How to Obtain the Tourist Visa for Italy

The beautiful landscapes and rich cultural heritage make Italy one of the most visited countries in the world, however, for some visitors, tourist visas are required before coming here. Even so, it is not hard to apply for a tourist visa for Italy for those considering a vacation or a city break in one of Europe’s greatest countries.

Below, our immigration lawyers in Italy explain the main steps for obtaining a tourist visa. If you are interested in coming to Italy as a tourist or want to move here, you can rely on our help.

Preparations before traveling to Italy

Foreign citizens who want to travel to Italy for short periods should prepare ahead. The first thing to do is verify if they need to apply for a visa before leaving their home countries. If EU citizens do not need to apply for any type of visa, non-EU and non-EEA citizens must check the type of visas they need. Our immigration lawyers in Italy advise non-EU citizens to also verify other aspects of their travel arrangements to this country.

With respect to non-EU citizens, these can apply for a tourist visa if they need to travel for short periods to Italy. Depending on their countries of residence, it is possible for other documents to be required when filing for an Italian tourist visa.

EU citizens visiting Italy

For citizens of the European Union and of the European Economic Area (EEA), there is no need to apply for a tourist visa for Italy. These enter Italy based on their identification documents or passports which do not require any stamp or sticker representing a visa. Italy is also a member of the Schengen area which means that all citizens coming from other member states also have the right to free travel to Italy.

If you are an EU citizen and want to immigrate to Italy for another purpose than visiting, you can discuss your relocation options with one of our lawyers.

Non-EU citizens visiting Italy

Citizens of non-EU/non-EEA countries on the EU visa list (Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806) need a Schengen (type C) visa; nationals of visa-exempt countries (e.g. USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil) can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Such visas must be obtained from the Italian Embassy or Consulate in their home countries, however, the procedure is not complicated or lengthy.

The main documents required to obtain a tourist visa for Italy are:

the visa application form which usually comes in an online form;
the valid passport – it must be valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure from the Schengen area and have been issued within the previous 10 years;
proof of accommodation in the form of a hotel reservation must be presented;
the airway ticket which will contain the flight number, the date of departure and return;
travel insurance and proof of sufficient financial resources to suffice for the duration of the visit.

In some cases, an itinerary of the visit could be required. In it, the tourist must also provide information about the places the person will visit and if these places are located in another Schengen state. For those traveling under an organized tour, a letter from the tour operator will be required.

It is also possible to apply for an Italian tourist visa for coming here and seeing family or friends, which is why for the citizens visiting for this purpose, a letter of invitation will be required.

The documents you will need to file in order to obtain the tourist visa depend very much on your reasons, which is why we invite you to discuss with our immigration lawyers in Italy who can provide the necessary support before traveling here.

An important aspect to consider for non-EU citizens who have Schengen visas is that they do not need to apply for another visa when coming to Italy for tourism purposes.

If you are considering relocation to Italy, however, do not doubt in asking for our immigration services.

Steps for applying for a tourist visa for Italy

Citizens who need to apply for tourist visas for Italy need to consider a few important things. Among these, the application procedure which should begin no later than 2 weeks before the travel, however, we advise on applying for the required visa as soon as the flight was booked. This is because the processing time of the visa is particular for each country.

The steps that will be completed when applying for a tourist visa for Italy consist of:

booking the appointment and completing the application form;
preparing the documents required for the visa (one should make sure all documents are in place in order to not delay the issuance of the visa);
filing the application form and the documents with the Italian Embassy or Consulate;
participating in the interview and paying the visa fees;
picking up the passport after the visa is issued.

If you need help in organizing the documents for applying for a tourist visa, you can rely on our expat services in Italy.

The tourist Schengen visa for Italy

As mentioned above, the Schengen visa can also be used for traveling to Italy as the country is in the Schengen area. This aspect offers a lot of benefits especially to non-EU citizens who are settled in one of these countries and want to come to Italy.

If you are a resident of a Schengen country, note that no visa is needed (a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen state allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days); other applicants must provide additional documents among which a bank statement that must indicate the financial status of the applicant for the past 6 months, the travel itinerary, and evidence on how the trip will be financed.

Traveling to Italy under organized tours

An important share of the foreign citizens who come to Italy based on tourist visas prefers organized tours. This option has the advantage of obtaining the documents related to the travel much faster, as the organizer can handle the process partially or totally. In certain cases, the tour operator can even handle the tourist visa application procedure.

When traveling to Italy with an organized tour, the visitor must obtain certain information from the travel agency, such as the flight ticket number and the itinerary.

The procedure of traveling to Italy based on a tourist visa has been simplified and the procedure can be completed in a matter of days, however, it is useful to know that one should start the process earlier in order to have all aspects covered.

If you want toimmigrate to Italy and need assistance, our lawyers are at your service with tailored support.

Insurance requirements when seeking to obtain a tourist visa for Italy

One of the main requirements associated to obtaining an Italian tourist visa is having health insurance. Tourists, however, can also apply for travel insurance if they want to have extra protection in case of accidents or other unpredictable situations. The travel insurance is a good option for those who want to practice various sports, as well as for recovering the amount of money paid for the vacation in case they cannot travel anymore.

With respect to the mandatory health insurance, the minimum coverage must be EUR 30,000. This requirement applies on the entire Schengen territory. Speaking of it, foreign citizens can also come to Italy based on their Schengen visas if they are residents of member countries.

Funds for staying in Italy

Depending on the duration of stay, foreign citizens coming to Italy based on tourist visas must also submit proof of sufficient funds. Those who want to stay in Italy for no more than 5 days, around 270 euros will suffice. For stays of 6 to 10 days, the minimum amount of money to be secured per day is 45 euros, while for periods of 11 to 20 days, foreign nationals must dispose of a fixed EUR 51.65 plus EUR 36.67 per day (for stays over 20 days: EUR 206.58 plus EUR 27.89 per day).

If you plan on traveling to Italy, our immigration lawyers can offer various services depending on the duration of your stay and the type of visa you need.

Can a tourist visa be used for other purposes?

Even if the main purpose of the Italian tourist visa is travel, it is useful to know that non-EU citizens can also use this type of visa to come here for business reasons. This means that if a non-EU national plans to start a business or is in the process of company incorporation and needs to travel to Italy for various formalities, the tourist visa can be used for entering the country.

In this case, supporting documents should be prepared.

Our lawyers in Italy can also help foreign investors who are interested in business immigration. We remind these that Italy also has various programs dedicated to non-EU high net worth individuals who want to move here. The Golden Visa Scheme in Italy is one of the options available to them.

The tourism sector in Italy

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Italy, which is why there are numerous agencies that promote it. According to pre-pandemic statistics published by statista.com:

Italy is the 5^th most visited country in the world and 3^rd international tourist attraction in Europe;
in 2018, there were 94 million international tourists in Italy;
out of the 94 million, 1.8 million were U.S. citizens who were accommodated in Rome;
in 2019, Venice was one of the most visited cities in Italy with 4.77 million tourists.

If you want to visit Italy, you can rely on our assistance in obtaining a tourist visa. You can also contact us if you are interested in immigrating to Italy.

Please mind that the tourist visa can’t be used as a way to apply for citizenship in Italy. For this, you must be the holder of a long-term (type D) visa and residence permit and, for naturalization, at least 10 years of legal, registered residence (an EU long-term/permanent permit is not required).

Legal, continuous residence in Italy (10 years for most non-EU nationals) is a prerequisite for citizenship, and it is necessary when the foreigner will become a citizen through naturalization.