This page is for anyone planning to come to Italy from outside the EU who needs to know which visa applies: it sets out the 21 official types, categories A, C and D, and our detailed guides. SH Immigration Specialists provides administrative assistance with entry visas, and the firm’s lawyers handle legal advice and appeals (about the law firm).
In short. Types of Italian visa fall into three categories: A for airport transit, C for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180) and D, the national visa, for longer stays. Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011 lists 21 official reasons for entry, from tourism and work to study and family reunification. A visa only lets you enter: to stay beyond a short visit you then need a residence permit. Below you will find the full list, the application steps and our detailed guides.
Page updated in October 2026 using the official sources listed at the bottom. Rules change, so we always check the latest instructions.
Which visa categories are there: A, C and D?
A visa is the authorisation to enter Italy that Italian embassies and consulates issue to people who need one, depending on nationality and length of stay. The categories come from the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009) for short stays; above 90 days visas are national, and in Italy they are governed by the Consolidated Act on Immigration (Testo unico sull’immigrazione, Legislative Decree 286/1998, Article 4) and Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011.
- A Airport transit. Lets you remain in the international zone of an airport during a stopover; it does not allow you to enter the Schengen area.
- C Short stay (uniform Schengen visa). Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with one, two or multiple entries. Where conditions are met it can be valid for several years, but the 90-in-180 limit still applies.
- D Long stay (national visa). For stays in Italy of more than 90 days, from 91 to 365 days. While it is valid it also lets you travel in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Limited territorial validity (LTV). Valid only in the issuing State or in named States. It is an exceptional derogation and cannot be requested directly.
- A visa is not a residence permit. The visa authorises entry; the permit authorises you to stay and is requested after you arrive. See the types of Italian residence permit.
What are all the types of Italian visa?
Article 1 of Interministerial Decree no. 850/2011 lists 21 types of visa, one for each reason for entry. The table gives the official name, the category under Annex A of the decree (“C D” means it exists in both forms, depending on the length of stay), what it is for and our guide.
| Reason | Category | What it is for | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption (adozione) | D | A foreign child adopted, or placed for adoption, who will live in Italy with the adoptive parents. Needs the authorisation of the Commission for International Adoptions. | — |
| Business (affari) | C | Short business trips. You must show means of support, accommodation and health insurance. | Business visa |
| Medical treatment (cure mediche) | CD | Treatment at Italian public or accredited private health facilities, for a short or long stay. The visa may also be issued to a person who accompanies and assists the patient, if that person has adequate means of support. | Medical treatment |
| Diplomatic (diplomatico) | D | Holders of diplomatic or service passports posted to missions in Italy or to the Holy See. Requested through diplomatic channels, with the Foreign Ministry’s prior approval. | — |
| Sports competition (gara sportiva) | C | Short stays to take part in sports competitions or events in Italy. | Sports competition visa |
| Invitation (invito) | C | A short stay by someone invited by a well-known public or private body as a guest at a political, scientific or cultural event. | Invitation letter |
| Self-employment (lavoro autonomo) | CD | Professional or business activity in Italy without an employment relationship. The decree requires, among other things, funds, housing and a provisional Questura clearance. | Self-employment visa |
| Employment (lavoro subordinato) | CD | Working as an employee in Italy. As a rule you first need the clearance (nulla osta) of the Single Immigration Desk, to be used for the visa within six months (four under Article 27). | Employment permit · Decreto Flussi |
| Mission (missione) | CD | Officials of foreign governments, public bodies and international organisations sent to Italy on official duties, and accredited journalists. | — |
| Family reasons (motivi familiari) | D | Family members of people living in Italy: family reunification (Articles 28 and 29 of the Consolidated Act) and relatives of Italian or EU citizens. For non-EU sponsors the nulla osta must be used within six months. | Family reunification |
| Religious reasons (motivi religiosi) | CD | Ministers of religion and others carrying out ecclesiastical, religious or pastoral work, for a short or long stay. The religious nature of the activity must be documented. | Religious visa |
| Re-entry (reingresso) | D | People who already had a residence permit in Italy that expired no more than 60 days ago (with some exceptions) or is no longer available (for example lost) and who need to return to continue their stay. In several cases the Questura’s clearance (nulla osta) is required. | Re-entry visa |
| Elective residence (residenza elettiva) | D | For people who want to settle in Italy without working, with a home and a stable, independent income such as a pension. | Elective residence |
| Research (ricerca) | CD | Research at universities or institutes meeting the legal requirements, as employee, self-employed person or grant holder. You need a degree giving access to doctoral studies and the Single Desk’s nulla osta. | Research visa |
| Study (studio) | CD | University courses, higher education, vocational training, traineeships or advanced research. You must show means of support, accommodation and health insurance. | Study visa |
| Airport transit (transito aeroportuale) | A | Only for nationals of the countries subject to the requirement: you remain in the international transit zone of an airport during a stopover and do not enter Italy. | Transit visa |
| Transit (transito) | C | Passing through Schengen territory on a journey from one non-EU country to another. The requirements are similar to those for a tourist visa. | Transit visa |
| Transport (trasporto) | C | Goods and passenger transport professionals, such as lorry drivers and crews of charter or private flights, for short stays. | — |
| Tourism (turismo) | C | Short tourist stays in Italy and the other Schengen countries. You need means of support, accommodation, a return ticket and health insurance. | Tourist visa |
| Working holiday (vacanze-lavoro) | D | For citizens of countries with which Italy has specific agreements: a stay of up to one year with limits on work. Requirements and countries are set by the agreements. | Working holiday visa |
| Volunteering (volontariato) | CD | For programmes within the three-year quota, Article 27-bis of the Consolidated Act sets an age of 25 to 35 (the 2011 decree said 20 to 30), normally up to one year, with the Single Desk’s nulla osta to be used within six months. The Ministry warns, however (portal and its “Rights and duties” sheets, May 2026 edition), that up to 2015 no national quotas had been authorised and that for now no clearance or visas are issued for these entries; the visa is instead issued for European programmes (European Voluntary Service). Check with the consulate. | Volunteering visa |
Scroll the table sideways to see all the columns.
The category follows Annex A of the decree, with one exception: for airport transit Annex A shows V.T.L. (limited territorial validity), while the decree’s preamble, the Ministry and the portal call it a type A visa. The ministry’s portal “Visa for Italy” shows some reasons under one category only (volunteering, for example, only as type D) and adds variants such as “Employment – Seafarers” or “Study – Traineeship”; it also lists “Investors”, a reason that is not among the 21 in the decree.
Digital nomads, Blue Card, investors: are they separate visas?
Many visas are searched for by a specific name, but the official sources mostly treat them as variants of a type in the list, or as routes to it. This is how the sources we consulted classify them.
- Digital nomads and remote workers. Consular instructions treat them as variants of the self-employment visa (digital nomads) and of the employment visa (remote workers). Guide: Italy digital nomad visa.
- Investors (“golden visa”). They are not among the 21 types in the 2011 decree, but the ministry’s portal lists them as a reason in their own right, “Investors”, and only as a type D visa. Before the visa you need clearance (nulla osta) from the Investor Visa for Italy committee. Guides: Italy investor visa, Golden visa Italy.
- EU Blue Card and intra-corporate transfer (ICT). These are routes within the type D employment visa, outside the quotas, with clearance from the Single Immigration Desk (Articles 27-quater and 27-quinquies of the Consolidated Act). Guides: EU Blue Card in Italy, Intra-corporate transfer (ICT), Work in special cases (Article 27) in Italy.
- Seasonal work. It falls under the employment visa (permanent, fixed-term or seasonal). Guide: Seasonal work permit in Italy.
- Decreto Flussi. It is not a type of visa: it is the system of annual quotas for work entries. The employer first obtains clearance from the Single Immigration Desk, then the worker applies for the work visa. Guides: Decreto Flussi 2027: dates and click days, Decreto Flussi 2027 application.
- Artists and professional sportspeople. The portal has “Performing arts” and “Sport” variants of the self-employment and employment visas. Guide: Artist visa for Italy.
These classifications come from consular instructions and the ministry’s portal, and may change with new rules.
Which visa suits you? Guides by purpose
Start from what you want to do in Italy: each card points to the detailed guides on our site.
Tourism, business, invitations and transit
Stays of up to 90 days in any 180, normally on a type C visa.
- Tourist visa for Italy
- Invitation letter for Italy
- Bank guarantee for a tourist visa
- Health insurance for foreign nationals
- Business visa for Italy
- Visa for sports competitions
- Transit visa for Italy
- Medical treatment visa and permit
- Tourist visa extension
Employment and Decreto Flussi
Employment normally needs clearance from the Single Immigration Desk, then a type D visa.
Self-employment, investors and digital nomads
For people who work for themselves, invest or work remotely: financial requirements, clearance and, often, a VAT number.
Study, research and volunteering
Courses, research and volunteering: usually enrolment or an invitation, means of support, accommodation and insurance.
Family and life in Italy
Reunification, relatives of Italian or EU citizens, elective residence and returning to Italy after a permit has expired.
How do you apply for an Italian visa, step by step?
The procedure varies with the type of visa and the office, but the steps are these.
- Check whether you need a visa, and which. On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Visa for Italy” portal you enter your nationality, country of residence, length of stay (up to 90 days or longer) and reason. If you need no visa for a short stay, you will need the ETIAS travel authorisation (not a visa) once the system is operating: on 28 April 2026 the European Commission said it was scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date still to be announced. Check its status on the official site.
- Find the competent office. You apply at the visa office of the Italian embassy or consulate for the place where you normally live. Offices have their own working rules: we have guides to getting a visa from Morocco and from Cuba.
- Prepare the form and documents. Each reason has its own list: purpose of travel, accommodation, means of support, health insurance (for Schengen visas, cover of at least €30,000) and, where required, the nulla osta. You may need an invitation letter, health insurance and the legalisation of foreign documents.
- Book and lodge the application. For Schengen visas you attend in person at your first application to give a photograph and fingerprints (children under 12 are exempt). The appointment should, as a rule, be offered within two weeks of your request. Some offices use an external service provider, with a separate charge.
- Pay the consular fee and wait for the decision. The official fees and deadlines are in the section “How much does a visa cost?”. If checks abroad are needed, it can take longer.
- Collect the visa and check it. Check the duration (the maximum stay allowed), the validity (the period in which you can use it), the number of entries and your details.
- Enter Italy and meet your obligations. A visa does not give an automatic right of entry: at the border the conditions may be checked again and your data recorded, for short stays, in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), fully operational since 10 April 2026. After you arrive, the eight-day rule explained below applies.
How much does a visa cost and how long does it take?
These are the official fees and deadlines as at 19 October 2026; they change and some offices apply their own rules. The consular fee covers the cost of processing the application and, as a rule, is not refunded if the visa is refused.
- Schengen visa (A or C): €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to under 12, since 11 June 2024; children under 6 pay nothing. The Visa Code also waives it for some categories, such as researchers on research trips and students on study trips.
- National visa D: €116; €50 for a type D visa for study (consular fee schedule, Article 29; some versions of the table show a different amount, so confirm it with the office). Reductions or exemptions depend on the case: check the office’s own page.
- External service provider. Where applications go through an outside provider (outsourcing), a separate service charge may apply; for Schengen visas it cannot as a rule exceed half of the consular fee, that is €45 when the fee is €90.
- When to apply. No earlier than six months before travel (nine for seafarers) and, as a rule, at least 15 calendar days before departure; the appointment should as a rule be offered within two weeks of the request (Visa Code, Article 9).
- Schengen visa (C): decision within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, up to 45 in individual cases that need it (Article 23).
- National visa (D): 90 days as the general rule (Article 5(8) of Presidential Decree 394/1999); the Ministry gives terms of 30 days for employment within the Decreto Flussi quotas and for family reunification, and 120 days for self-employment. If checks with foreign authorities are needed, these deadlines may not be met.
What must you do after arriving in Italy?
The visa only authorises entry. What you do next depends on the length of your stay.
- Stays of more than three months (normally a type D visa). You must apply for the residence permit to the questore, that is the Questura (the police office that issues it), within eight working days of entering Italy (Consolidated Act, Article 5(2)). Most people use the postal kit (kit postale), a pack sent from an authorised post office; for some categories you go to the Questura. For some work and family visas you must first go to the Single Immigration Desk (Sportello Unico per l’immigrazione) at the Prefecture.
- Short stays of up to three months. For visits, business, tourism and study you generally do not need a residence permit, but you must make a declaration of presence: at the border when you enter or, if you arrive from another Schengen country, within eight days to the questore (Law no. 68/2007, Article 1). Failing to do so can lead to expulsion, except in cases of force majeure.
- Read more. Declaration of presence in Italy, applying for a residence permit, registering your residence and the list of types of residence permit.
What happens if your visa is refused?
A refusal is communicated to you by the consular office. For Schengen visas a standard form sets out the reasons and how to appeal (Visa Code, Article 32 and Annex VI); anyone who is refused has the right to appeal under the law of the State that took the decision. In Italy the refusal must be communicated in a language you understand and, as a rule, with reasons; where security or public order is involved it may be given without reasons, except for visa applications made under Articles 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 36 and 39 of the Consolidated Act, which include those for work, family and study (Consolidated Act, Article 4(2)).
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a refusal of a Schengen visa, or of a national visa not requested for family reasons, can be appealed through a lawyer to the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR Lazio) within 60 days of notification. For a national visa for family reasons the appeal goes to the ordinary court (Tribunale ordinario), also through a lawyer and, according to the Ministry, with no time limit.
The Visa Code lists the grounds for refusal, including a false travel document, an unjustified purpose of stay, insufficient means of support, doubts about your intention to leave and inadequate health insurance. Read more in our guide Italian visa refusal: how to appeal.
Frequently asked questions about Italian visa types
How many types of Italian visa are there?
There are three categories: A (airport transit), C (short stay, up to 90 days in any 180) and D (the national visa for long stays). The official reasons for entry, under Interministerial Decree no. 850/2011, number 21, from tourism to work. Some reasons exist both as a type C and as a type D visa, depending on the length of stay.
What is the difference between a C visa and a D visa?
A type C visa is the uniform Schengen visa: it allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. A type D visa is a national visa for longer stays, from 91 to 365 days, and authorises entry only: after you arrive you must apply for the residence permit.
Is a visa the same as a residence permit?
No. A visa is the authorisation to enter Italy, issued by embassies and consulates; a residence permit is the document that allows you to stay, and you apply for it at the Questura. For short stays of up to three months you generally do not need a permit, but you make a declaration of presence.
Can I work on a tourist visa?
No. A tourist visa is meant for short tourist stays, while work has its own visas, such as employment and self-employment. As a rule, people who want to work in Italy go through Decreto Flussi: the employer applies for the clearance (nulla osta) and then the worker applies for the work visa.
Who needs a visa to enter Italy?
It depends on your nationality and the length of stay. Under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, nationals of the countries in Annex I need a visa; those in Annex II can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without one. For longer stays you generally need a national D visa. The “Visa for Italy” portal shows your case.
How long does it take to get a visa?
A Schengen (C) visa is normally decided within 15 calendar days, up to 45 in individual cases. For national (D) visas the general deadline is 90 days: 30 for employment within the Decreto Flussi quotas and for family reunification, and 120 for self-employment. If checks abroad are needed, it can take longer.
What happens if my visa is refused?
You are told of the refusal, as a rule with the reasons and information on how to appeal. For a Schengen visa, or a national visa not requested for family reasons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs points to an appeal to TAR Lazio, through a lawyer, within 60 days of notification; for a family visa the ordinary court is competent, with no time limit according to the Ministry.
Can a visa be extended?
A short-stay (C) visa can be extended only in exceptional cases, such as force majeure, humanitarian reasons or serious personal reasons; for the last, the Visa Code sets a fee of €30. The Questura decides. A D visa authorises entry only: to stay on, you apply for the residence permit.
Official sources
- Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011: types of entry visa and requirements (Italian text) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Types of Visa and Duration – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Visa for Italy (portal) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Terms for issuing visas – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- FAQ: Entry into Italy – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Consular fee schedule (annex to Legislative Decree 71/2011), Article 29 (Italian text) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text of 28.06.2024 – European Union
- Schengen visa fee increased as of 11 June 2024 – European Commission
- Visa policy – European Commission
- Legislative Decree 286/1998, Consolidated Act on Immigration, Articles 4 and 5 (Italian text) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Law no. 68 of 28 May 2007: short stays and declaration of presence (Italian text) – Chamber of Deputies
- Main differences between the EES and ETIAS – European Commission
Sources consulted on 19 October 2026. Fees, timing and procedures change and can vary from one office to another: always check the latest instructions of the competent embassy or consulate. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Useful guides
- Italian entry visa: what it is and how to get it
- Tourist visa for Italy
- Invitation letter for Italy
- Tourist visa extension in Italy
- Study visa Italy: official guide
- Residence permit for employment
- Decreto Flussi 2027 application
- Italy digital nomad visa
- Italy investor visa
- Family reunification in Italy
- Italian visa refusal: how to appeal
- Declaration of presence in Italy
- Types of Italian residence permit
- Working holiday visa for Italy
- EU Blue Card in Italy
- Entry visa assistance for Italy
Not sure which visa to apply for?
Write to us through the contact page or WhatsApp: we can help you understand which type of visa fits your situation and prepare the application. Legal advice and appeals are handled by the firm’s lawyers. The outcome depends on the competent authorities.