure: from the nationality, the country of stable residence, the purpose of the visit and the duration of the stay, it states whether an entry visa for Italy is necessary. The portal specifies that, where a visa is necessary, all the information and all the forms useful for the application are then provided.

The portal states that, for any additional element, interested persons may contact directly the Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for the place of stable residence. It specifies that the information it publishes is purely indicative and not exhaustive.

The portal warns that the information provided concerns only holders of an ordinary travel document: holders of a diplomatic or service passport are invited to contact the Italian diplomatic or consular representations. An "Outsourcing" section links to a list of approved external visa service providers, the content of which was not consulted.

Steps in the procedure

Answer the four questions of the portal's guided procedure: nationality, country of stable residence, duration of the stay and purpose of the stay.
Read the portal's answer, which states whether an entry visa is necessary in order to come to Italy.
Where a visa is necessary, use the information and the forms that the portal provides for the corresponding category.
Contact the Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for the place of stable residence for any additional element.
Precise filing arrangements (booking an appointment, place, submission of documents): not stated on the pages consulted.

Documents mentioned by the authority

Not stated on the pages consulted: the portal states that the necessary information and forms are provided at the end of the guided procedure, for the visa category concerned.
The portal specifies that the information it publishes concerns only holders of an ordinary travel document.
The portal states that submitting the documentation requested does not necessarily lead to the issuance of the visa.

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

The visa fees are not stated on the pages consulted: not stated on the portal consulted.

The processing times are not stated on the pages consulted: not stated on the portal consulted.

The portal notes the existence of approved external visa service providers, without quantifying their fees on the pages consulted.

After the decision

The decision rests with the authority. The portal states expressly that submitting the documentation requested does not necessarily lead to the issuance of the visa.

The portal specifies that, at the time of entry into Italy and into the Schengen area, even when holding a visa, the border authorities are authorized to ask again for proof of the conditions laid down for obtaining that visa.

According to the page devoted to the Entry/Exit System (EES), consulted on 2026-09-17, that system came into force on October 12, 2025: it records in digital form the entries, exits and any refusals of entry of third-country nationals, replaces the stamping of the passport with an electronic record and collects biometric data, including fingerprints and the facial image. The same page states that holders of a long-stay D visa or of a residence permit issued by a member state are not recorded in the EES.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Italy to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to Italy?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The official portal also offers a guided procedure in four questions. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

The portal refers applicants to the Italian diplomatic or consular representation responsible for the place of stable residence. It also has an "Outsourcing" section linking to a list of approved external visa service providers.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted.

What are the fees and processing times?

Not stated on the portal consulted: the pages read state neither a price nor a processing time. The detail pages by visa purpose could not be opened.

What is the Entry/Exit System (EES)?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the EES came into force on October 12, 2025. It electronically records the entries, exits and refusals of entry of third-country nationals on short stays, replaces the passport stamp and collects biometric data, including fingerprints and the facial image.

Does a complete file guarantee the issuance of the visa?

No. The portal states that submitting the documentation requested does not necessarily lead to the issuance of the visa, and that the border authorities may ask again for proof of the required conditions at the time of entry.

Official sources

Il visto per l'Italia — portail du ministère des Affaires étrangères (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Il visto per l'Italia (new tab) read on 17 September 2026
Sistema di ingressi/uscite (EES) – Avvio operativo dal 12 ottobre 2025 (new tab) read on 17 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The detail pages by visa purpose ("infovisto") are linked from the portal, but their address carries a session identifier: they could not be opened directly and were therefore not consulted.
The Entry/Exit System page and the "Norme generali e istruzioni operative" section were read in a browser, automated retrieval having failed or returned only the home page.
The supporting documents, the fees and the processing times appear on none of the pages consulted; a reviewer must indicate where they are published — pages by visa purpose or sites of the Italian representations.
The list of approved external visa service providers is published as a PDF document, which was not consulted.
Avenues of appeal in the event of refusal are not stated on the pages consulted.
The portal exists in Italian, English, Arabic, Russian and Chinese; only the Italian version was read.
The portal lists more than thirty visa purposes; they are grouped here into six entries, within the limit set by the content contract.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

Describe your situation

Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.
Check at the source

Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.
Track what is left to do

Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case