Flag of Italy

Italy

Italy runs down a long peninsula from the Alps into the Mediterranean, with Sicily and Sardinia offshore and Rome as its capital, a country of ancient sites, Renaissance art and regional food. Italian is the language and the euro the currency, and Italy is a member of the Schengen Area.

Hotels in RomeFlights to Florence

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  • CapitalRome
  • CurrencyEUR €
  • TimezoneCentral European Time (UTC+1; summer UTC+2)
  • LanguagesItalian
  • Population58.9M (2023)
  • Area302,068 km²
  • RegionEurope · Southern Europe
  • Phone code+39
  • Native nameItalia
  • Electricity230 V
  • Plug typesEuroplug · Schuko · Type L
  • Driving sideright
  • Internet domain.it

Visa Requirements for Italy

Holders of American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports need no visa for Italy and may stay up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area, for tourism or business. Irish citizens move freely as citizens of the EU, and Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey. Longer stays for study, work, elective residence, remote work or family reunification need an Italian national visa (Type D).

Before you travel

  • 90 days in any 180

    A visitor whose passport needs no visa may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area, Italy included, for tourism, business, conferences or visits.

  • The passport

    The passport must have been issued within the previous ten years and remain valid for three months beyond the departure from the Schengen Area.

  • The declaration of presence

    Every visitor from outside the EU declares their presence in Italy within eight days of arrival: a hotel or other registered lodging does it at check-in, and the entry stamp counts as the declaration on arrival from outside the Schengen Area; a visitor staying privately after entering from another Schengen country files it at the local police headquarters (questura).

  • The Schengen visa file

    A Schengen visa is applied for at the Italian consulate or visa office responsible for the applicant's place of residence, with the application form, passport photographs, an itinerary, proof of accommodation and of means, and travel insurance at the Schengen minimum, whose current threshold is checked with the consulate.

  • After arrival on a long-stay visa

    A holder of a national visa (Type D) applies for a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within eight days of arrival.

Language requirement

Italian visas set no language level; residence and nationality do. The integration agreement signed on arrival by most non-EU residents commits them to spoken Italian at A2, the EU long-term residence permit asks for A2, and citizenship by marriage or residence requires B1 from a recognised body — CILS, CELI, PLIDA, CERT.IT or Ce.Co.L. — with the CILS B1 Cittadinanza exam built for it. Italian-taught degrees usually ask for B2.

Certificates, tools and tutors

Visa types

Visa-Free Entry (Schengen)

Up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen Area, Italy included; the passport valid three months beyond departure and issued within the last ten years.

For tourism, business, conferences or visiting friends and family on a passport that needs no Schengen visa.

Free movement

No limit

For Irish citizens, who live, work and travel in Italy freely as citizens of the EU.

Schengen Visa (Type C)

Up to 90 days within any 180-day period; valid for all Schengen countries; single, double or multiple entry.

For short stays, tourism, business, cultural events or conferences, on a passport that needs a Schengen visa.

National Visa (Type D) — Study

The length of the programme; part-time work allowed

For a degree, an art or design school, a language course, an exchange or doctoral research in Italy, applied for at the Italian consulate with the letter of acceptance, proof of funds and health insurance.

National Visa (Type D) — Work

The length of the contract, renewable; leads to a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno)

For employment with an Italian employer, an intra-company transfer or the EU Blue Card for highly skilled professionals; it needs a signed contract and the work authorisation (nulla osta) the employer obtains from the immigration office (Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione).

Elective Residence Visa

One year at first, renewable

For people of independent means, retirees and those living on passive income, who wish to live in Italy without working; the income required is reviewed from time to time and is checked with an Italian consulate.

Digital Nomad Visa

Up to one year, renewable

For highly qualified remote workers, employed or self-employed, who work for clients or employers outside Italy, with proof of income and health insurance.

Family Reunification Visa (Type D)

Long-stay; a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) after arrival

For joining a spouse, registered partner, minor children or other family members living legally in Italy, whether Italian citizens or residence-permit holders.

Working Holiday Visa

Up to 12 months

For young Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians, under bilateral agreements, to travel in Italy and work to fund the stay.

Guides

Italy was not a unified country until 1861, and that late unification is why regional identity runs so deep: every region keeps its own pasta, its own wine and its own dialect, and Italian food is really twenty regional kitchens. Rome, Florence and Venice anchor the classic route, joined by fast trains, while the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, the Cinque Terre, Naples, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia reward going further. A first trip usually pairs the three great cities with one slower region.

Italy travel guide →

Renaissance art in place, the layered ruins, the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Milan's fashion and a two-week route.

Money in Italy →

Euros, cards and cash, tipping, and the coperto explained.

Eating in Italy →

Twenty cuisines kept apart by law: DOC and DOCG wine, Neapolitan pizza's protected recipe, and the markets that show it.

Getting around Italy →

High-speed and regional trains, the ticket to stamp, the ZTL cameras, strikes, ferries to the islands and the airports.

Health & safety in Italy →

Pickpockets and scams, riposo and Ferragosto, tap water and the heat, medical care and church dress codes.

Cities & planning

FlorenceTuscanyGenoaLiguriaMilanLombardyNaplesRomeLazioTurinVeniceVenetoVeronaVeneto

Airports

Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY)BGYRome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)FCOMilan Malpensa Airport (MXP)MXP

Plan your trip

FlightsFlorence (FLR)FlightsGenoa (GOA)FlightsMilan (MIL)HotelsFlorence · Genoa · MilanTrainsTrain ticketsAttractionsTickets & tours

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Regions

Autonomous regions · 2
SicilyTrentino-South Tyrol

Embassies & missions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Italy?

Not for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport; Irish citizens move freely as EU citizens. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey.

Does an Italian Schengen visa cover the rest of Europe?

Yes: it is valid across the whole Schengen Area, not just Italy, and days spent anywhere in the area count towards the same 90 days in any 180.

Planning a trip to Italy? Compare hotels and flights and book in minutes.

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Hotels in RomeFlights to Florence

This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.