FAQs

1. What is a Visa?
   A Visa is an authorisation issued by the representative of the Government of a country permitting a person, not resident in that country, to enter its boundaries.
   
   
2. Who issues Visas for Italy in London, Manchester and Edinburgh?
   
   • If you live in the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk , Northamptonshire, Suffolk and in the Northern part of Buckinghamshire), or if you live in Central and Southern England and Southern Wales (Avon, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Dyfed, Essex, Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Gwent, Hampshire, Hereford & Worcester, Hertfordshire, Isle of White, Kent, London, Oxfordshire, Powys (Brecknock District), Somerset, Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wiltshire), you should apply here.
   • If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland you should apply for your visa at the Italian Consulate General in Edinburgh. For enquiries: consolato.edimburgo@esteri.it - Tel: 0131 226 3631 - Fax: 0131 226 6260.
   • If you live in the North of England and North Wales (Cheshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derby, Durham, Humberside, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire, Clwyd, Gwynedd, Powys -districts of Montgomery and Radnor, or the Isle of Man) you should apply for your visa at the Italian Consulate in Manchester .
     For enquires: http://www.consmanchester.esteri.it - Tel: 0161 233 2721 - Fax: 0161 236 5574.
     Visa Appointment for the Manchester Consulate, can only be booked on 09065 540 770.
   
   
3. How do I know if I need a visa?
   Depending on your purpose of travel, you should log on to the website of the Consulate General of Italy to check whether you are eligible or require a visa. Visit www.esteri.it/visti
   
   
4. Can I apply at the Italian Visa Application Centre if I want to go to Spain or Paris? I can arrange for bookings accordingly?
   If you plan to apply for your Schengen visa at the Consulate General of Italy, your main destination and the maximum period of stay in the Schengen States must be in an Italian city only. Please provide proof to support this information.
   
   
5. Is the visa valid for Italy only?
   The Consulate General of Italy issues visas for Italy and for the other Schengen states. The Schengen visa issued by the Consulate General gives access to 24 Schengen countries in total. However, the Schengen Visa applications will only be accepted by Italian Visa Application Centre if Italy is the country of maximum stay. Should the duration of the stay be the same in several Schengen States, Italy must be the first point of entry if making an application at the Italian Visa Application Centre.
   
   
6. Who is VF Services (UK) Limited?
   VF Services (UK) Limited is the preferred outsourced partner to the Consulate General of Italy in the UK. The Italy Visa Application Centre of VF Services (UK) Limited functions as a collection and processing centre to guarantee a better service in response to the growing demand for Italian Visas from applicants residing in the United Kingdom.
   
   
7. How can I contact the Italian Visa Application Centre?
   You can contact the Italian Visa Application Centre via the Helpline, by email or in person. Please see our contact information section for details.
   
   
8. How early can I apply?
   Applicants are free to apply up to 90 days prior to their date of travel. The Consulate General recommends that you apply at least 3 weeks prior to your date of travel to accommodate any unforeseen processing delays.
   
   
9. Can the Italian Visa Application Centre prepare my application for me?
   The Italian Visa Application Centre does not prepare visa applications, but accepts and processes applications in accordance with the Consulate's instructions.
   
   
10. I don't live in the UK, can I apply for my Schengen visa from the Italian Visa Application Centre in London?
    The Italian Visa Application Centre in London is available only for residents living in East of England, Central and Southern England and Southern Walesall.
    
    
11. How do I submit my application at the Application Centre?
    Applicants must book an appointment to submit your application click on Schedule Appointment
    
    
12. Do I have to come personally or can I send the application to the Italian Visa Application Centre?
    You must come personally to submit your visa application. For collection of passport, you can send an immediate member of your family if you are unable to make it in person. A letter of authorisation by you and proof of relationship will be required to allow your relative to collect on your behalf.
    
    Applications by Post are not allowed. You must visit the Italian Visa Application Center in person to submit your application.
    
    
13. What is the application procedure at the Italian Visa Application Centre?
    Applicants must book an appointment to submit your application click on Schedule Appointment. Applicants will be asked to take a token at the entrance and be seated in the waiting area. (You can approach our Submission Counters when your token number is displayed). Our officers at the counter will collect your visa application form to check for completion and your photograph to see if it meets the required specifications. Your passport will be checked for validity, empty pages and previous travel information. Your fees will be collected in accordance with the visa category you have chosen and the documents you submit will be readied in the manner in which they are required by the Consulate General of Italy. You will be issued a receipt for the fees paid and given an acknowledgement for the submission of your passport.
    
    
14. Which visa [category] should I apply for?
    The Italian Visa Application Centre is an acceptance centre and, as such, is not authorised to advise/recommend any visa type to a prospective applicant. The Applicant will have to find out the visa category he/she is eligible for based on the purpose of travel. He/she can do so by visiting the websites of the Consulate General of Italy, London which is www.esteri.it/visti .
    
    
15. What are the documents required for a Italian Visa?
    After deciding the eligible visa category, applicants can log on to www.esteri.it/visti or on to the Italian Visa Application Centre's website http://it.vfsglobal.co.uk to check the recommended documents for the Visa category they have chosen. Photocopies are recommended as documents will not be returned. Submit originals only where specified.
    
    
16. What if I do not have all the documents?
    If your application is not accompanied by the documents that are recommended by the Consulate General, you will be asked if you wish to proceed with the application as it is, i.e. without all the recommended documents. Should you consent to this, your application will be registered in our system and accepted for visa application submission. Incomplete applications will lead to processing delays.
    
    
17. What proof will I have that Italian Visa Application Centre has my visa application?
    When your application is registered in our system, you will be issued a receipt for the fees you have paid. You will be given a receipt along with an acknowledgement of the acceptance of your passport in the form of a stamped copy of your passport Bio/Data page.
    
    
18. Will the application centre give me acknowledgement of the documents that I have submitted?
    The Italian Visa Application Centre will not issue any documents other the receipts for fees collected and the stamped passport copy to an applicant.
    
    
19. What are the applicable fees?
    Every Visa application needs to be accompanied by a visa fee for the amount applicable to your chosen visa category. This can be paid by Debit or Credit card, Postal Order or cash. Besides this, there is a service charge of £24 (inclusive of VAT) applicable per application. Please see http://it.vfsglobal.co.uk/visafees.aspx for the existing fees. You also have the option of requesting for the return of your documents by Special Delivery for an additional fee of £7.40 per application.
    
    
20. Can I make a collective payment for the visa fees and logistic fees?
    Yes, the Italian Visa Application Centre will accept collective fees made in person at the centre at the time of submission.
    
    
21. In what name should the payment in a postal order be made?
    The Postal order should be in the name of 'Italy Visa Application Centre, London'.
    
    
22. What is procedure to get my passport back?
    You will need to bring your receipt and submission proof (the Italian Visa Application Centre stamped passport Bio/Data page) with you on the second day after submission anytime between 1400 - 1500 hrs, Monday to Friday except declared holidays, to check for the status of your application.
    
    
23. What if I cannot return to collect my passport in person?
    In your absence, along with your receipt and stamped passport copy, an authority letter from you in the name of your relative will be required. We can post the application to you by Special Delivery at an additional nominal cost. However, this request needs to be made at the time of submitting your application and cannot be requested at a later date. This service is restricted to Royal Mail coverage in the UK and Northern Ireland only.
    
    
24. What should I provide as proof of relationship or my spouse's nationality?
    Photocopies of your Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate are the only documents that will be accepted as proof of relationship. Photocopies of your spouse's national passport can be accepted as proof of nationality.
    
    
25. Can the Italian Visa Application Centre post my passport back?
    The Italian Visa Application Centre can post your application as long as the address is provided at the time your application is being registered. Applications will be returned via Special Delivery mode only. You must make your preferred delivery mode known at the time of submission, as once your receipt is issued; we cannot change the mode of return of your application. This service is restricted to Royal Mail coverage in the UK and Northern Ireland only.
    
    
26. Is there a possibility that I won't have my passport back on the third day?
    Under normal circumstances, an applicant will have a status for his/her application on the third working day after the submission of his/her visa application at the Italian Visa Application Centre. However, if the Consulate General would like to see additional documents, see you for a personal interview or require additional time to correspond with Home Office in Rome, the process can take longer. The approximate time required is normally stated in the Information Letters.
    
    
27. What are Information Letters?
    If the Consulate General is unable to return the application to you because they would like to see additional documents, see you for a personal interview or require additional time to correspond with Home Office in Rome. This update is normally sent in a letter individually addressed to the applicant, and remains at the Italian Visa Application Centre until collected by the applicant or an authorised representative.
    
    
28. Will I get my visa at the end of the process?
    As an application centre, the Italian Visa Application Centre will not be able to guarantee you a visa. The issuance or refusal of a visa is the sole prerogative of The Consulate General of Italy. The Italian Visa Application Centre cannot influence this decision in any way.
    
    
29. If I have to travel elsewhere and my passport is still with the Consulate General of Italy, is it possible for me to have only my passport back for travel? What if I decide to withdraw my application?
    If your passport is with the Consulate and you have interim travel plans, please prepare a covering letter which has your contact and passport information. Mention the reason why you would like your passport in the interim in this covering letter and bring this to the Italian Visa Application Centre. Along with this letter, a form needs to be completed and submitted at the Application Centre. Once your travel is complete, please return your passport to permit you application processing.
    
    Should you wish to withdraw your application completely, please follow the same process but mention that you would like to withdraw your application completely. We would like to inform you that your fees will not be refunded at any stage.
    
    
30. Will my fees be refunded if my visa is refused?
    All fees are non-refundable and will not be refunded if your visa application is not successful.
    
    
31. When can I reapply; is there a timeframe after the refusal that I must wait before reapply?
    You are free to re-apply at anytime if your application has been refused earlier. There is no time gap to be observed after a Refusal to make a fresh application. However, it is recommended that you note the reasons for the earlier Refusal before submitting a new application and make amendments where applicable.
    
    
32. Can my application be processed on the same day that I submit it at the Italian Visa Application Centre?
    Applications cannot be processed on the same day unless authorised by the Consulate General. Requests for Emergency visa processing cannot be accommodated except in extreme medical circumstance and the Consulate General's decision on this is the final authority.
    
    
33. What if I am not happy with the response I receive from the person on the helpline?
    You can ask for the Manager on shift at any time during your enquiry if you unhappy with the response you have received from the helpline.
    
    
34. Do I need Travel Insurance?
    You are required to provide Travel Insurance on all occasions, with an exception of Airport Transit Visa.