Italy Visa From Nigeria – How to Apply for Italian Schengen Visa Application Requirements Guide

Italy is one of the most fascinating of the Schengen countries due to the many tourist attractions that tell of a colourful and long history – from the ruins at Pompeii to the spectacular piazzas and architecture in the most glorious cities across the country. In this article, learn more about how to apply for an Italy visa in Nigeria, Italy visa appointment booking, processing time at the Italy visa application centre, flight itinerary for an Italy visa, hotel bookings for an Italy visa, Schengen travel insurance for an Italy visa application, and Italy visa application process at the visa office in Nigeria.

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Italy Schengen Visas

In 2020, 293,553 Italy visa applications were received by embassies around the world. 33,684 were rejected! The Consulate of Italy in Lagos received 2,541 applications and rejected 1,094.

Applying for an Italy Schengen Visa from Nigeria         

If you are a citizen of Nigeria, you will need a visa to be able to go to Italy.

You can apply by submitting your visa application and supporting documents to TLS Contact in Abuja or Lagos Victoria Island. The Consulate of Italy in Lagos makes the decision about whether to grant your visa or not and your application will be sent to this office once it has been submitted.

Types of Schengen visas offered at the Consulate of Italy in Nigeria

There are different types of visas available and the one you need to apply for depends on the reason you are traveling to Italy.

How Can I Apply for an Italy Schengen Visa from TLS Contact in Nigeria?

To apply for your visa application, there are a number of steps that you need to follow:

1. Step 1 – Choose your travel purpose
2. Step 2 – Create your TLS Contact account
3. Step 3 – Personal data input
4. Step 4 – Online appointment booking
5. Step 5 – Prepare your application materials
6. Step 6 – Application submission
7. Step 7 – Passport collection

Step 1 – Choose your travel purpose

Read the list of documents that need to be submitted with your visa application based on your travel purpose and prepare the documents carefully. Please always choose the correct travel purpose and, therefore, the correct visa. Checklists are available on TLS Contact’s website or the consulate’s website.

Step 2 – Create your TLS Contact account

Go to TLS Contact’s website and choose the country you are applying for – in this case – Nigeria:

Choose the center where you will be submitting your application:

On the next page, click on: “register”:

Complete the information and click on “create”:

Step 3 – Personal data input

Log in and the system will prompt you to enter some personal details in order to correctly process your specific visa application:

Step 4 – Online appointment booking

Making appointments with the embassy, consulate or visa application centre 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, the 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 an appointment on your own by logging into your account. Choose a date and time of your convenience to submit your application at TLS Contact. Do not forget to print out your notification as it will be required at our welcome area.

Step 5 – Prepare your application materials

Before applying for a visa, it is a good idea to check what documents are required to be submitted. Go to TLS Contact’s website and click on “application information” and then “documents and visa types”:

On the next page, choose the visa you are applying for and click on the link:

You will then see the correct documents that you need to submit for your visa application. You should also prepare photocopies as well as providing the original documents, so don’t forget to do that too!

Documents include:

1. Application form duly filled in block capitals. Please note, you must sign the visa application form when you attend your appointment at TLS Contact
2. Two recent colour passport–size photographs (white background), size 3.5 x 4.5 cm. These must meet the photograph specifications. Photographs should not be stapled to the application form
3. Passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the expected trip, with two
   empty pages
4. Colour photocopy of the passport page containing holder’s data
5. Colour photocopies of any previous and current visa (if applicable)
6. Overseas medical insurance with minimum coverage of Euro 30,000 (including repatriation
   flight and hospital care) issued by a local insurance company or one based in Europe
7. Non–Nigerian nationals living in Nigeria have to submit a copy of their Nigerian Residence Permit
8. Flight booking or other appropriate document indicating the envisaged travel plans
9. Hotel booking or letter of hospitality (invitation letter/sponsorship letter, from a hosting person living in Italy along with a copy of the identity card or passport of the hosting person and a photocopy of Residence Permit (Permesso o Carta di Soggiorno) if the host person is a foreigner & proof of family ties with the host/inviting person (if applicable)
10. Proof of sufficient funds: Salary pay slips for the last six months, letter of employment stating duration of employment and financial terms & letter from employer stating: a) Professional status of applicant; b) period of leave (for employees); certificate of Incorporation + Memorandum and Articles of Association + Form C.O. 7 or equivalent (listings of the Company’s Directors) or certificate of business name registration (for business owners); personal bank statement for the last six months, personal income tax clearance certificate (PIT) etc (for ALL applicants)
11. Proof of integration into the country: documents attesting the applicant’s professional status
12. Marriage certificate (if applicable)
13. For minors: birth certificate of the child and any other documentary evidence of the identity of the child’s parents; letter from the school stating the class attended and giving permission of absence

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 6 – Application submission

On the day of your appointment, arrive on time and remember to take all your documents. You will check-in at TLS Contact’s welcome desk and you will be directed to a counter where an agent will check your application to make sure they are all present and correct. If there is anything missing, you will be given a form indicating which documents you have not included and you will need to provide them before your application is accepted. If your file is complete, it will be sent to the consulate for processing.

You will also provide biometric data which is mandatory for all visa applications.

The consulate may contact you to ask questions about your application if they need to clarify anything. If this happens, simply answer honestly. Example questions include:

1. Where do you live in Nigeria?
2. Do you plan on studying in Italy?
3. Do you have any children?
4. Your friend is working in Italy. Are you going to meet them to work there?

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

Step 7 – Passport collection

When the consulate has made a decision, you will receive an email informing you to come to the TLS Contact centre to pick up your passport. To collect your passport, you’ll need your checklist and a copy of your ID. You can choose to have your passport returned to your home address by courier. See TLS Contact’s website for more information.

Hopefully, your visa application will be accepted and you will find the visa attached to your passport. However, there are times when applications get refused. This could be for a number of reasons including:

1. Invalid passport – your passport must be valid (valid for at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the expected trip, with two empty pages). If not, you must apply for a new passport before applying for your visa
2. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and the documents you provide, such as bank statements, must show this
3. Forged/fake documents – your passport submitted will not be returned to you and you will be prosecuted in the Italian and the Nigerian court
4. No sponsorship letter – if you are being sponsored by someone for your trip to Italy, you must provide a sponsorship letter

Visa Fees

Entry Requirements

If you are traveling from Nigeria and have been in Nigeria for the last 14 days, you can enter Italy only if you possess certain requirements. Nigeria is included in List E, so you must fill out a digital Passenger Locator Form, (dPLF) or a self-declaration) indicating that you fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. proven work reasons
2. absolute urgency
3. health reasons
4. study
5. return to one’s home, domicile or residence
6. citizens of the European Union (Italy included), of Schengen Member States, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City
7. family members of persons listed under letter f), as defined in Articles 2 and 3 of Directive 2004/38/EC dated April 29 2004
8. non-European Union citizens (third-country nationals) holding long-term residence status in a European Union country, in accordance with Council Directive 2003/109/EC
9. family members of the persons holding long-term residence status (letter h)
10. entry into the national territory to reach the domicile / home / residence of a person referred to in letters f) and h) of this list, even if not cohabiting, with whom there is a proven and stable affective relationship

In order to enter Italy, you are required to:

1. take a molecular or antigenic test in the 72 hours before you arrive
2. inform your local health authority of your arrival
3. self-isolate for ten (10) days at the address indicated in your dPLF
4. take another molecular or antigenic test at the end of the 10-day self-isolation
5. airport transit is allowed, provided that you do not exit designated areas within the airport

Border officers in Italy may always request that you fill out a paper-based self-statement upon arrival.

Further information about entry requirements to Italy from Nigeria can be found by going to this website: viaggiaresicuri.it

How to contact TLS Contact in Nigeria

Abuja

Address: Third floor, Murkhtar El-Yakub Place beside Metro Plaza, on Plot 1129 Zakariya Maimalari Street, Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria

Hours: