Visa to Italy

Do you need a visa to Italy? A document for a visa to Italy is required at the place of obtaining a visa to Italy, and read about other visa nuances in our article Visa to Italy.
Since Italy is one of the Schengen countries, Russian citizens visiting Italy must first obtain a visa.
Contents of the article:
many people consider visas to Italy to be complicated on their own, but applying for a visa to Italy through a travel agency differs only in that the documents for a visa to Italy are not sent to the consulate. At the same time, the most important thing is the burden of collecting all the papers, which in any case does not lie with you. However, getting a visa to Italy is actually not that difficult. The main thing is that your documents are in order.
Schengen visa to Italy
There are several types Schengen visas to Italy , but for tourists the main interest when visiting Italy is a standard tourist or transport visa.
Other types of visas include transport, business and student, which can be found in detail on the website of the Italy Visa Application Center in Russia.
Tourist visa to Italy
To obtain a tourist visa, you must submit the following package of documents to the consular section of the embassy or the Italian visa center in this country.
- A copy of the first page of the passport with personal data and signature of the applicant.
- A 3 x 4 adhesive color photograph taken on a white background without corners or ovals, with a letter printed in English or Italian on the Italy visa application form, with the personal signature of the applicant.
- Health insurance policies for Schengen countries with a minimum coverage of EUR 30, 000 can be purchased directly at the visa application center.
Compare prices for health insurance policies from leading Russian insurance companies Medical travel insurance for a visa to Italy. Enter your country and travel dates, then select the appropriate option and create your policy.
- A certificate signed by the manager from the place of work on company letterhead indicating the address and contact details of the employer, job title, work experience and salary of the applicant. Individual entrepreneurs – a copy of the enterprise registration certificate; pensioners – pension certificate; students – a certificate from the place of study signed by the dean.
- Confirmation that the applicant has a sufficient amount of financial resources for the trip (the required amount can be checked on the website of the visa center) – original statements or passbooks and copies regarding the status of the bank account, bank guarantee and traveler’s checks.
- Confirmation of railway or air tickets in both directions and copies or their reservation.
- Receipts of payment of the visa fee of 35 euros, which is not charged for children under 6 years of age, EU citizens and close relatives with disabilities (proof of disability must be provided). Waivers must be used within 90 days of receipt.
- Hotel or hostel reservation with address, indicating the applicant’s length of stay, cost and name.
- Those who purchased a tour from a travel agent must provide each tourist (including children) with the original receipt for full payment of the travel package. The order must include all paid services (for example, accommodation, meals, transfers, insurance, excursions, train or air tickets).
- Old passport and/or second valid passport, if available.
Visa to Italy by invitation
In addition to the above documents.
- An invitation letter from an Italian citizen or a foreigner legally residing in Italy is supported by a copy of the passport (page with personal data and personal signature) or residence permit. The invitation letter must indicate the length of stay of the invitee in Italy, place of residence, and it must be signed by the inviter.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents in some cases and will call the applicant for an interview.

Transit visa to Italy
Visual travel through Italy is prohibited unless the tourist has a valid Schengen visa and documents confirming the possibility or necessity of travel through Italian territory.
To apply for a transport visa, you must provide almost the same documents as for a tourist visa. However, in this case they are provided instead of invitations or armor of the hotel and parish orders.
- State visa is the next and last item (if necessary).
- Ticket, train ticket or document for a personal car.
- Documentation confirming the need for transit through Italian territory (for example, a detailed planned itinerary or confirmation of a ticket to the final destination country or a ticket to a third country).
Traveling with children
If you are traveling with children under the age of majority, you will need to provide a lot of documentation.
- Fill out the Italy visa application form in Italian or English, signed by both parents.
Power of attorney for the removal of a child.
- Child’s birth certificate (original + copy). If the name of one or both parents does not match the child’s name on the birth certificate, you must provide copies of documents confirming the relationship (father’s certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate).
- When a child travels with one of the parents, it is necessary to provide a notarized permission to travel with the other parent and a copy of it (the validity period of such permission is 30 days). A copy of the parent entered in the passport giving consent for the child’s entry and exit is also required. If the child is accompanied by a third party, notarized permission is required from both the parent and his/her copy, as well as both the copy and the original of the visa and ticket.
- If one of the parents dies or is deprived of parental rights, it is necessary to provide notarized copies of the relevant documents. If one of the parents is absent, a police certificate is required.
- If the child does not have his own passport, a copy of the first page of the parent’s passport and the first page on which the child is registered.
Requirements for a power of attorney

Documents for a visa to Italy are submitted to the Italian visa center (see information about the centers below). Residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, Murmansk and the region, Pushkov and the region, Karelia submit documents directly to the Consulate General of Italy in St. Petersburg.
Validity and registration periods for a visa to Italy
The standard processing time for a visa to Italy is seven working days. However, this figure may increase during peak tourism periods.
Short-term Schengen visas are issued for six months, and the validity within the country is limited to 90 days. Single-use, double-use and reusable cards are issued for a period of up to one year. The specific number of days allowed for stay in the country is established by the consular service in accordance with the conditions specified in the invitation or hotel reservation.
Dactyloscopy (fingerprinting)
Since September 2015, the procedure for submitting fingerprints (S O-Calculated Dactyloscopy) has become mandatory. Only children under 12 years of age are released; all others must come to the consulate or visa center in person. The procedure is carried out simultaneously with the submission of the main package of documents and in the shortest possible time. The validity period of the fingerprints is five years, after which the procedure must be completed again.
Cost of a visa to Italy
The consular fee for a tourist or transport visa for citizens of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine is 35 euros. In case of urgency, a visa can be issued urgently, and the fee is doubled and costs 70 euros.
In Moscow, the consular fee is paid through the cash desk of ZAO Banca Intesa, located directly in the visa center. The consular fee is paid for submitting documents in rubles at the exchange rate. For visa center services, a service fee of 3, 500 rubles is charged.
The applicant is exempt from paying the consular fee.
- Children under 6 years of age at the time of visa request.
- Minors adopted by Italian citizens.
- Parent relative (mother, father, wife, husband, child) of an EU citizen;
- Diplomatic officers and administrative staff of the missions of the Russian Federation, as well as members of recognized families in Italy.
- Foreign citizens on long-term business trips.
- Socially significant individuals.
Service fees for document processing are collected at the visa application center from each applicant.






