Italian Embassy Washington DC – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Italy Schengen Visa

Italy is known for its long history and you can see evidence of this in the hundreds of monuments and archaeological sites across this beautiful Schengen country. It’s a fabulous destination for exploring! Its cities are modern with plenty of life buzzing at all times of the day. With stacks of interesting things to see and do, delicious food to savor, and a beautiful coastline on which to relax, Italy might just be the stuff of your dreams. In this article learn more about how to apply for Italy Visa at the Italian embassy in Washington DC, Italy visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Italian visa application center and Italian Visa Application Process at the Washington DC consulate.

Schengen Visa

7.66% of all Italian Schengen visa applications were rejected last year. This was out of a total of 1,850,260 applications. The Embassy of Italy in Washington had a rejection rate of 0.4% out of a total number of 951 applications.

Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States      

If you wish to travel to Italy you may need a visa to enter the country. Applying from the United States is easy, but first, you need to know whether you need a visa.

Go to the website of the Embassy of Italy in Washington and click on: “Do I need a visa?”

Click on: http://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en:

On the next page, scroll down until you get to “4 questions to find out if you need a visa for Italy.” Key in the information requested and click: “Go to answers”:

If you don’t need a visa, the system will tell you:

If you do, it will tell you that you need to submit a visa application as well as supporting documents:

Generally speaking, if you are a non-US citizen, but you live permanently in the United States, you will need a visa to enter Italy. You have to make sure you apply at the right Italian embassy and consulate.

The Italian Embassy in Washington looks after citizens within its jurisdiction. That means if you live in the following areas, you are able to apply at this Embassy.

– District of Columbia

– Maryland: Only Montgomery and Prince George’s counties (all other counties should apply at the Italian General Consulate in Philadelphia

– Virginia: Only Arlington, Fairfax counties and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax (all other counties are under the jurisdiction of the Italian consulate in Philadelphia, as above)

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC

If you wish to go to Italy for a period of up to 90 days, you will need to apply for a Schengen (short-stay) visa. If you want to go for longer than 90 days, you must apply for a National (long-stay) visa.

When you apply for your Italian visa, you must apply for the right category. This will depend on why you are going to Italy. Visas available from the Italian Embassy in Washington are:

1. Tourism
2. Visit family and/or friends
3. Business
4. Adoption
5. Elective residency
6. Family reasons
7. Medical care
8. Mission
9. Re-entry
10. Religious
11. Research
12. Study
13. Employment/Self-employment
14. Sports competition
15. Transit
16. Transport
17. Working holiday

Visas are usually issued as:

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry within visa dates
2. Double entry – Maximum of 2 entries within visa dates
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries within visa dates

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Embassy of Italy in Washington

When applying for your Italian visa, it is a good idea to do so methodically. That’s why the steps laid out here will be useful and hopefully make the application process simple for you.

Step 1: Book an appointment  

The first step is to book an appointment. You can do so on the Italian Embassy’s booking system. This is called Prenota Online and you can access it by going to the Embassy’s website using this link. Click on the link on the page:

On the next page is the booking system and you’ll find instructions. If you haven’t used this system before, you need to register as a new user, so click on: “New user registration”:

Complete your information and create a password:

Or, if you have log-in details, go ahead and log into the system:

Then, you can book an appointment on a day and time that suits you.

When applying for your Italian visa, make sure you apply in plenty of time for it to be processed. Currently, processing times at the Embassy of Italy in Washington are between 7 and 15 days. However, during May, June, July, August, September, and December the Embassy receives a higher number of applications, so it’s advisable to submit your application at least 2-3 weeks before your trip.

There is no rush processing, so don’t leave it too late. You can usually submit your file 15 days to 90 days before. Applications more than 90 days will not be processed.

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!

Step 2: Complete your application online

Step 2 is to complete your application online. Go to the Embassy’s website and click on: “http://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en”:

Scroll down and fill in your information again:

One the next page, scroll down to where it tells you what documents you need and click on: “View” next to where it says “Entry visa application form”:

You will be directed to the appointment booking system. Proceed to the online form and complete your application:

Once you’ve completed it in full, print the form off.

Step 3: Prepare your application documents

Before you start to prepare your application documents, it’s a good idea to check the Embassy’s website for the entire list of requirements. It’s up to you to submit everything they need to be able to process your application.

Click on: http://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en, key in your details, and it will tell you what documents you need for your type of visa:

Documents include the following:

1) Entry visa application form

2) Recent passport-style photo (see the Embassy’s website for photograph requirements)

3) Passport or other travel documents (expiry date at least 3 months longer than that of visa; issued in last 10 years; 2 free pages

4) Return ticket or evidence of own transport

5) Proof of sufficient means of subsistence

6) Documentation that proves social and professional standing

7) Travel Health insurance for a minimum of €30,000 to cover emergency hospitalization and repatriation

8) Proof of accommodation

9) Invitation letter

10) Sponsorship letter and/or proof of any type of event

11) Enrolment confirmation

12) Birth and/or marriage certificate

13) Parental consent form (for minors)

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, arrive at the Italian Embassy in Washington early. If you are late you may not be able to attend and you’ll have to reschedule your appointment.

It’s also a good idea to dress appropriately – no jeans and t-shirt!

Don’t forget any of your paperwork. The Embassy cannot process incomplete applications.

You may be asked questions regarding your application. If this happens, don’t panic, just answer them confidently and tell the truth about your circumstances. Some common visa interview questions include:

1. Is this your first trip abroad to the Schengen zone?
2. How are you going to pay for your trip?
3. What’s your salary?
4. Are you meeting anyone in Italy?
5. What do you know about Italy?

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

As part of your appointment, you will have to pay the fee for your visa. You can pay by cashier’s check or money order payable to the Embassy of Italy, Washington DC. You can also pay in cash, but you need the exact amount. This fee is non-refundable.

Schengen Visa Fee

The last thing you may have to do is to provide biometric data which includes fingerprints and your photograph.

Step 5: Receive your visa

When you hand over your application for processing, the Embassy will tell you when your visa will be ready. Then, you will receive notification from them, so you can go back and collect your passport.

Hopefully, your Italian visa will be in your passport, but it may have been refused. There are different reasons why visa applications get denied:

1. Passport invalid
2. Proof of accommodation not provided
3. Forms not signed
4. False travel document
5. Purpose of the trip is not clear
6. No invitation letter

It is crucial that you do not provide fake documents – you will be found out and you will be blacklisted. If your passport is invalid in any way, for example, issued longer than 10 years ago, you must get a new one before applying for your visa. In addition, you MUST provide all required documents to the Embassy – they simply cannot make a decision without them. Lastly, make sure you prove why you wish to go to Italy.

Contact details for the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC

Address: 3000 Whitehaven Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008

Email: visti.washington@esteri.it

Telephone: 202 612 4427/4490 – 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm

Fax: 202 462 9406

Visa Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10.00 am to 12.30 pm

Conclusion

So, 5 very simple steps to applying for your visa at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC:

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

Once that’s all done, the next step is the most exciting one – getting ready for your Italian adventure!

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

How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Boston, Massachusetts
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Chicago, Illinois
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Philadelphia
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Houston, Texas
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Los Angeles, California
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in Miami, Florida
How to Apply for an Italian Schengen Visa from Consulate General of Italy in NYC, New York
How To Apply for Italy Schengen Visa at Italian Consulate in San Francisco, California