Italy Visa Policy

Italy’s visa policy determines who needs a visa to enter the country or if a foreign citizen is part of the list of visa-exempt countries.

The visa requirements for travelers to Italy depend on nationality, the purpose of the visit, and the period of intended stay.

Italy is one of the 26 countries that make up the Schengen passport-free zone in Europe. Travelers from other Schengen Area countries are permitted freedom of movement simply by presenting a valid National ID card.

A number of other visa-exempt countries can also currently gain visa-free access to Italy either by air, land or sea for a maximum stay of 90 days for tourism, business, medical treatment or transit purposes.

However, by the end of 2022, visa-free citizens from outside of the Schengen Area will be required to pre-register for an ETIAS authorization to visit Italy for short stays.

This online visa waiver will be available through a simple online application, and, once approved is electronically linked to the traveler’s passport.

All foreign citizens who wish to visit Italy for longer-term stays or other purposes are required to apply for an embassy visa from an Italian government diplomatic office.

Any foreign citizen who does not belong to the Schengen Area must have a valid passport to travel to Italy, whether they require a visa or not.

Below you will find a complete list of Italian visa regulations to travel to Italy from your country of residence.

According to Italian tourist visa policy, travelers from more than 90 countries and territories do not need a visa to visit Italy for short stays for tourism.

Citizens from a Schengen Area member country who wish to visit Italy for tourist purposes do not require a visa, as they are permitted freedom of movement within the passport-free zone.

Travelers from all other visa-exempt countries for Italy also do not currently need a visa for tourism, as long as the stay does not exceed 90 days, although they must present a valid passport to gain entry.

However, this will change by 2022 when it will become mandatory for all visa-free citizens from outside of the Schengen Area to register online for a travel authorization for tourism (ETIAS) in advance, through a simple electronic application.

An approved ETIAS is a multiple entry online authorization that will allow short tourist stays in all 26 Schengen countries during its validity.

All other foreign citizens who wish to visit Italy for tourism need to obtain a Schengen visa for tourism issued by the nearest Italian embassy or consulate.

Italian visa policy states that a Schengen tourist visa application for Italy can be submitted up to 6 months before entering the country. It is usually necessary to make an appointment at the nearest Italian diplomatic mission and bring a completed tourist visa application form.

Once the applicant submits the required supporting documentation, it is also necessary to pay an embassy visa processing fee to receive an approved travel document.

Find below further information about Italian tourist visa requirements for your nationality.

The European visa waiver for Italy (ETIAS) is an electronic travel authorization which will become mandatory for visa-exempt citizens from 2022.

ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System, a program which was approved by the European Parliament in 2016. This online visa waiver is being to pre-screen all visa-exempt travelers to increase security in all 26 countries in the Schengen Area, including Italy.

Once implemented, all visa-free travelers to Italy from outside the Schengen zone will be required to complete a simple online application to receive an approved ETIAS travel authorization electronically linked to their passport.

An approved ETIAS for Italy is a multiple entry online visa waiver which allows the holder multiple short stays in Italy and all of the Schengen countries during its validity, allow eligible citizens to travel to Italy for business, tourism, transit, or medical treatment.

Holders of an Italian ETIAS waiver can stay in Italy and the Schengen Area for a maximum stay of 90 days with each entry. The validity of the document is 3 years from the date of approval.

To obtain an ETIAS visa waiver, eligible citizens will need to have a passport with a minimum validity of 3 months from the date of arrival. It will also be necessary to indicate the Schengen member state of first intended entry, whether Italy or another Schengen country.

Although Italian visa policy indicates that more than 90 nationalities are exempt from a visa for short stays, there are over 150 territories whose citizens must obtain a Schengen visa for Italy in advance regardless of the intended purpose and length of the trip.

In order to apply for an Italian Schengen visa, it is necessary to make an appointment at the nearest embassy or consulate of Italy to the applicant’s home.

This should be requested well in advance of the trip, at least 2 to 3 weeks before the intended date of arrival in Italy, to guarantee sufficient visa processing time.

Schengen visa requirements usually state that it is necessary for the applicant to fill out a form with personal and passport data to bring along to the interview, indicating the purpose of travel and the intended length of stay on the application.

An Italian embassy visa may be issued for tourism, business, to study, work, or transit, or for another purpose.

After submitting the form to a consular official, the visitor must pay the Schengen visa processing fee before the travel document can be approved.

The applicant must also ensure that the passport used to apply has at least 6 months’ validity from the intended date of entry to Italy.

Browse the list below and discover if an Italian embassy visa is required for your nationality to travel to the country.

Italian visa policy states that foreign citizens of over 90 countries who want to visit Italy do not need a visa to do so.

Like Italy, 26 of these countries are part of the Schengen passport-free area, and their citizens are granted freedom of movement within the territory with a valid ID Card.

Other visa-exempt travelers are usually permitted a maximum stay of 90 days in Italy visa-free, and for purposes of either tourism, business, medicinal treatment, or transit. This applies whether entering Italy by air, land or sea, as long as the visa-free citizen presents a valid passport upon arrival.

However, from 2022, these same citizens will also be required to have an approved ETIAS authorization to travel to Italy and any of the other Schengen countries for short stays.

For longer stays or to visit Italy for other purposes, visa-exempt citizens are required to contact their nearest Italian embassy for further information.

Below you can find a full list of the countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter Italy.