Visas

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Visa Office processes applications for visas that allow entry into Italy and other countries in the Schengen Area (see list below). All foreign nationals seeking entry must provide documentation to support the purpose of their travel, the length of their stay, and where applicable, proof of sufficient financial resources and accommodation.

If you plan to visit more than one Schengen Area country during a single trip, you must apply for a visa at the consulate of the country where you will spend the most time. This country is considered your main destination.

If you do not have a main destination, you must apply at the consulate of the country that will be your first point of entry.

If Malta is your main destination and you reside within our consular jurisdiction, you may submit a C-type (Schengen) visa application through our office, as we represent Malta for visa processing purposes.

A valid Schengen Visa, together with a valid travel document and, for long stays, a residence permit issued by a Schengen country, allows the holder to travel within Italy and around the Schengen Area countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland).

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). They are not members of the European Union but participate in the Schengen Area through international agreements. In addition, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City microstates maintain open borders with neighbouring Schengen countries and are considered de facto part of the Schengen Area for travel purposes, due to the practical impossibility of travelling to or from them without transiting through at least one Schengen member country.

 

ENTERING ITALY: DO YOU NEED A VISA?

Visit this link: click here to determine whether you require a visa to enter Italy, based on your citizenship, your country of long-term residence, the purpose of your stay, and the length of your stay.

I have a REFUGEE STATUS in Canada

Special provisions and limitations apply to holders of a Canada-issued Refugee Travel Document (blue cover), also known as a 1951 Convention Travel Document or Geneva Passport (sample here).

Holders of this document do not require a visa for short stays in Italy (for example, tourism, business, or certain other purposes) for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

However, if your travel plans include other Schengen Area countries in addition to Italy, including airport transit, you must carefully verify the visa requirements for each country. Visa-free travel for holders of a Canadian Refugee Travel Document applies to Italy and only a limited number of other countries. If Italy is your only destination, you should book a direct, non-stop flight between Canada and Italy. Avoid international transit connections through other countries, as additional visa requirements may apply.

If you do not have confirmed permanent resident (PR) status in Canada, you should contact the appropriate Canadian authorities to confirm re-entry requirements. Airlines may deny boarding for travel to Canada if you do not hold a valid PR card. You may be refused boarding on your return flight if you cannot present valid proof of permanent resident status in Canada.

I have a Canadian CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY

Special provisions and limitations apply to holders of a Canada-issued Certificate of Identity (sample here). Its holders do not require a visa for short stays in Italy (for example, tourism, business, or certain other purposes) for up to 90 days within a 180-day period if they are refugees or stateless people. A Certificate of Identity does not state the reason for its issuance.

If you hold a Canadian Certificate of Identity, you must travel with supporting documentation confirming your status in Canada (for example, proof that you are a stateless person or a protected person, including a refugee).

For proof of statelessness, Canada refers to the document/s described on the The humanitarian and compassionate assessment: Statelessness page on Canada.ca. For proof of refugee status, you may use a the refugee protection identity document (RPID) issued in Canada. This document confirms your status as a refugee in Canada.

If neither of the two conditions above applies, the visa requirements for Italy will depend on the Certificate of Identity holder’s current.

Please note: travellers are responsible for confirming with other Schengen countries whether the documents described above are accepted, including for transit purposes.

 

I AM A CANADIAN CITIZEN: DO I NEED TO APPLY FOR ETIAS?

To learn more about the current status of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), please visit the official ETIAS website.

 

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE VISA OFFICE

You may apply at this Visa Office if you are a Canadian citizen, a Permanent Resident of Canada, or hold a valid Canadian long-term permit for work, study, a visitor record of six months or more for religious purposes, or a parent accompanying a minor. Your permit, along with a Canadian re-entry visa or PR card, or a valid eTA # for qualifying foreign nationals, must be valid for at least three (3) months beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area or your re-entry to Canada.

You must be also a resident of our consular district (Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, or Yukon) and be able to provide a provincial ID to confirm your residency.

Please note à This Visa Office DOES NOT process applications for individuals considered visitors to Canada, including holders of “super-visas.” We also do not process applications from individuals who reside outside our consular jurisdiction. This includes, but is not limited to, residents of Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Washington, or any other foreign country. If you fall into one of these categories, you must submit your application to the Italian consular office responsible for your place of residence

All visa services are available by appointment only. Applicants must attend the interview in person with a visa officer. This applies even if the applicant has provided fingerprints and/or held a Schengen visa in the past 59 months.

We DO NOT accept walk-ins, do not maintain waitlists, and cannot process unscheduled mailed-in visa applications.

This Visa Office strongly advises against making non-refundable travel bookings or arrangements before securing a confirmed visa interview appointment. All supporting documentation MUST be submitted as physical copies on the day of your visa interview.

Please note à Applying for a visa is only the first step; it does not automatically mean your application will be approved. Fully prepaid flights or other travel arrangements do not guarantee that a visa will be issued. Visa officers have the discretion to reject applications that are incomplete or do not meet the requirements. Please be advised that the Diplomatic or Consular Representative reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation as deemed necessary. This may include, but is not limited to: personal or business income tax returns, CRA Notice(s) of Assessment, proof of additional savings and/or investments, proof of local property rental or ownership, credit card statements.

The visa appointment date you select must be no more than 180 days before your intended arrival in the Schengen Area. On the other hand, ensure there is a sufficient time buffer between your appointment and departure from Canada.

The statutory processing time for a Schengen (C) visa is 15 calendar days. This processing period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly when further examination of the application is required.

The processing of Italian National (D) visas is expected in 15 calendar days for most of the applications. It may be extended up to 30/90/120 days in individual cases, particularly when further examination of the application is required.

For technical reasons, please allow an additional week for any of the visa applications submitted through our Consular Services Branch in Edmonton.

 Please note: There is currently no public tool available to track the status of visa applications. Please kindly refrain from contacting the Visa Office to inquire about the status of an application that is in progress.

 

WHERE SHOULD I SUBMIT MY VISA APPLICATION?

► Residents of Alberta (AB) & Saskatchewan (SK) interested in short-term Schengen Area/C-type visas shall apply in person, by appointment, to the Consular Services Branch in Edmonton. To request an appointment, please email: visa.edmonton@esteri.it .

The same in-person appointment requirement in Edmonton applies to residents of Alberta and Saskatchewan who wish to apply for one the following Italian National (D-type) visas:

• Working Holiday/Canada-Italy Youth Experience;
• Salaried work employee (with the official SUI Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file);
• Salaried athlete (with the official CONI Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file);
• Mission (with the official ministerial Nota Verbale on file);
• Family Reasons (with the official SUI Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file);
• Family Reasons for spouses, or other eligible family members, of Italian or other EU-member state citizens;
• Re-entry (with the official Questura Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file);
• Research (with the official SUI Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file);
• Investors (with the official ministerial Nulla Osta/no objection approval on file).

As mentioned above, please allow an additional week for any of the visa applications submitted through our Consular Services Branch in Edmonton.

 

► Residents of British Columbia (BC) and Yukon (YT) who wish to apply for a short-term Schengen (C-type) visa must apply through the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver.

The same requirement concerns BC and YT residents applying for any Italian National (D-type) visa AND Alberta and Saskatchewan residents applying for any D-type visa not specifically listed above

 

Use the Prenot@Mi platform to book an in-person appointment with the Visa Office in Vancouver.

The booking system allows a maximum of three (3) interview appointment slots per user profile. The system does not allow a separate user profile for a minor (under 18 years old) travelling alone. An adult parent or guardian must create the user profile. When booking the appointment, the adult user shall indicate that the interview is for a minor visa applicant. All documents uploaded or attached to the booking must belong to the minor-age applicant.

The Vancouver Visa Office experiences high demand for Italian visa appointments year-round. If you see a pop-up message on the booking platform, it means that no interview slots are available within the next 12 weeks, which is the maximum range shown in the booking calendar. For departures within three to four months, please check the booking platform for last-minute cancellations that may become available.

 

Please refrain from emailing the Visa Office in Vancouver to try to secure an appointment.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Prenot@Mi booking system is completely free of charge. Users will never be asked to pay a fee to book an appointment at the Visa Office of the Consulate General of Italy.

Do not accept any offers from websites, agencies, or individuals claiming they can book an appointment for you in exchange for a fee. Please note that the Consulate General has no affiliation with these websites, agencies, or individuals, and reserves the right to take action where appropriate.

If you encounter such services, report them immediately by emailing: visa.vancouver@esteri.it. Failure to report may result in the cancellation of a suspicious appointment without recourse.

 

VISA FORMS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Visit the following webpage to check and download all required visa forms, supporting documents, and guidance materials: click here .

 

VISA FEES

Visa fees must be paid in Canadian dollars (CAD) by cash, bank draft, or money order payable to “Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver”. We apologise, but credit cards, debit cards, EFTs, wire transfers, and personal cheques are not accepted at this time. Visa fees are a non-refundable processing charge, collected at the time of application. Fees vary depending on the type of visa, duration of stay, and the quarterly exchange rate. For the corresponding visa fees in Canadian dollars, please consult the Table of Consular Fees available at: Forms and useful links .

 

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Please be advised that…

• Visas are issued at the complete discretion of the Officers at the Consulate General. The Visa Office may request additional documents if necessary. Submission of all requested documentation does not guarantee visa issuance.
• Visa processing time takes 15 (fifteen) calendar days from the date the application form and all required documents are received. Processing times may vary depending on the type of visa and applicant’s citizenship. The process cannot be expedited, as the system is fully automated.
• Foreign nationals staying in Italy for tourism, business, or study for 90 days or less are not required to obtain a residence permit. Instead, they must report their presence in the country as follows:
  • Arriving from a non-Schengen country: Report to border authorities upon entry and obtain a Schengen entry stamp in the travel document. This stamp serves as the declaration of presence. This is progressively being supplanted by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) that concerns the collection of biometric data, such as facial image and fingerprints.
  • Arriving from a Schengen country: Report to the local Questura and complete the dichiarazione di presenza form within eight (8) business days.
  • For those staying in hotels or other reception facilities, the registration form signed at check-in serves as the declaration of presence. The hotel provides a copy to the guest, which can be shown to police officers if requested.
• Holders of a long-term (national) visa must request a Residence Permit (“Permesso di soggiorno”) at the Questura (Italian provincial police headquarters) in the city where they plan to reside within eight (8) business days of entering Italy.
• Border authorities may refuse entry to foreign nationals who:
  • do not have adequate financial means,
  • cannot provide full details about the purpose of their stay, or
  • pose a security or public order risk.

Bring copies of all supporting documents with you to show border authorities if required.

• The Consulate General does not provide photocopying services. Applicants should bring physical copies of all documents they need to keep for themselves, such as: main pages of your passport, Canadian provincial IDs, PR cards, study or work permits, airplane tickets, and any other relevant documents.

 

This update on March 01, 2026.

Last update on January 5, 2025