Documents

• When applying for an Italian visa, the applicant must submit two recent, passport-sized photographs. She must provide a copy of her passport information, and the passport itself must be valid for at least three months after the planned duration of stay. The applicant should also provide a copy of her flight itinerary. A completed application should be submitted to an Italian consulate, along with the above documents and any required filing fees.
  
  

Other Requirements

• In addition to the above documents, the applicant may be required to submit addition letters or evidence depending on their purpose for entry. For example, a student attending an Italian university is required to submit the details of his acceptance and dates of the terms he will be enrolled in. A professional, on the other hand, will be asked to identify his employer and the terms of his employment and to submit a confirmation letter. Moreover, an applicant is often required to prove that he has the financial means to support himself in Italy, such as requesting a letter of financial status from his bank. A visa applicant with friends or family in Italy is also encouraged to request them to submit letters of support to the Italian consulate on his behalf.
  
  

Visa Process

• An applicant can obtain a Visa Kit from an Italian consulate or from a national Italian post office, if she is already in Italy. A person planning to enter Italy can submit her application to the same consulate, while a person already in Italy must submit it to one of many designated post offices. After the visa application is processed and approved, the applicant must follow up by submitting an application for residence. A person currently residing in Italy has 20 days to do so.
  
  

Visa Types

• Italy is a party to the Schengen Agreement, and consequently the holder of a Uniform Schengen Visa is able to travel through all of the other member states. In some cases, the applicant may be issued a National Visa, which limits travel through the other member states to five days. It is important to identify the type of visa you have been issued and the travel rules and regulations it bestows for other European member states.