Italy Switches to All-Digital Visa Applications from June 2026

Italy went live on 1 June 2026 with a fully digital visa application process covering every Schengen and national visa category. All applications — short-stay tourist visas, student permits, work authorisations and long-stay national visas — must now be submitted through a single government-operated online portal. Paper applications at Italian consulates are no longer accepted.

The change has two concrete consequences for visitors who require a visa. First, applicants no longer receive a physical sticker in their passport; instead, a digital authorisation is issued and verified electronically at the border. Second, all supporting documents — photographs, bank statements, travel insurance, accommodation bookings — must be uploaded to the portal rather than handed in at a consulate window. Biometric data (fingerprints) is still collected at a consulate appointment for first-time applicants; the appointment can be booked through the same portal.

Citizens of non-Schengen countries who previously obtained Italian visas in person — including nationals of India, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Russia and most of the Middle East and Africa — are affected by this change. Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland are unaffected; they enter without a visa. Americans, British, Canadians, Australians and most other visa-exempt nationalities continue to enter visa-free for up to 90 days; the ETIAS pre-authorisation system for these groups is scheduled to launch in late 2026.

Standard processing timelines remain in place: 15 calendar days for a Schengen short-stay visa, up to 60 days for a long-stay national visa. Apply early and allow time for any technical issues with the portal in its first weeks of operation.

For travellers requiring a visa for a Rome visit or planning an extended stay, use the official portal at vistoperitalia.esteri.it. Consulates in Milan and other major cities process appointments through the same system. Venice and Florence remain among Italy’s most visited cities — the tourist tax and day-tripper fee rules in those cities are managed separately and are unaffected by this change.

Travellers visiting Italy on a short stay from a visa-exempt country need take no action. Those who need a visa should visit the portal, check the document requirements for their specific visa category and book a biometric appointment as early as possible, particularly for summer travel when consulate slots fill quickly.