In short. The transit visa Italy requires from some travellers comes in two kinds: the airport transit visa (type A), needed only by nationals of the countries on the Foreign Ministry’s list who change planes at an Italian airport without entering Italy, and the “transit” visa (type C) for crossing Schengen territory. Both are requested at an embassy or consulate, and the European fee is, as a rule, €90 (€45 for children from 6 to under 12). Several groups of travellers are exempt.
Reviewed 1 November 2026. This guide gives the general rules on the transit visa Italy may require, not an assessment of your case: the list of countries and the exact documents are set by the Ministry and by the consular office that takes your application.
Transit visa Italy: which types exist and how do they differ?
“Transit visa” can mean two different documents. Both come from the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009) and, for Italy, from Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011 (decreto interministeriale). In short:
| Visa | When you need it | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| Type A, airport transit (ATV) | You change planes in Italy, stay in the airport’s international transit area, and are a national of a listed country who is not exempt | Passing through the international areas of airports during stopovers or flight legs; no entry into the Schengen area |
| Type C, “transit” | You cross Schengen territory between two non-EU countries and need a visa to cross the external borders | Crossing Schengen territory; the final destination must be assured; conditions close to those of a tourist visa |
| No transit visa | Your nationality is not listed, you are exempt, or you need no visa to cross the borders | A visa for your final destination may still be needed |
Type D is the national long-stay visa, for stays over 90 days; it is not a transit visa. If you read about a “type B” transit visa, note that it does not appear in the official classifications consulted (the Ministry’s page and Decree 850/2011): transit through the territory falls under type C. The same sources do not say how long a transit visa is valid, so ask the competent office.
For the other visa types, see Types of Italian visa: complete list, requirements and guides.
Who needs an airport transit visa for Italy?
It depends on your nationality, not on the reason for your trip. Article 3 of the Visa Code sets a list common to all Schengen States (Annex IV, to which Decree 850/2011 refers) and, in urgent cases of a mass influx of irregular migrants, each State may also impose the requirement on other countries, notifying the Commission. For Italy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a single list of 16 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Syria, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Ministry’s page shows no update date and does not separate the common list from Italy’s additions. Lists change and each State has its own: if you change planes in another Schengen country, its rules apply (the Commission publishes a table of the additional requirements of individual States). Check Vistoperitalia, the Ministry’s visa portal, and confirm with your airline. If your nationality is not on the list, as a rule you do not need an airport transit visa for Italy.
Who is exempt from the airport transit visa?
Even if your nationality is on the list, the Ministry says you do not need the visa if you:
- hold a valid uniform Schengen visa (type C), a national long-stay visa (type D) or a residence permit issued by a Member State;
- hold one of the residence permits from Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States listed in Annex V to the Visa Code (they guarantee unconditional readmission), or a permit from an EU State that does not take part in the Visa Code or does not yet fully apply Schengen (the Ministry names Cyprus, the Commission’s handbook also Ireland);
- hold a valid visa from one of those EU States, Canada, Japan or the United States and are travelling to that country or to another non-EU country, or returning from that country after using the visa;
- are a family member of an EU citizen;
- hold a diplomatic passport;
- are aircrew and nationals of a State that is party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The Commission’s Visa Code Handbook adds detail: United Kingdom residence permits that guarantee readmission also exempt you; an expired visa does not exempt you if you return from a country other than the issuing one; a United Kingdom visa does not exempt you; and when a journey starts and ends outside the EU, the family member of an EU citizen should be accompanied by that citizen.
When do you need the type C transit visa instead?
You need it when you do not stay in the airport’s international area but cross Schengen territory on the way from one non-EU country to another, and nationals of your country need a visa to cross the external borders (the list, based on Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, is on the Ministry’s page). Under Decree 850/2011 (Annex A, point 17), entry to the final destination must be assured, with its visa where needed, together with a passage through Schengen territory that is reasonably necessary. The minimum conditions of a short-stay tourist visa also apply: means of subsistence, a ticket or reservation, accommodation and health insurance (see Tourist visa Italy: requirements, documents, fees and timing). The decree also covers foreign seafarers who join or leave ships at Italian or Schengen ports, with confirmation of the ship’s presence from the Capitaneria di porto (the port authority).
A type A visa does not let you enter the Schengen area. If your itinerary forces you out of the international area, for example because you change airports, the official pages consulted give no rule for every case: ask the consulate and your airline which visa you need before you buy tickets. A type C visa may be required. Only in exceptional cases can a transit or short-stay visa be issued at the border (Article 35 of the Visa Code), as the Ministry reminds applicants.
Where, when and how do you apply?
Where. If your layover is in Italy, the application goes to an Italian mission, in general the one covering the place where you legally live. According to the Commission’s handbook, with a single transit the State where the airport is located is competent; with several, the State of the first transit airport. If that State has no office in your country, another Schengen State may represent it for uniform visas.
When. As a rule at least 15 calendar days before the journey and no more than six months before (nine for seafarers on duty). In justified urgent cases offices should accept later applications.
- Check whether you need a visa (the Ministry’s list and Vistoperitalia, whose texts are offered for information only).
- Book an appointment, normally available within 15 days.
- Fill in and sign the application form (one copy) and prepare a passport-size photograph, your travel document and the fee.
- Attend in person: you may be interviewed about the trip and, as a rule, your fingerprints are taken (Articles 13 and 47 of the Visa Code).
- The office assesses the application and, before deciding, runs security checks in the VIS, the visa information system.
Which documents are required?
For the airport transit visa, Decree 850/2011 (Annex A, point 16) provides for a valid passport or other travel document (according to the Ministry, with room to affix the visa); the entry visa for the final destination, where required; and an air ticket or reservation. The form, photograph and fee are added. The office may ask for further documents or an interview, so follow the list published by the embassy or consulate that receives your application. For the type C transit visa, the conditions described above apply.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
The European fee is, as a rule, €90 for applicants aged 12 or over, whatever the type of Schengen visa (A or C), and €45 for children from 6 to under 12; under 6 it is free (amounts in force since 11 June 2024). There are waivers, for example for family members of EU citizens, pupils and students on study trips, and researchers. An external visa centre may charge a separate service fee.
For Schengen visas the Ministry gives 15 days, extendable to 45 in the cases provided for (Article 23 of the Visa Code); its page on time limits does not deal with airport transit, and real times depend on the office. Prior consultation between Schengen States (Article 22) does not apply to airport transit visas.
What happens if the visa is refused?
According to the Ministry, a refusal must be reasoned and communicated in a language you understand or, failing that, in English, French, Spanish or Arabic. You can appeal to the TAR Lazio (the Regional Administrative Court) within 60 days of notification, and the appeal must be served on the Avvocatura dello Stato (the State Legal Service). The Ministry’s refusal page does not single out airport transit visas. See Italian visa refusal: how to appeal.
What do the EES and ETIAS change?
The EES (Entry/Exit System) registers non-EU nationals on short stays each time they cross the external borders of the 29 participating countries. The Commission says it started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. The pages consulted do not address people who stay in the international transit area, so ask the office that receives your application.
ETIAS is the online travel authorisation for people who travel without a visa; it is not a visa. The Commission’s ETIAS page (dated 6 October 2025) describes it as not yet operating, with the start date to be announced several months ahead; in a news item of 28 April 2026 the Commission said it was scheduled for the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date to follow later. On 1 November 2026 we found no start date on the official pages consulted: check the current status on the official EU website before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs an airport transit visa for Italy?
Nationals of the 16 countries on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list who change planes at an Italian airport without entering Italy. Exempt categories do not need it, for example holders of a Schengen visa or of a residence permit issued by a Member State.
How much does the visa cost and how long does it take?
The European fee is, as a rule, €90 from age 12, whatever the type of Schengen visa, and €45 for children from 6 to under 12. For Schengen visas the Ministry gives 15 days, extendable to 45 in the cases provided for; its page does not deal with airport transit, and real times depend on the office.
Can I leave the airport with an airport transit visa?
No. A type A visa only allows transit through the international areas of airports and does not let you enter the Schengen area. If your trip forces you to leave that area, ask the consulate and your airline which visa you need before you travel: a type C visa may be required.
Does the type B transit visa still exist?
A type B visa does not appear in the official classifications consulted: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ page and Decree 850/2011. To cross Schengen territory between two non-EU countries you apply for the “transit” visa, which is a uniform Schengen visa of type C.
Official sources
- Countries whose nationals need an airport transit visa – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Types of visa and duration – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Interministerial Decree no. 850 of 11 May 2011 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Competence for issuing visas – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Procedure for issuing a visa – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Handbook for the processing of visa applications, C(2024) 4319 – European Commission
- Visa policy – European Commission
- Entry/Exit System (EES) – European Commission
The sources were consulted on 1 November 2026. Country lists, fees and procedures change and can vary 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 whether you need a transit visa, prepare the documents and follow the application (see Entry Visa for Italy). Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of SH Immigration Specialists. 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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