Italy

Italy visa guide: all visa and residence types

13 visa types
checked 25 October 2026

How visas for Italy work

Italy issues Schengen (type C) visas for stays of up to 90 days and national (type D) visas for longer stays, under rules set by the Foreign Ministry's "Il visto per l'Italia" framework. You apply to the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, which decides on the application; in some countries files are lodged through an external service provider that only receives them.

Fees follow Italy's consular fee table (EUR 90 for a Schengen visa, EUR 116 for most national visas), and each mission states the currency and method of payment. Italy does not use a single daily amount for proof of funds: it applies a published table of lump sums and daily rates that vary with the length of the trip and the size of the group.

Most work and family visas depend on a clearance (nulla osta) that the employer or family member in Italy first obtains from the Single Immigration Desk (Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione) of the prefecture; ordinary employment is tied to the annual quotas of the Flows Decree. After entering on a national visa you have 8 working days to apply for a residence permit.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday or visiting family and friends up to 90 days: Schengen tourism visa; meetings and fairs: business visa.

Bachelor's or master's degree: study visa after Universitaly pre-enrolment, with proof of sufficient means.

Job offer: the employer obtains a nulla osta (Flows Decree quota or EU Blue Card), then you apply for the work visa.

Highly qualified remote self-employed worker: digital nomad visa; living on pensions or passive income: elective residence visa.

Joining a family member who lives in Italy: family visa after the SUI nulla osta; family of Italian or EU citizens: free family visa.

Visa types for Italy

Visits and short stays

Tourist visa Schengen visa (type C) for tourism
Holidays in Italy of up to 90 days need a Schengen visa from the Italian mission responsible for your place of residence, lodged directly or through its external service provider.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa (type C) for visiting family or friends
Visits to relatives or friends in Italy use the same Schengen checklist as tourism, with a hospitality declaration from your host instead of hotel bookings.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period

Business and self-employment

Business visa Schengen visa (type C) for business (affari)
Business trips to Italy for meetings, negotiations, fairs or training of up to 90 days need a Schengen visa in the business category, with an invitation from the Italian company and your company documents.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period

Study and training

Student visa National visa for study – university enrolment
Students enrolling in Italian bachelor's, master's, single-cycle or AFAM programmes apply for a national study visa after their university validates the Universitaly pre-enrolment.
Maximum stay: 91 to 365 days on the visa; then a residence permit in Italy
Researcher visa Visa for scientific research (ricerca)
Researchers invited by an accredited Italian university or research institute apply for a research visa.

Work

Work visa Work visa under the Flows Decree (lavoro subordinato)
Ordinary employment in Italy is admitted within the annual quotas of the Flows Decree.
Maximum stay: 91 to 365 days on the visa; then a residence permit in Italy
EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (Carta blu UE)
Highly qualified employees with a degree from a course of at least three years can work in Italy with an EU Blue Card.
Validity: Two years for an open-ended contract; for fixed-term contracts, the contract length plus three months.
Digital nomad visa Visa for digital nomads (nomadi digitali)
Italy's digital nomad visa is for highly qualified foreigners who work remotely as self-employed using technology.
Maximum stay: 91 to 365 days on the visa; then a residence permit in Italy

Family

Family reunification visa National visa for family reasons (ricongiungimento familiare) with SUI clearance
Family members of foreigners lawfully living in Italy apply for a family visa once the resident has obtained a nulla osta from the Single Immigration Desk of the prefecture.
Spouse and partner visa National visa for family members of Italian and EU citizens
Spouses, civil partners, children up to 21 (or older if dependent) and dependent parents of Italian or EU citizens receive a national family visa free of charge and with priority, without a nulla osta.
Validity: Residence card for family of EU citizens and family permit for family of Italian citizens: five years.

Residence

Retirement visa National visa for elective residence (residenza elettiva)
The elective residence visa lets people with substantial independent income live in Italy without working.
Maximum stay: 91 to 365 days on the visa; then a residence permit in Italy
Permanent residence EU long-term residence permit (permesso UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo)
After five years with a valid residence permit you can apply for the EU long-term residence permit, provided your income reaches at least the annual social allowance (assegno sociale) and you pass an A2 Italian test.
Validity: 10 years for adults, 5 years for minors; the status is permanent.

Asylum and international protection

Asylum and international protection International protection in Italy (asylum)
Asylum in Italy is requested at the border police on arrival or at the Questura where you live, not at Italian missions abroad, and the procedure is free.
Validity: Asylum-seeker permit: until the decision; refugee and subsidiary protection: five years, renewable; special protection: two years, renewable.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for an Italian visa?

At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service provider it uses in some countries. Italy must be your only or main Schengen destination for a short-stay visa.

How much is an Italian visa?

EUR 90 for a Schengen visa (EUR 45 for children aged 6–12), EUR 116 for a national visa and EUR 50 for a study visa. The mission states how to pay, and an external service provider, where used, charges its own fee.

How much money do I need for a short trip?

It depends on the length of stay: for example a lone traveller staying 1–5 days needs EUR 269.60 in total, and over 20 days EUR 206.58 plus EUR 27.89 a day.

What is a nulla osta?

A clearance issued by the prefecture's Single Immigration Desk to the employer or family member in Italy; most work and family visas require it before you can apply.

What must I do after arriving on a national visa?

Apply for a residence permit within 8 working days, usually through the post office kit, and attend the Questura appointment.