If you are planning to move to Italy, you should plan in advance. This might sound obvious, but oftentimes I receive a call from clients who are already here in Italy. Our consultation goes something like this:

Client: Hi, can you help me get a visa for Italy.

Me: Where are you located?

Client: We’re here in Italy.

Visas for Italy

Like virtually every country in the world, visas for Italy can only be issued by the respective Consulate or Embassy in the country of your residence. For larger countries, like the United States, the Italian Consulate that processes your visa will depend on the State of your residence.

For example, the Italian Consulate in the United States is divided into various regions, each with specific states under its jurisdiction. The New York Consulate covers New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Bermuda. The Los Angeles Consulate serves California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. The San Francisco Consulate oversees Northern California, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and U.S. Pacific territories like Guam and American Samoa. The Chicago Consulate handles Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Indiana (visa services only)

After confirming the proper Italian Consulate to process your visa application, you will need to schedule an appointment. Recently, most Italian Consulates have consolidated their scheduling platform on Prenot@Mi, which is managed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I typically advise clients to check possible scheduling times well in advance, as finding availability for Consular appointments can be challenging. This is especially true in certain Consular jurisdictions where there is a high demand for visas to Italy, such as the United States. Unfortunately, in Consulates like Los Angeles and New York, there are often no available appointments, and you need to continue to monitor the platform on a daily basis until finding one.

Dealing with Italian Consulates can be extremely frustrating, especially when it comes to obtaining an appointment. If you are looking for support, I would be glad to explore potential solutions. Book a meeting with me here.

Obtaining a Visa For Italy

Travelers from many countries need a visa to visit Italy, depending on their nationality. Citizens of countries like China, India, Nigeria, South Africa, Russia, and most of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East typically require a visa to enter Italy. On the other hand, visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and EU or Schengen Area countries can travel to Italy visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days within a 180-day period).

As a general rule of thumb, if you intend to stay in Italy longer than 90 days, you should consider obtaining a long-term visa. Like many other countries, there are various visa categories and you should consult an immigration expert to better understand your options.

It is important to note that for anyone who travels to Italy on a visa-waiver program (i.e. U.S nationals), it is not possible to extend your stay while in Italy. There is a 90-day limit on the duration of your stay, and you will need to leave the country before this period of time expires. Staying longer than the permitted time can create future problems for re-entering not only Italy, but any European Union countries.

If you are confused about the period of time you have spent in the Schengen region, this Schengen calculator is a helpful tool.

Obtaining Residency in Italy

The Italian residence permit, or permesso di soggiorno, grants you the right to live in Italy. It also permits you to travel throughout the Schengen zone for the duration of time it is granted. Keep in mind that if you wish to extend your permesso di soggiorno, you will still need to demonstrate that you have maintained the residency requirements.

The duration of the residency permit depends primarily on the visa that you have entered Italy with. You can only obtain a residence permit in Italy if you have a valid visa. The only exception to this rule is claiming political asylum or if you are the spouse of an Italian citizen or EU national that is resident in Italy. So, to further emphasize this point – you cannot obtain a permesso di soggiorno in Italy on a tourist visa or visa-waiver.

It doesn’t matter if you buy a house in Italy or speak fluent Italian. Having grandparents that lived in a quaint Italian town or knowing the mayor won’t help you either (well maybe knowing the mayor will). Therefore, in most cases, the only way you can get a residence permit is with proof of a valid visa issued by an Italian Consulate.

Plan your Move to Italy

Advance planning will help set expectations for relocating to Italy. Understanding the timing and process involved in obtaining the suitable visa is necessary. That said, practical realities, such as long processing times at Italian Consulates in the United States, present challenges to getting a visa. By working with a qualified immigration advisor, there are possible workarounds for those who have more urgency or shorter timelines.

For example, one of my clients recently arrived in Italy on a visa-waiver. They sold their home back in the United States and arrived on a one-way ticket with no intention of returning. We’ve figured out a near-term solution that permits them to stay in the European Union for longer than the allotted period of 90 days, and are diligently planning a more long term and sustainable immigration pathway based on their goals of relocating and settling down in Italy.

David is a dual US-Italian national practicing immigration law. He resides in Florence and advises clients on relocation solutions for Italy. Have questions or thinking about your next move?

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