General information
The Visa Office handles the issuance of visas allowing applicants entrance into Italy and other 26 Schengen Area countries. All foreigners intending to enter must provide the documentation required to justify the reasons and duration of their stay as well as, in most of the cases, the availability of adequate economic means and lodging. The Schengen Visa, together with a valid travel document and, in case of long stay, a residency permit issued by a Schengen country, allows the holder to travel freely within any of the other Schengen countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.). Please note the four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, are not members of the EU, but have signed agreements in association with the Schengen Agreement. Also, three European microstates—Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City—maintain open borders for passenger traffic with their neighbours, and are therefore considered de facto members of the Schengen Area due to the practical impossibility of travelling to or from them without transiting through at least one Schengen member country.
If you intend to visit several Schengen Countries during a single trip, you must apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country that is your main destination.
If you do not have a main destination, you should apply at the Consulate of the country that is your first port of entry.
Entering Italy: do you need a Visa?
Visit this link (click here) to find out whether, depending on your citizenship, country of long-term residence, and the duration and reasons for your stay, you need a visa to enter Italy.
Special provisions and/or limitations apply to holders of Canada-issued (blue cover) Refugee Travel Document, also commonly called a 1951 Convention travel document or Geneva passport, and (grey cover) Certificate of Identity. Please feel free contact this Visa Office: visa.vancouver@esteri.it for further guidance in this matter.
Make an appointment with our Visa Office
You are welcome to apply in this Consular district provided you are a Canadian citizen, a Permanent Resident of Canada or hold a valid Canadian long-term permit of stay (for work, study, or a 6 month++ visitor record for religious purposes, or for minor/s and/or accompanying parent/s). Such permit, with the accompanying Canadian re-entry visa, or the PR card itself, shall expire at least sixty (60) days beyond the intended departure date from the Schengen Area country. Furthermore, you shall be deemed resident of our consular district (AB, BC, SK & YT) with a local provincial ID to prove it.
► Residents of British Columbia and Yukon must apply to the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver. Visit this link (click here) to access the Prenot@Mi (*) automated system which will allow you to make an appointment with the visa office in Vancouver. Please be advised that the visa office receives by appointment only and that applicants must personally attend the interview with the visa officer.
► Residents of Alberta and Saskatchewan, interested in applying for short-term Schengen Visas shall apply, by appointment, to the Consular Services Branch in Edmonton. To make an appointment, please email: visa.edmonton@esteri.it .
Please note if you are interested in an Italian long-term/National Visa, you shall apply to the main Office in Vancouver, as per Visa Appointment Prenot@mi Booking guidance above.
This Visa Office strongly advises against making any non-refundable travel bookings and/or reservations prior to securing the actual visa interview slot. The visa appointment date you select cannot be more than 180 days from the intended arrival date in the Schengen Area country. On the other hand, please make sure to select your slot that is at least two weeks prior to the departure date if you are processing the visa at the main office in Vancouver; and at least three weeks prior to the departure date if you are processing the visa at the Branch Office in Edmonton. Residents of BC shall allow approximately two weeks for the completion of the whole visa issuance process, counting from the interview date. Residents of AB, YT & SK shall allow a minimum of three weeks for the completion of the whole visa issuance process, counting from the interview date, in consideration the documents need to be processed through the main Visa Office in Vancouver by mail. In any case, the actual visa processing times may vary, in consideration of the complexity of a given case that may arise.
(*) If you are a previous PrenotaOnLine booking engine user, please be kindly aware that your old credentials are valid no more and you have to create a new Prenot@Mi user profile from scratch.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The Consulate General of Italy – VISA Office wishes to remind all users that the Prenot@Mi booking system is entirely FREE OF CHARGE. Users will never be asked to pay any fee in order to book an appointment at the Consulate General.
We would recommend all users to refrain from accepting any offer made by websites, agencies or other individuals or services claiming to be able to book an early appointment on your behalf, provided that you pay a fee. Please immediately report any such services to this Consulate General by sending an email to visa.vancouver@esteri.it
The Consulate General wishes to stress that there is no connection at all between the Consulate itself and such websites, agencies or individuals and reserves its right to take action where appropriate.
Visa forms and required documents
Visit this webpage (click here) to download the required visa forms, documents, and guides.
Visa Fees
Visa fees are payable by cash or money order, payable to “Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver”. We apologize that credit cards, debit cards, EFTS, wires and personal cheques are not accepted at this time. The visa fee is a non-refundable processing charge collected at the time of application. Visa fees vary depending upon the type of visa, duration of stay and exchange rate. For the corresponding values in Canadian Dollars of the visas, please consult our list of Consular Fees under “Forms“.
Please be advised that…
- Visas are issued at the discretion of the Consulate General. Presentation of the documentation requested does not necessarily ensure issuance of the visa. The visa office reserves the right to request further documentation.
- Visa processing time is approximately 15 days ++from the day of receipt of the application form and all required documents (subject to variation based on category of visa and citizenship of applicant). It is not possible to rush processing time because the system is completely automated.
- Within eight days of entry in Italy, the holder of a long term/national visa must request a “Permesso di soggiorno” (residence permit) from the “Questura” (police headquarters) of the Italian city in which he or she intends to reside. A residence permit is not required for business, tourism, short visits or study, provided that the stay does not exceed 3 months.
- The border authorities may refuse entry to a foreign national who does not have adequate financial means or is unable to provide full details regarding the purpose of his/her stay in Italy, or for reasons of security or public order. Make sure to have with you copy of the visa supporting documents.
- The Consulate General does not make photocopies. Please make sure you bring photocopies of all the original documents you need to keep for yourself, including a copy of the main pages of your passport and your airplane ticket.