VISAS
American Citizens do not need a visa when they travel to Italy for up to 90 days, for business or for personal purposes. For all other purposes, a visa is required and must be obtained from the Italian Embassy or Consulates before entering Italy.
In order to apply for a visa to Italy, American visitor will need to present a valid American passport (valid three months beyond intended stay), proof of sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.
Due to the very high volume of requests, we wish to remind all visa applicants (both individuals and University programs) that during the months of November, December and January, the processing time will be between 4 and 6 weeks. All applications, including those submitted in person, will be processed according to the date of departure from the U.S.
No phone calls can be accepted to check the status of the application. Ten days from departure you may check the status by sending an e-mail message to the visa office and indicating your full name and date of birth (day-month-year).
The visa section is open to the public only on appointment basis, from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. (except on Wednesdays). Visa applicants have to book their appointment through the phone appointment service.
* How to book your appointment *
The phone appointment service is available at the following numbers:
- 1-800-405-0044 (to pay using your credit card)
- 1-900-656-1111 ( premium rate line)
(calls cost $2.49 per minute at all times). Lines are open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. CST, except for Christmas Day, December 26th, New Years Day and Good Friday (Please keep an eye on the website for any change in the schedule). This service is handled by Abtran and enables the visa section staff to concentrate fully on processing visa applications.
If you have a complaint regarding this service only, please email details to CGICustomerService@abtran.com for follow up.
No appointment is required to pick up your passport once the visa has been issued; you can come freely at the Consulate General from 9 to 12.30 from Monday to Friday.
The above mentioned lines are to use for appointment setting only. All applications must be submitted in person at the Consulate General.
Once you have set your appointment, you will receive an e-mail with your reference number and the date and time of your scheduled appointment. As for the detailed list of required documents to enclose to your application, please click here to find all the detailed relevant information.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY DOCUMENT, EITHER VIA FAX OR EMAIL, BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ENCLOSE ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO YOUR VISA APPLICATION FORM, AND TO SHOW THEM DIRECTLY AT THE MOMENT OF THE INTERVIEW.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please note that appointments will automatically be cancelled if you are more that 30 minutes later.
Further information on the requirements for visas can be found on the ITALIAN MINISTRY of FOREIGN AFFAIRS website:
VISAS TO ENTER IN ITALY
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