In short. The tourist visa Italy issues is a short-stay Schengen visa (type C): it lets you visit Italy and the rest of the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. You apply to the competent consulate, normally between six months and 15 days before you travel, and adults pay a €90 fee. You need health insurance, accommodation, a return journey and enough money. The visa does not guarantee entry and is not a work authorisation.
Here you will find who needs the visa, how to apply, the documents, money, fee and timing, and what happens after a refusal, with notes for Italians inviting a friend or relative.
Reviewed 19 October 2026. This tourist visa Italy guide sets out the general rules, not your own case: the consulate decides which documents it needs.
Tourist visa Italy: what is it and what does it allow?
It is a uniform Schengen visa of type C, created by the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009) and applied in Italy through Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011. It is not a residence permit.
The sticker shows its validity (the dates between which you may use it), the number of entries (01, 02 or MULT for multiple) and the length of stay. Stays are counted on a rolling basis: on any given day you look back over the previous 180 days, and your total in the Schengen area must not exceed 90. The Commission offers an official short-stay calculator.
A uniform visa is valid across the Schengen area; a limited-validity visa, which is exceptional, only in the countries it names. No visa gives an automatic right of entry (Article 30). For other visas, see Types of Italian visa: complete list and guides.
Do you need a tourist visa for Italy?
It depends on your nationality. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 has two lists: Annex I names the non-EU countries whose citizens need a visa for short stays, Annex II those whose citizens may stay up to 90 days in any 180 without one. The lists change, so we do not reproduce them. Check the Commission’s visa policy page or the questionnaire on Vistoperitalia, the Italian Foreign Ministry’s visa portal.
Visa-exempt travellers are still registered in the EES and will need an ETIAS authorisation once it starts (both explained below). Family members of EU or EEA citizens follow their own rules, described in the Ministry’s FAQ (Italian text).
Where and how do you apply?
You apply at the consulate of the Schengen country that is your main destination (Article 5 of the Visa Code): Italy if it is your only destination, where you will spend the most days or the main reason for your trip; otherwise the country where you first cross the external border. As a rule you go to the office covering the country where you legally live (Article 6). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the applicant is the traveller, not the person who invites them.
- Use Vistoperitalia to check whether you need a visa and which office is competent; its information is indicative only.
- Book an appointment, complete and sign the form, and gather your photograph, documents and fee.
- Attend in person, as a rule: your photograph and ten fingerprints are taken. Children under 12 are exempt, and fingerprints stored less than 59 months earlier can be reused.
Some offices use an external visa centre, which may charge a service fee on top of the visa fee, capped as a rule at half of it (Article 17), that is €45.
When should you apply, and how long does a decision take?
Apply no earlier than six months before you travel and, as a rule, at least 15 calendar days before; in justified urgent cases a later application may be accepted. An appointment should as a rule be offered within two weeks (Article 9). An application outside these limits can be declared inadmissible (Article 19).
The consulate normally decides within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, or within 45 where further scrutiny is needed (Article 23). For nationals of countries that do not cooperate on returns, the EU may apply stricter times and fees (Article 25a).
Which documents does the consulate ask for?
Each office publishes its own checklist and may ask for more documents or an interview. In general you will need:
- the signed application form and a recent photograph meeting ICAO standards;
- a passport valid for at least three months after you plan to leave the Schengen area, issued within the last ten years, with two blank pages;
- travel medical insurance of at least €30,000, valid throughout the Schengen area for the whole stay and covering urgent treatment, emergency hospital care and repatriation for medical reasons or death (see Health Insurance for Foreign Nationals in Italy);
- proof of accommodation: a hotel booking or a dichiarazione di ospitalità (a declaration of hospitality signed by your host, an Italian citizen or a foreign national lawfully resident in Italy);
- a return ticket or booking, or your own means of transport;
- proof of means of subsistence for the stay and the journey home (see below);
- evidence of the purpose of your trip and your socio-economic situation: the consulate assesses whether you will go home.
How much money do you have to show?
The Decree requires funds not lower than the amounts set by the Interior Ministry’s directive of 1 March 2000 (Article 4(3) of the Consolidated Immigration Act). Minimum amounts, in euro:
| Length of trip | Item | One participant | Two or more participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 days | Fixed total amount | 269.60 | 212.81 |
| 6 to 10 days | Daily amount per person | 44.93 | 26.33 |
| 11 to 20 days | Fixed amount | 51.64 | 25.82 |
| 11 to 20 days | Daily amount per person | 36.67 | 22.21 |
| Over 20 days | Fixed amount | 206.58 | 118.79 |
| Over 20 days | Daily amount per person | 27.89 | 17.04 |
On the Foreign Ministry’s online table (Italian text) the last cell is blank; 17.04 is the figure in the text of the directive, which also provides for annual revaluation. The sources we consulted do not say how to combine fixed and daily amounts, so ask the consulate which figure applies to you. Accepted proof includes foreign currency, bank or insurance guarantees, prepaid services and documents showing income in Italy; a return ticket covers the journey home.
What about bank guarantees, invitations and hospitality declarations?
A bank guarantee (fideiussione bancaria) is one of the proofs of means of subsistence listed in the directive, but the Ministry makes clear that it does not in any way guarantee that a visa will be issued (see Bank Guarantee for a Tourist Visa to Italy).
An invitation from a friend or relative (see Invitation Letter for Italy) is not, in itself, a requirement. The Decree accepts a declaration of hospitality only as proof of accommodation, not of means of subsistence or insurance. For relatives up to the second degree of an Italian citizen, or of an EU citizen living in Italy, who meet the requirements, the Decree (Annex A, point 19) provides for the visa to be issued without the illegal-immigration risk assessment of Article 4.
If you host a foreign national at home, you must also notify the public-security authorities within 48 hours (Article 7 of the Consolidated Act): see Declaration of Hospitality in Italy. There is no marriage visa: the Ministry says to apply for a tourist visa and attach the certificate of published banns.
How much does the visa cost?
The fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to under 12; children under 6 pay nothing. These amounts have applied since 11 June 2024 (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415). Some applicants are exempt, for example school pupils, students and researchers on certain study or research trips, and people from some countries with facilitation agreements pay less: ask the office.
Why is a tourist visa refused, and what can you do?
The Visa Code (Article 32) requires refusal, among other cases, if the applicant:
- presents a false travel document;
- cannot justify the purpose of the stay, prove sufficient means of subsistence or show adequate medical insurance;
- has already used 90 days in the current 180 on a uniform or limited-validity visa;
- is the subject of a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert for refusal of entry, or is considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or international relations;
- raises reasonable doubts about the documents, the statements made or the intention to leave before the visa expires.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text), a refusal must give reasons and be written in a language you understand or, failing that, in English, French, Spanish or Arabic. The Consolidated Act (Article 4(2)) lets the authorities omit the reasons on security or public-order grounds, except for work, family, medical-treatment and study visas. There is no right to a visa, only a legitimate interest: you may reapply or appeal.
An appeal is brought through a lawyer before the Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR) within 60 days of notification and served on the State Attorney’s Office (Avvocatura dello Stato). For family-reunification and accompanying-family visas the ordinary court is competent, with no time limit. Consult a lawyer promptly: see Italian visa refusal: how to appeal.
Can you extend your stay, and what happens if you overstay?
An extension is the exception. The Visa Code (Article 33) allows it for force majeure, humanitarian reasons or serious personal reasons, and the Questura (the local police headquarters) decides: see the guide to extending a tourist visa. According to the Foreign Ministry, a visa expires on its last day of validity: by then you must have left the Schengen area, or your stay becomes irregular.
For stays of up to three months you need no residence permit, but you must declare your presence: at the border if you arrive from outside the Schengen area, or to the questore (the provincial police chief) within eight days if you arrive from another Schengen country (see Declaration of Presence in Italy). Anyone who fails to do so in time (unless force majeure applies), or who declares but then stays beyond three months or the shorter period on the visa, can be expelled (Law no. 68/2007, Article 1, Italian text).
Can you work on a tourist visa?
A tourist visa is for travel, not employment. According to the information sheet of the Italian Embassy in Tunis (Italian text), a tourism visa does not allow its holder to work or study. The Decree treats self-employment and employment as visa categories separate from tourism, and the Foreign Ministry explains that anyone wishing to work in Italy must normally first obtain a work authorisation (nulla osta) from the Immigration One-Stop Shop (Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione), requested by the employer, and then the visa. See which permits allow work.
What do EES and ETIAS change in October 2026?
According to the European Commission, the Entry/Exit System (EES), which records entries and exits, began on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at all Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. It registers non-EU nationals on short stays, including visa holders, using passport data, a facial image and fingerprints. It replaces passport stamping and helps to identify people who overstay.
ETIAS, the online travel authorisation, applies only to people who travel without a visa. In October 2026 it is not yet operating, and the official page we consulted gives no start date: the EU will announce it several months ahead. Check the Commission’s smart borders page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the tourist visa for Italy cost?
The EU fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children from 6 to under 12; children under 6 pay nothing. Some categories are exempt. A visa centre, where one is used, may add a separate service fee.
Do I need an invitation letter for a tourist visa?
Not in itself. For accommodation the Decree accepts a hotel booking or a declaration of hospitality from your host, which proves only the accommodation: you still need means of subsistence and insurance. The application is made by the foreign traveller, not by the host.
Can I work on a tourist visa or stay longer than 90 days?
No. A tourist visa is not a work authorisation and allows at most 90 days in any 180, or fewer if the sticker says so. Beyond that the stay is irregular and can lead to expulsion; an extension is the exception.
What can I do if my visa is refused?
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs you can reapply or, through a lawyer, appeal to the TAR of Lazio within 60 days of notification (family visas: ordinary court). Keep proof of the date you were notified.
Official sources
- Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, consolidated text of 11 June 2024 – EUR-Lex
- Visa policy and Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 – European Commission
- Smart borders: EES and ETIAS – European Commission
- Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Directive of 1 March 2000 on means of subsistence – Ministry of the Interior (Italian text)
- Visa FAQ – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Visa refusal – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Vistoperitalia, the visa-for-Italy portal – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The sources were consulted on 19 October 2026. Amounts, timings and procedures change and can differ from office to office: always check the latest instructions of the competent office.
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
On the administrative side we can help you check the requirements, prepare the documents and follow the visa application (see Entry Visa for Italy). Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of the SH Immigration Specialists law firm. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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