Italy Visa

The Schengen Visa is a short stay visa and takes the form of a sticker affixed to your passport. The definition of “short stay” is a stay of "90 days in any 180 days period". This means that the total duration of stay is of maximum 90 days in any period of 180 days. The precise length of validity of your Schengen Visa is indicated on the visa sticker under the heading “Duration of visit”. With a single-entry visa you can enter the Schengen area only once. This is indicated on the visa sticker under the heading "Number of entries" by "1". A two-entry or a multiple-entry visa allows for two or several entries during the validity of the Schengen Visa. This is indicated on the visa sticker by "02" or "MULT" under the heading "Number of entries".

No, not necessarily all Schengen Visas will be granted for 90 days. You may get the Schengen Visa only for the number of days that you present in your travel itinerary and your flight & hotel bookings

You are free to again apply for a Schengen Visa if your application has been refused earlier.

The Schengen Visa cover letter is a letter which summarizes your intent to travel to a country that is part of the Schengen area. In your cover letter you should explain:

• the purpose of your trip
• when and where you intend to travel
• how your trip is going to be funded
• day-by-day itinerary for your trip
• duration of the trip

You cannot extend your Italy short-stay while in Italy except in special circumstances, and exceeding your permitted period of stay is considered an act of illegality or criminality. Instead, you must return to your home country within the permitted period of stay and apply for another Italy Visa if necessary.

A short-stay Schengen Visa allows you to enter and stay in the Italy territory for a maximum period of 90 days within a period of six months.

You may only submit your Schengen visa application 90 days before your date of departure. We recommend that you apply at least 20 working days before the date you wish to depart as certain types of travel purpose may take longer than usual to process. For instance, the processing time of your Schengen Visa Application will take between 5-15 working days from your appointment date.

Typically, an Italy Visa (Schengen Visa) takes anywhere from 5 to 15 days to process in the Italy Embassy/Consulate. The processing time for an Italy Visa is dependent on several factors and can change without notice at the consulate's discretion.

Yes, an appointment is mandatory for Italy Visa application in order to provide your biometrics and submit your visa documents.

Every member of the family needs an individual appointment.

The Schengen area covers 26 countries ("Schengen States") without border controls between them. These countries are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. These countries apply the common visa policy for short stay Visas. This Visa allows you to travel through Italy and the Schengen area for up to 90 days.

The Schengen Visa must be applied from the Embassy / Consulate of the country where you will be staying for maximum number of days. If your stay has equal number of days in each country then you must apply to the Embassy / Consulate of the country which would serve as the first port of entry.

Schengen Visas may allow for a single-entry or multiple entries. With a single-entry visa you can enter the Schengen area only once. This is indicated on the visa sticker by "01". With a visa allowing for two or multiple entries you may enter twice or several times during the validity of the Schengen Visa.

According to the EU, a single-entry Schengen Visa allows entry to the Schengen area only once, meaning you are not permitted to re-enter the Schengen Area after leaving, while a multiple-entry Schengen Visa allows multiple entries into the Schengen Area within the visa’s validity period (90 days total within 180-day period).

The short-stay visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area. At the border (or during other controls) you may have to show the visa but also provide additional documentation for example; evidence that you have sufficient means to cover the stay and the return trip. It is therefore recommended that you carry with you copies of the documents which you presented while applying for the Schengen visa (e.g. letters of invitation, travel confirmations, other documents stating the purpose of your stay).

Yes, applications by mail will not be accepted. The Schengen visa application should be presented in person because biometrical data must be recorded.

As from 2nd November 2015 following the introduction of the Visa Information System (VIS), all Schengen visa applicants in India have to appear in person in order to provide biometric data (fingerprints and digital photography). The photograph can be digitally taken at the time of the application or scanned from an existing one. For subsequent applications within the 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. In case of reasonable doubt regarding the identity of the applicant, the consulate will again collect fingerprints within the 5 year period specified above. Furthermore, the applicant may request that they be collected if, at the time when the application is lodged, it cannot be immediately confirmed that the fingerprints were collected within this 5 years period.

Yes. Applicants should prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Schengen Member States. The insurance should be valid throughout the territory of the Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay or transit. The minimum coverage must be EUR 30000.

Your travel Insurance plan for a Schengen Visa must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros (approx. USD $34,000)
• Coverage for repatriation for medical reasons
• Coverage for emergency medical treatment
• Coverage for expenses resulting from your death
• Coverage for the entire period of your intended stay
• Valid in all Schengen Area countries

Even though Travel Insurance is a mandatory requirement for processing Schengen Visa, you are strongly advised to purchase a health / travel insurance to cover yourself in Italy as medical treatment can be very expensive in Italy. We can certainly assist you with the travel insurance as it’s an absolute necessity for International travel in the event of unexpected events such as medical emergencies, baggage delay or loss etc.

The easiest way to apply for an Italy Visa is to contact us. We are experts in the travel and tourism sector with over 40 years of exp erience. Through our expertise, in-depth knowledge and integrity, we commit to delivering an exceptional experience to our customers each and every time you use our service. In order to help us understand your unique visa needs, please drop in your query and our Expert will get in touch with you.

How to apply for Italy Visa Online:

1. Choose your preferred type of Italy Visa based on your Travel type
2. Make payment online
3. Submit documents online on our portal
4. Receive your Italy Visa once approved

VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. is the preferred outsourced partner to Embassy & Consulate General of Italy in India. VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. Italy Application Centers function as collection and processing centers for Italy Visa.

Applicants can check the status of your visa application online using the VFS Reference number and last name. Kindly visit the Track Your Application section of the Italy VFS website.

As an application centre,VFS will not be able to guarantee you a visa. The issuance or refusal of a Italy visa is the sole prerogative of The Embassy/Consulate. The Italy Visa Application Centre cannot influence this decision in any way.

We have you covered across India with presence in all the major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and many more.

Italy Visa Fees for Indian Citizens