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9. Moving to Italy

Italy at a Glance

Visa Requirements for Italy

A business/employment visa will allow you to move to Italy.

Visa Requirements

You must be sure to have all necessary visas available prior to moving to Italy. The requirements for these visas depend on your nationality. Since Italy belongs to the European Union, all EU citizens may enter the country without any additional paperwork, provided they have a valid national ID or passport.

If your country is not part of the EU and you are not a citizen of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Switzerland, or the Vatican City, either, you must apply for a visa. There are twenty types of visas that can be assigned to people entering Italy.

 The following reasons are covered:

• Adoption
• Business
• Medical treatment
• Diplomatic reasons
• Accompanying dependent
• Sports competitions
• Invitation
• Self-employment
• Employment
• Mission
• Religious grounds
• Re-entry
• Choice of residence
• Family reunion
• Study
• Airport transit
• Transit
• Transport
• Tourism
• Working holidays

To find out which nationals entering Italy require which type of visa, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for more detailed information.

Visa Categories

The visas with which non-EU nationals, or “aliens” as they are called in Italy, enter the country are divided into the following three categories:

• Uniform Schengen Visa: This visa enables non-EU or Schengen Agreement citizens to enter a Schengen country for up to 90 days. This visa can be lengthened by proof of necessity by one, two, three, and five years.
• Limited Territorial Validity Visa: As its name suggests, this visa is issued for only one specific Schengen country, i.e. Italy, and cannot be used to travel to any other EU/Schengen countries, such as Germany, for example. This visa is not usually applied for, but may be assigned by the Italian government.
• Long-stay or “national” visa:  You will probably apply for this sort of visa if you are planning to move to Italy for more than three months. You need to do so in person and bring the following documents with you: a valid passport, accommodation arrangements, purpose of visit, and proof of means of support during your stay. The long-stay visas are then subdivided into the following categories:

• Student visa: At the time of your application, you must either be enrolled in a university abroad, enrolled in an Italian university, or in a study abroad program.
• Family visa: This visa is only relevant for people moving to Italy who are related to an Italian citizen (spouse, child, or parent).
• Work visa: You must provide your resume, and preferably already have a place of employment in Italy.

Please be sure to visit your local Italian Embassy before making the trip to Italy for more specific information and application forms.