Italy Visa from UK – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Italian Schengen Visa

The cities of Italy are jam-packed with lovely streets and squares, perfect for exploring, eating and drinking. But, there are beautiful little villages full of interesting attractions and easily reachable from the main destinations. Medieval villages like San Gimignano and Assisi are fabulous places to visit. You could also learn of Italy’s Etruscan past in places like Rome or Tarquinia or visit the hundreds of Greek and Roman sites that are up and down this beautiful and fascinating Schengen country. In this article learn more about how to apply for Italy visa at the Italian consulate in UK, London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Italy visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Italy visa application center, flight itinerary for Italy visa, hotel bookings for Italy visa, Schengen travel insurance for Italy visa application, and Italy Visa Application Process at the London, Edinburgh and Manchester embassy.

Italy Schengen Visa

In 2018, Italian Embassies and Consulates around the world received 1,844,140 visa applications. They rejected 135,882 (7.4%). The Consulate General of Italy in London received 19,597 and rejected 298 (1.5%). The consulate in Edinburgh received 825 applications and issued 812 making a rejection rate of 1.6%.

Applying for an Italy Schengen Visa from the United Kingdom

If you are from any of the following countries you do NOT need to apply for an Italy Schengen visa. You are allowed to visit Italy for up to 90 days as long as you hold a valid passport:

If you are a citizen of any other country, you DO need to apply for an Italy Schengen visa. If you currently reside in the United Kingdom, you must be able to prove you have legal residence status in the UK. If you don’t, you must apply for a visa for Italy from your home country.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Italian embassy and consulate. To apply for your Italy visa from the United Kingdom, you may submit your application to any of the following visa offices:

1. The Consulate General of Italy in London – if you reside in England, Wales, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Channel Islands, Gibraltar or South Georgia & Sandwich Islands
2. The Consulate General of Italy in Edinburgh – if you reside in Scotland or Northern Ireland
3. VFS Global in London or Manchester – if you reside in England or Wales
4. VFS Global in Edinburgh – if you reside in Scotland or Northern Ireland

It is the consulate in London or Edinburgh that will process your application and make the final decision about your visa.

Types of Italy Schengen Visas Offered in the United Kingdom

The visa you will apply for will depend on the duration of your trip:

1. Schengen visa – this visa is for stays of up to 90 days
2. National visa – this visa is for stays of over 90 days

You will then choose the category of visa depending on your reason for traveling to Italy:

Schengen visas are for the purposes of tourism, business, visiting family/friends, other family reasons and airport transit. Applications for Schengen visas are received by VFS Global

National visas are for the purposes of employment, study, family reasons, etc. If you wish to apply for this type of visa, you will need to apply for a residence permit. Applications for National visas are dealt with by the consulate in London or Edinburgh.

Visas are usually issued as:

1. Single entry – 1 entry during 90 day period
2. Double entry – 2 entries during the 90 day period
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries during the 90 day period

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Consulate General of Italy in London or Edinburgh/VFS Global in the UK

Visa applications are processed in 2-10 days, but each application is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, so it could take longer. You can apply up to 90 days ahead of your departure date, so you should do so well in advance to leave enough time for your application to be processed.

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Italy visa:

Step 1: Book an appointment               

The first thing you need to do is to book an appointment in order to submit your visa application.

For Schengen visas:

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make appointment on your won by following the steps below:

1. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on the area where you live
2. Click on: “Schedule an appointment”
3. On the next page, click on the link
4. You will need to register as a new user
5. Then, you can log in
6. You will then be able to make a suitable appointment to submit your Italy Schengen visa application to VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh
7. You will receive an email confirming your appointment which you should print because you will need to take this to your appointment at VFS Global

For national visas:

1. Go to the consulate’s website and click on: “Visas”
2. On the next page, click on: “Consulate general”
3. On the next page, scroll down to the information regarding appointment booking and click on the link:
4. You will be directed to the consulate’s online booking system – Prenota online (London); Prenota online (Edinburgh)
5. First, register as a new user
6. Then, you can log in to make your appointment

Please note, 10 days prior to your appointment, you’ll receive an email asking you to reconfirm your appointment at the consulate. You must do this within 3 – 7 days, otherwise, your appointment will be cancelled.

Step 2: Complete your application form

The application for short-stay Schengen visas for Italy can be completed online. Go to the consulate’s website’s visa page again and click on: “E-@pplication“:

Click on the link:

You will be directed to the e-application system. Click on: “Proceed to online form”:

Then, you can complete your application form:

Please note, this system can ONLY be used for short-term Schengen visas. If you don’t want to use the online system, you can donwload the form for Schengen visas here. For National visas, you can find the application form here.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

Before you begin this step, check what documents are required for your visa. This information can be found on the consulate’s website or VFS Global’s website.

Original documents AND photocopies must be provided. Foreign documents must also be translated into English and properly legalized.

Documents include:

1. Completed application form (click here) (E@pplication)
2. Passport valid for at least 3 months past your trip and issued within the last 10 years. It must also have at least two blank pages
   
3. Valid UK residence permit
4. 1 x color, white background, passport-size photo (taken within the last 6 months). See full guidelines for acceptable photos
5. Fully paid return flight tickets. Note that Embassies in UK may require actual fully paid tickets for the visa application and not the flight reservation based on the jurisdiction you live in. So double check the embassy requirements within your jurisdiction before submitting the documents for visa application.
6. Hotel reservation OR letter of invitation from your host in Italy (for a template click here) along with host’s passport and/or residence permit in Italy
7. Recent (not older than one month) reference letter either from your employer or school/university/college addressed to the Italian Consulate
8. Proof of financial means to cover the cost of your trip. For example, the last 3 bank statements. You need to show that you have £30 per day in Italy
   
9. Schengen Travel insurance to cover the entire duration of your stay
10. Letter from current employer confirming your job role and the purpose of the trip to Italy. If self-employed, a letter from the company director or accountant
11. Invitation letter from the Italian company signed, dated and addressed to the Italian Consulate together with a copy of the host’s passport. The letter must confirm the purpose of the trip, dates of travel, who is responsible for the expenses, travel health insurance and accommodation in Italy
12. Evidence of sponsorship and/or accommodation for companies or organizations. 
13. Letter of acceptance from the university in Italy with details of the study program
14. Presentation letter from the university in the UK
15. Nulla Osta (entry clearance) provided by the “Sportello Unico” (Unified Immigration Desk), to be requested by the employer in Italy
16. Contratto di lavoro (job contract)
17. Birth certificate and written consent from both parents, plus, parent’s passport (minors)
18. Marriage certificate

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment:

1. Arrive early – get to VFS Global or the consulate at least 20 minutes early. If you miss your appointment, you will have to make a new one and this could prevent you from departing on the day you have planned
2. Don’t forget anything – make sure you have everything with you, so check before you arrive at the visa office. Also check that you have signed where appropriate. If you submit an incomplete application, it might get rejected
3. Dress smartly – if you want to make a good impression, don’t dress too casually (no shorts or t-shirts!)

The visa staff will examine your application and supporting documents and if they need to clarify anything and/or want more information from you, they will ask you additional questions. All you need to do is to be honest.

Typical questions include:

1. Are you traveling with anyone else?
2. Do you know anyone in the EU?
3. What are your plans when you return to the UK?
4. Do you have any trips booked in Italy?
5. Are you single or married?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay in cash or by credit/debit card at VFS Global. Please note, there is also a service fee of £8.18. If you are attending your appointment at the consulate in London or Edinburgh, you can pay by cash only. These fees are non-refundable.

You will also provide a scan of your fingerprints and a photo. This biometric data will be uploaded on the Visa Information System (VIS) and will be used by the immigration authorities. If you have previously provided this data, it can be reused as long as you are applying for a new visa within 5 years.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once you have submitted your application, you can track its progress. Go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Track your application”:

On the next page, click on the tracking link:

Key in the requested information and you can find out what stage your application is at:

Please note, this tracking service is only for Schengen visas. If you have applied for a National visa, the consulate will contact you once they have reached a decision.

When a decision about your visa application has been made, you can collect your passport from the consulate or VFS Global. VFS Global can also send your passport back to you via DX Securemail courier at a cost of £14.95 per passport. There is no collection facility in Edinburgh and Royal Mail Delivery envelopes will not be accepted for the return of passports.

The decision will be either:

1. Approved – you will find your Italy visa inside your passport
2. Rejected – your visa application has been rejected for a reason

Common rejection reasons

1. There was no proof of accommodation – you must provide proof of where you are staying in Italy. This could be a hotel booking or rental agreement or, if you are being invited to stay in someone’s home, you will need to provide an invitation letter
2. There was not enough time to process the visa – you must apply well in advance of your trip to allow enough time for your application to be processed (see above processing times)
3. Employment status could not be verified – you must be able to prove your employment status whether you are employed, self-employed, a student, retired or unemployed
4. You provided fake documents – presenting fake documents will definitely lead to your application being rejected and you will be found out, so don’t do this

Contact details for the Consulate General of Italy in London:

Address: Harp House, 83/86 Farringdon Street, London, EC4A 4BL (nearest underground/rail stations: Blackfriars or Farringdon)

Email: visti.londra@esteri.it

Hours: Monday to Friday; 9.00 am to 12.00 pm

Contact details for the Consulate General of Italy in Edinburgh

Address: 32 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7HA

Email: visa.edimburgo@esteri.it

Hours: Monday to Friday; 9.30 am to 12.00 pm (Public Hours); Fridays ONLY, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm (submission of documents)

Contact details for VFS Global in London

Address: 66 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BT

Phone: 0871 376 0023 between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Hours: Monday to Friday; 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm (Passport collection)

Contact details for VFS Global in Manchester

Address: 50 Devonshire Street North, Manchester, M12 6JH

Phone: 0871 376 0023 between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Hours: Appointment only

Contact details for VFS Global in Edinburgh

Address: 1 Rennie’s Isle, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QT

Phone: 0871 376 2101 between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm

Email: info.schengen@vfshelpline.com

Hours: Appointment only

Conclusion

In summary, follow these 5 steps to apply for your Italy Schengen visa:

1. Book an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

Then, you’ll soon be winging your way to Italy!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

Apply Schengen Visa From UK

Apply France Visa From UK

Apply Germany Visa From UK

Apply Spain Visa From UK