How To Get Tourist Visa For Italy
If you are planning a trip to Italy and want to experience all the wonderful, historical sites and leave a lasting impression on yourself & your family, then you would need to get a visa for it. Tourist visas for Italy can only be obtained outside the country and before you embark on your journey. These tourist visas are given for short- period of time (usually a week).
You can learn all you need to know about how to get a tourist visa for Italy by reading this article. It is broken down into sections that explain the most important aspects, including what type of visa you need, how to apply and how to prepare your documents accordingly.
Last year in march, my husband and I went to Italy. Although we had the opportunity to go there many times before, it was only then that we finally started planning what we wanted to see and do while on holiday. During our research, one thing kept coming up: Italy has stringent visa requirements which determine whether or not you are eligible for a tourist visa or not.
How To Get Tourist Visa For Italy
Applying for Italian Visa from USA can be a huge burden on your finances and time. Italy is one of the most beautiful country in the world, every year millions of tourists visit Italy to have nice holidays with their family members.
Italy has been on top of the list for many travel enthusiasts throughout the world. The country draws you in with its rich artistic heritage, diverse landscapes and delectable cuisine.
Italy attracts approximately 50 million tourists from all over the world each year. Some of them enter the country with just a passport and/or ID, while others needed to apply for an Italy Tourist Visa beforehand.
A Tourist Visa for Italy is simply a Schengen Visa with the purpose of tourism. That’s because Italy is part of the Schengen Agreement which consists of 26 Eurpoean countries that have established visa-free travel among them.
So, if you want to travel to Italy for tourism purposes, you may have to apply for a Schengen visa. Your Schengen tourist visa for Italy will allow you free travel to the other Schengen countries as well within the time that the visa is valid.
Do I Need to Apply for an Italy Tourist Visa?
The main indicator of whether you have to apply for a tourist visa for Italy is your nationality.
You can travel to Italy without a visa if you are:
- A national from a Schengen Country
- A national from an EU (European Union) or EEA (European Economic Area) member state or from Switzerland
- A national from another (non-EU/EEA/Schengen) country who has been exempt from Schengen Visas
- A holder of a residence permit/visa issued by another Schengen country
Otherwise, you will most likely have to apply for a visa.
Click here to see a more detailed list of who needs a Schengen Visa for Italy.
When Can I Submit the Application?
You can apply for an Italy Tourist Visa:
- At the latest: Two weeks before your planned trip
- At the earliest: Six months before your planned trip
However, you have to apply well in advance because the Italy visa processing time can take up to three weeks (15 working days) or more depending on your country or particular case.
For example, if you have omitted to submit a particular required document, it will delay the processing time. That’s because the visa officials have to send you back your application so you can resubmit once it is completed.
Furthermore, depending on the country and time of year, even booking an appointment can take some time so you have to keep that in mind if you need to enter Italy at a particular time.
Where Should I Submit the Italy Tourist Visa Application?
If you are from a country whose nationals need a visa for Italy, you must apply for an Italy Tourist visa at the appropriate location for applying for Italian visas in your country. This could be one of the following:
- The Italian Representation in your country (such as an Italian embassy or consulate).
- A Visa Application Center, such as VFS Global, COX and Kings, or TLS International, to which the Italian government has outsourced visa applications to.
- The Representation of another Schengen country to which the Italian government has outsourced visa applications to (if there is no Italian Representation in your country).
Before you apply however, you must book an appointment. You cannot submit the application for an Italy visa without prior appointment.
Italy Tourist Visa Application
An outline of the Italy tourist visa application process is:
- Book the appointment.
- Complete the Italy Visa Application Form.
- Gather the required documents.
- Submit the application in person.
- Enter the visa interview.
- Pay the visa fees.
- Wait for processing.
See a more detailed guide regarding the Italy Visa Application Process here.
What are the requirements for the Italy Tourist Visa?
When you submit the application for a tourist visa for Italy, you must have several supporting documents. One of them is the Italy Visa Application Form.
The requirements for an Italy Tourist Visa are:
- Complete Travel itinerary. You must include a document detailing the dates of your travel (entry and exit) as well as flight numbers. You also have to specify what places you will be visiting in Italy or elsewhere in the Schengen Area. It does not necessarily have to be an actual flight ticket, only a flight reservation.
- Letter from your tour organizer. (If you are travelling with a tour agency)
- Proof of accomodation. Depending on where in Italy you will be staying, this could be a hotel/hostel booking, or a rental agreement.
- Proof of sufficient financial means to provide for the duration of your stay.