What are the Requirements for an Italy Family visa? 2023

Who is Eligible to use an Italy Family visa?

You may not bring every family member through an Italy family visa. Only a few are eligible to enter. The relatives must comply with a few conditions to be eligible:

Spouse/law partner

Provide the document that proves your marriage. To bring your law partner, you should confirm living together for a while.

Children

Under 18 children are eligible to enter. Your spouse or partner’s children are also eligible. If your partner or spouse has children from someone else, the child is eligible. However, you should have the consent or permission letter from the other parent.

Disabled child

The age limit of an Italy family visa for a child is 18. Yet, you can bring your child who is up to 21 only if the child is disabled. The child must require assistance.

Parent

Your parents must meet the following conditions to be eligible for a family visa:

• Be over 65 years old
• Need assistance due to health conditions and old age.
• Parents have no other child to take care of them.

You have permission to bring your parents, who are over 65 years old. Also, they must need protection due to old age.

Apart from the relatives, the sponsor must be eligible too. He/she must have enough space and funds to cover the guest.

Italy Family visa Application Process

The application process for Italy family visa is as follows:

Step 1. Who is eligible?

First, determine if you are qualified for an Italy family visa or not. As the text made it clear, not everyone can apply for a family visa. The Italian government has set rules over the guests. See if you comply with them or not. If you do not, applying is a waste of time. The Italian authorities are strict with the established rules.

Step 2. Residence Authorization

The sponsor living in Italy must start the application process. He/she must apply for a Residence Authorization. The Authorization gets called Nulla Osta.  The sponsor must apply to an Italian Immigration Desk (IID) to receive the Residence Permit.

When the IID issues the Authorization, they will send it to the Italian embassy in the guest’s country. Now the guest can start applying for an Italy family visa.

Step 3. Application form

Completing the application form for an Italy family visa is the first obligation for the guest. He/she can receive the form from the Italian embassy’s website. Be precise with what you put in the form. The information must be correct and true. I mean, the provided information in the form must be identical to your documents. For example, names are important. The spelling of names on the form must be identical to your passport.

Step 4. Requirements

Gather all the requirements for Italy family visa. You can see the list of them in the section below. Be careful in this part. Every piece of the document must be according to the list. Even the smallest details matter. Remember that the Residence Authorization (Nulla Osta) is only valid for six months. So you can not waste time.

Step 5. Set visa appointment

Schedule an appointment with the Italian embassy. As the embassy could be busy, get a meeting in advance. There is also a processing time for the visa. You should consider it too. Bear in mind the exact date and time of the appointment. You could not be late for it.

Step 6. Attend the visa appointment

Go to the Italian embassy on the exact date and time. Do your best to get there a bit early. It takes you some time to enter the embassy’s building. Bring all the requirements with yourself. Submit them to the officials. Then, pay the fee for visa processing.

There could be an interview for you. The embassy’s officials will ask about your background, your family member living in Italy, etc.

Step 7. Processing

Now is the time for patience. Wait until the embassy processes your visa. Different factors influence the processing time. Yet, you should expect 1-2 months. The required time for a visa is different from the Residence Authorization. The sponsor living in Italy must wait to receive it.

When the officials issue the visa, they will inform you. Once you receive it, you have three months to enter Italy.

Step 8. Residence Permit

When the guest receives an Italy family visa, he/she has six months to enter Italy. Upon arriving, the guest has to apply for an Italy Residence permit. A family visa is permission to enter Italy. The residence permit is the legal document to stay in Italy.

Go to the police headquarters in the city you live in. They will provide you the application form and a list of documents. The general set is:

• Passport
• Family visa
• Completed application form

Submit everything to the police headquarters. They will see you at the Residence Permit. Now you can live with your sponsor freely. The Residence permit authorizes you to work. If you are a minor, you can register in a school too.

What are the Requirements for an Italy Family visa?

The requirements for an Italy family visa is as follows:

Residence Authorization

The Residence Authorization gets called Nulla Osta in Italy. The sponsor living in Italy has to apply for it and receive it. He/she must send it to you as the guest.

Residence Permit

The sponsor living in Italy must provide a copy of his/her legal residence permit. The permit must be legal for at least one year. Also, a copy of the sponsor’s passport is required. Providing that the sponsor is an Italian citizen, a copy of the ID card is necessary.

Application form

You could get the application form for a family visa from the Italian embassy’s website. Bear in mind that you have to complete the form for Italy long-stay visa.

Photo

Two photos of yourself are necessary. They must not be older than the latest three months to the application’s data. They must be passport-sized, with a light background. Keep in mind that nothing must cover your face:

• • Sunglasses
  • Unusual beard/mustache
  • Veil

Passport

Your passport could not be older than ten years to the date of application. Its validity must be at least three months over the expiry date of your visa. If you do not know the visa’s expiry date, the passport must be valid for over 18 months over the date of the application.

Personal statement

The host must provide a letter, stating that:

• • He/she commits to support the guest.
  • Fulfills the requirements for Italy family visa according to national law.

Evidence of family Relationship

The host and the guest must prove their family relationship. It must be through a formal document:

• • Birth certificate for children.
  • Official marriage record for the spouse. Its issuance date must be six months before the date of application. You should have the certificate translated and legalized by the Italian embassy.

Proof to have the means

The sponsor must have enough funds to cover the financial expenses of the guest. Also, enough space must be available.

Certificate of paid visa fees

Keep the receipt of paid visa fees.

Consent letter

If the child will travel alone, a consent letter from the other parent is required.

Parents’ requirements

The following documents are mandatory to bring parents to Italy:

• • Birth certificate, original, and copy.
  • Evidence that parents rely on guests for financial support. You could provide the documents for financial support.
  • Parents must provide a written declaration that they are dependent on the host.

Health insurance

The guest must have health insurance valid in Italy and the whole Schengen Area.

Power of attorney

If the applicant can’t or will not submit the application by themselves, a Power of Attorney (POA) is mandatory. The POA is like an authorization letter. The applicants give formal permission to a representative to submit the application on his/her behalf. It is particularly true for old parents or disabled children.

The applicant must sign the POA and mention the representatives’ names and contact details. The representative must provide an ID card and a copy.

What is the Housing Regulation for Italy family visa?

The Italian government has put regulations over the sponsor’s house for a family visa. The house must have enough space for all family members.

To prove the house fulfills the standards, the sponsor must provide a formal certificate. The formal certificate could come from:

• Italian Local Authority Office (Ufficio Communal), or
• The ASL, Azienda Sanitaria Locale – Local Health Unit

For a family of two members, the house must have at least one bedroom. The total space of it can not be less than 45m2. If there are three people in the family, the house must have at least two bedrooms. Its total space could not be less than 55m2.

The Financial Regulation for Italy family visa

The sponsor must fulfill the financial regulations for Italy family visa. You must hold at least half of the minimal annual income in Italy. The rate for annual income changes every year. The amount increases by the number of family members. The required amount to bring the child along with the spouse is 11,661.52 EUR.

Processing Time for Italy family visa

The processing time for Italy family visa is a bit different from other visas. You should know that there are two times to wait for the authorities’ decision.

First, the sponsor must apply for Residence Authorization (Nulla Osta). It could take 2-4 months to receive it. The processing time is not much clear. Only then the guest can apply for a family visa from abroad. Second, the guest must wait for the Italian embassy’s decision on a family visa. The required time could be 1-2 months. Different elements influence it.

Can you work under an Italy family visa?

Yes, the relative moving to Italy has permission to work. He/she can participate in full-time jobs as well. There are no limitations. Also, the child can register in schools and education centers.

However, if the parents want to study in Italy, they should also apply for an Italy student visa.

Let’s sum up…

This article introduces all you should know about Italy family visa. It covered who needs a visa, who is eligible, requirements, the application process, FAQs, and many more.

If you need to know about other types of Italy visas, go through the left-sidebar.

In case you need information about other country’s visas, visit the home page of the Visa Library.

You have knowledge about visas? Share all of them with us in the comment section below. They are valuable tips for visa applicants.