Italy Tourist Travel Visa | A simple overview

Italy Tourist Travel Visa | A simple overview

Italy, a country in Europe and a Member State of European Union/European Economic Area is home to many architectural styles that spans almost 3,000 years. It has a long Mediterranean coastline of 7,600 kilometres, picturesque lakes, stunning cliffs, hidden cities and so much more that makes this country a popular tourist destination. If you want to visit Italy solely for a vacation, recreation, experiencing the country and its culture or sightseeing, then you may need a Italy tourist travel visa.

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Who may need an Italy Tourist Travel Visa? – Who does and who does not need one?

1 | Who does not need an entry or a tourist visa to visit Italy?

As a Member State of the EU/EEA, Italy “allows for free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states”. This means that there are no border checks and fulfilment of visa requirements for Member State nationals. – therefore, if you are a national of any of the 27 countries of the EU/EEA, you do not need an entry visa or a tourist travel visa.

The following are the Member States of the European Union (EU):

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The European Economic Area (EEA):

The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. It allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.

Switzerland is not an EU or EEA member but is part of the single market. This means Swiss nationals have the same rights to travel to, live and work in any of the EEA countries.

In essence, all EU/EEA nationals will only need to present an identification document to enter Italy.

For non EU/EEA nationals, here’s what you need to know about Italy tourist and visitor travel visa.

2 | Italy Tourist Travel Visa

All non-EU/EEA traveller wishing to travel to Italy for the sole purpose of a vacation, recreation, experiencing the country and its culture or sightseeing, may need a Italy tourist travel visa.

To apply for a tourist travel visa, you need to contact the local consular services of Italy in your country of residence.

When you seek entry as a tourist, you may need to present the following items at the Italian port of entry:

  • A valid passport or travel document – Your passport issued in the last 10 years and has a validity for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of exit of Italy;
  • A visa issued by the local consular services of Italy in your country of residence – if you are required to have one by the Italian government.
  • Proof of financial means to support yourself and your dependants when travelling;
  • An address at which you would be located during your trip;
  • A detailed trip itinerary;
  • A round trip ticket.

*British passport holders are exempt from the criteria of passport validity and issuance date. (Learn more from UK government official website here)

3 | Italy Visitor Travel Visa

When travelling to Italy upon the invitation of a friend or a family member residing in Italy, you will need to hold an Italy Visitor visa. With a visitor visa, you are permitted to enter and remain in Italy for up to 90 days within a 6-month period.

To apply for a visitor travel visa, you need to contact the local consular services of Italy in your country of residence.

When applying to obtain a visa to visit your friends or relatives in Italy, you are required to provide the following additional documents:

  • Proof of financial means. Evidence that shows you have enough money to support yourself throughout your stay in Italy. This could be a personal bank statements, credit card statements or balance covering the last six months;
  • Sponsorship Letter. This is required when another person will be financially sponsoring your trip to Italy. It is also often called an Affidavit of Support.
  • Travel Itinerary. A day-to-day plan of your trip in Italy.
  • Letter of Invitation. By the relative/friend residing in Italy, inviting you to visit.
  • Proof of relationship with the host residing in Italy.

For rules, instructions, all questions, answers and up-to-date information for foreigners intending to visit Italy, visit the official page of the Italian Consular service here.

San Marino & Vatican City

Although San Marino and Vatican City are independent countries within Italy, both countries did not sign the Schengen agreement. However, San Marino and Vatican City are considered part of the Schengen area. If you have a visa to visit Italy, you are not required to obtain a specific visa for San Marino or Vatican. You can travel freely to either of these micro-states as no border control is performed when entering from Italy.

Learn more about the Schengen Agreement from the official page of the EU here.

Finally…

While this post is a simple and quick overview, I hope it has given you an idea of whether you need to explore the possibility of obtaining a tourist travel visa for when you visit Italy. The simple list above of what you may need to show at the port of entry represents concisely the information required to obtain your visa. The following links which I have already referred to above, will provide you with all the information you need to make a successful tourist visa application.

Italian Consular services | The Schengen Agreement/Visa | British Nationals – Learn more from this page

Is this post on Italy tourist travel visa valuable to you to support your Italy tourist travel visa application? If so please let me know in comments below or via Contact Form, I would love to hear from you. Scroll all the way down for more ideas and inspiring travel stories. Subscribe to join us at My Timeless Footsteps to receive all the latest news and events. As always, I am contactable at [email protected] for any further info or to design your itinerary for you.

Happy travels 🙂

Georgina

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By Georgina

Georgina is a travel writer and a content creator. An escapist, she seeks stories, off-beat things to do, and adores the beauty of culture while embracing comfort and slow travel as a responsible traveller in the off-season. Georgina has lived in 3 continents, visited 30+ countries and strives to share her travel steps, passion, and experienced tips to inspire her readers to explore for themselves. Georgina enjoys venturing solo, takes pleasure in listening to classical, country & jazz, and delights in spending joyous time with A & M, her two adult children.

6 comments

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  2. You are welcome. I think as US passport holders, you can still visit for up to 90 days and get your visa at point of entry but please do check before going to Italy .

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  4. Do all passport holders now need a visa for Italy? I’m from the US and I didn’t have a visa the last time I was there. Is it just if you want to stay the 90 days? This is super informative, thanks!

  5. Yes, you’d need an ESTA to the US 🙂

  6. I dont seem to need a visa, thats good to know 🙂

    As a european traveling within europe, I dont think I need one. But if I travel to the US I think I need an ESTA 🙂

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