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Visas

YOU WANT TO GO TO ITALY? YOU NEED A VISA

Find out which visa is right for you. Find out which documents to prepare and where to apply for a visa. Find out how to use the different types of visas correctly, what your rights and obligations are by following the instructions below.

1. CHOOSE THE CORRECT VISA ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS AND CHECK WHICH DOCUMENTS YOU NEED. DO YOU WANT TO GO TO ITALY FOR…

  • Business
  • EU citizens’ family members
  • Worship
  • Employment
  • Family reunification
  • Study
  • Maritime transit
  • Tourism-Family/friends visit
  • Other types of visa

 

2. BIOMETRIC DATA (VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM)

 As of November 2013, all visa applicants must provide their biometric data (ten fingerprints of ten fingers and a photo) when applying for a Schengen visa. Applicants will therefore have to present themselves in person when applying for a visa. This is a simple procedure that only takes a few minutes. Since the biometric data information will be stored for 59 months, no fingerprints will have to be taken again for any subsequent visa applications, and there will therefore be no need to apply in person.

Exemption from the obligation to collect fingerprints is provided for a limited number of visa applicants: children under the age of 12 and persons for whom fingerprint collection is physically impossible. Heads of State and members of the government, together with accompanying delegation members and spouses, are also exempt on official visits.

Italy does not require biometric data to be collected for national visas.

 

3. WHERE TO APPLY FOR A VISA IN THE PHILIPPINES

Visa applications may be submitted:

a) At the Visa Office of the Italian Embassy in Manila:

Only for diplomatic and adoption visas by appointment to be requested by email to visti.manila@esteri.it

b) At one of the outsourced VFS Global Visa Centres

All visa applicants can go directly to the VFS Global Visa Centre (| vfsglobal – vfsglobal), without the need to make an appointment in advance.

Visa applications for Italy will be handled by the outsourcing company VFS Global through the following Visa Application Centres:

 

Manila Ground Floor, One Campus Place,Building A,

McKinley Town Center, McKinly Hill,

Fort Bonifacio,Taguig City, Metro Manila

Cebu Unit 1001C & 1004B, 10th Floor,

Kepwealth Center Samar Loop, cor Cardinal Rosales Ave,

Cebu City, 6000 Cebu

Davao FES 08, Second Floor

Alfresco Area Felcris Centrale Quimpo Boulevard

Davao City, 8000

 

For further information:

VFS Call Centre

Contact No: + 632 8528 2520

Email: info.italyph@vfsglobal.com

Website: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/phl/en/ita/

Family members of Italian/EU citizens can benefit from a preferential channel for submitting visa applications directly at the outsourcing offices.

For any information, interested parties are invited to consult first of all the ‘Frequently Asked Questions‘ section of the Italian Embassy in Manila and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Frequently Asked Questions – Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale).

For other issues, not mentioned in the links above,, an email may be sent to visti.manila@esteri.it.

 

4. WHERE TO APPLY FROM PALAU

Following the recent agreement between the European Union and its Authorities, PALAU citizens are exempt from the Schengen visa for ‘short stays’ (up to 90 days out of 180). In all other cases, the indications given in point 3 above apply.

 

5. WHO CAN APPLY FOR A VISA

Nationals of those countries for which visas are required (check here here to find out which countries they are required for) and who are lawfully resident in the Philippines may also apply for visas.

Family members of EU/EEA citizens

Legislation (Directive 2004/38/EC and Legislative Decree 30/2007) provides facilities for family members of EU/EEA citizens.

At the outsourcing office, priority processing of the file is foreseen for family members of EU/EEA citizens (limited to those identified as such by Directive 2004/38/EC), where it is possible to go without an appointment on opening days from 09:00 to 12:00.

In order to prove one’s relationship, it is compulsory to produce an identity document and – depending on the case – a marriage, relationship or birth certificate, registered with the competent Italian authorities.

According to the regulations, documental facilitations are provided for relatives of EU/EEA citizens, so please use the following checklist for tourism and the following checklist in case of family reunification (visa applicants for family reunification with EU/EEA citizens will be issued with a short-term Schengen tourist visa, which can be converted into a residence permit at the competent Questura once in Italy).

In order to prove any family relationship, it is compulsory to produce an identity document and – as the case may be – a marriage, relationship or birth certificate, registered with the competent Italian authorities.

Visa fees are not charged for the following family members of EU/EEA citizens, when accompanying or joining the EU/EEA citizen, as identified by Directive 2004/38/EC and Legislative Decree 30/2007

  1. the spouse;
  2. the partner who has contracted a registered partnership with the Union citizen on the basis of the legislation of a member State, if the legislation of the host member State treats the registered partnership as equivalent to marriage and in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the relevant legislation of the host member State
  3. direct descendants under the age of 21 or dependent and those of the spouse or partner;
  4. dependent direct ascendants and those of the spouse or partner.

 

WHEN TO APPLY FOR A SCHENGEN VISA TO ITALY

Schengen visa applicants may apply to the Embassy of Italy

  1. when Italy is the only country of destination of the trip
  2. when the trip involves more than one Schengen country and Italy is the main destination of the trip in terms of duration or purpose of stay
  3. if the principal destination cannot be determined according to the criteria of points a) and b), when Italy is the country through whose external borders the applicant intends to enter the Schengen area.

 

HOW MUCH DOES A VISA COST?

National visas: 116 €

Schengen-type visas: 80 €

  • minors between 6 and 12 years of age: 40 €
  • citizens of countries with which the European Union has signed visa facilitation agreements: 35 €. For a list of the countries in question, please consult the European Commission website at the following page: Visa policy – European Commission (europa.eu).

The corresponding costs in local currency vary according to the consular adjustment rate, which is updated quarterly and can be viewed at the Embassy offices.

 

ADJUSTMENT RATE FOR THE MONTHS OF

JANUARY – MARCH 2024

VSU – short term (80 €) 4821 PHP
VSU – short term for applicants aged between 6 and 12 years (40 €) 2411 PHP
National Visa – long term (116 €) 6991 PHP
VSU national visa – long term – study (50 €) 3013 PHP

 

Visa fees are waived for applicants belonging to one of the following categories

  • minors under the age of six
  • school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers undertaking stays for the purpose of study or educational training
  • researchers from third countries travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research within the meaning of Recommendation 2005/761/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2005 to facilitate the issue by the Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries travelling within the Community for the purpose of carrying out scientific research
  • representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations;

The following family members of EU/EEA citizens, when accompanying or joining the EU/EEA citizen, as identified by Directive 2004/38/EC and Legislative Decree 30/2007

  1. spouse;
  2. the partner who has entered into a registered partnership with the Union citizen on the basis of the legislation of a Member State, if the legislation of the host Member State treats the registered partnership as equivalent to marriage and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the relevant legislation of the host Member State
  3. the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependants and those of the spouse or partner as referred to in point (b)
  4. dependent direct relatives in the ascending line and those of the spouse or partner as defined in point (b).

Holders of diplomatic and service passports are also exempt.

N.B.: No additional costs, other than those listed above, shall be charged to the visa applicant. The requesting of sums of money, for any reason whatsoever, in exchange for the promise of facilitations in obtaining a visa, constitutes a serious violation of the law and is liable to prosecution.

Services offered by the local outsourcing company (VFS Global Center):

Should the applicant wish to make use of the outsourcing services made available by the company VFS Global Center, additional charges may be added to the aforementioned costs due to the Embassy, depending on any additional services required.

For details and costs, please refer to the relevant website.

 

8. PROCESSING TIMES FOR VISA APPLICATIONS

Schengen regulations provide for a maximum processing time of 15 days, which can be extended to 30 days if necessary (Art. 23 of the Schengen Visa Code), while for national visas processing times can be extended up to 30 days for family and employment visas, and up to 120 days for self-employment. The Italian Embassy in Manila is committed to processing each visa application as quickly as possible

Applicants are encouraged to apply for visas well in advance of their planned departure date (at least 15 days before departure). Visa applications may be submitted a maximum of 180 days before the planned departure date (270 for seafarers).

Days may be added to the normal processing time indicated for applications submitted by nationals of countries subject to security consultations.

 

9. USEFUL INFORMATION

Countries whose nationals are exempt from short-stay visas.

Nationals of certain countries are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of up to 90 days, for tourism, missions, business, invitations, sports competitions and study.

Obtaining a visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area

Visa applicants’ attention is drawn to the fact that mere possession of a visa does not automatically confer the right to enter the Schengen area and that visa holders may be asked, once they have arrived at the external border of the Schengen area or at other controls, to provide information about their means of subsistence, the length of their intended stay in the Schengen area and the purpose of their trip.

It is recommended that you bring copies of the documents submitted when applying for a visa (such as invitation letters, hotel and airline reservations, or other documents proving the purpose of the trip). For more information, see Article 5 of the Schengen Borders Code.

 

What happens if a visa is refused

Any negative decision on a visa application will be notified to the applicant. The decision to refuse a visa will state the reasons for the refusal.

The applicant whose application has been refused has the right to submit a new visa application, supplementing any missing documents, or to lodge an appeal. Any appeal must be lodged with the Lazio Regional Administrative Court, with the assistance of a lawyer, within 60 days of notification of the refusal. The appeal must be notified, under penalty of nullity (pursuant to art. 144 of the Code of Civil Procedure and art. 11 of Royal Decree no. 1611 of 1933), to the competent Avvocatura dello Stato.

For family visas only, the appeal must be presented to the ordinary court of the applicant’s place of residence in Italy.

 

How to use a Schengen visa correctly

A Schengen visa entitles the holder to travel within the Schengen area. It is only possible to stay in the Schengen area for the number of days indicated on the visa, which must only be used within the time period indicated ‘from’ ‘to’. The words ‘Length of stay … days’ indicate the number of days you may spend in the Schengen area, starting from the date you enter the Schengen territory (to be counted on the basis of your entry and exit stamps). The timeframe indicated ‘From… to’ can be longer than the ‘Length of stay’ in order to allow some flexibility. However, it is not possible to stay in the Schengen area for more days than those indicated under ‘Length of stay…days’. It is also not possible to stay longer than the date indicated under ‘Until’.

The number of entries granted may be: one, two or multiples. Multiple-entry visa holders are reminded that according to the regulations it is possible to stay within the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days every 180 days.

In order to avoid over-staying and to know how many days remain available compared to those already used, it is possible to use (as an indication) the calculation system prepared by the European Commission by clicking here.

 

How to use an Italian national visa correctly

Once you have arrived in Italy with an Italian national visa, you must go within 8 working days to the competent Questura of the Province where you intend to reside to apply for a Permit to Stay. The duration of the Permit to Stay will correspond to the duration indicated on the visa. The residency permit must be renewed directly in Italy. In order to identify the competent Questura, please check the following website.

 

Re-entry

The Italian authorities allow holders of a regular Permit to Stay in Italy to leave and re-enter the country even when their Permit to Stay has expired, provided that the person concerned has submitted an application for renewal to the competent Questura. The receipt for submitting the renewal application, or even the postal receipt for sending the aforementioned application, must be presented at passport control (Immigration) when leaving Italy.

In the cases provided for by current national legislation, you may apply for a re-entry visa (see ‘Other types of visa’ section).

 

NOTE: Please be informed that the Embassy is obliged by law to report to the Italian authorities anyone who provides false or falsified documentation.

For any further information, you may also consult the website Il visto per l’Italia (esteri.it), as well as that of the European Commission.

Information on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data for the purpose of issuing an entry visa to Italy and the Schengen area.