Italy has located in a strategic situation that many planes pass through it. Lots of passengers might have to change their flights there. You might need an Italy transit visa to catch your connecting flight. If not, you will have to face heavy consequences. In this blog, we will explain who needs and does not Italy Transit Visa, the requirements, application process, fees, validity, a few FAQs, etc.
What is Italy Transit visa?
The people who are traveling to a non-Schengen country but have to change their means of traveling in Italy might need a Transit visa. This visa also gets called A-visa and comes under Italy’s short-stay visas.
Although Italy transit visas in a short-stay visa, you may not leave the international transit area of an Italian airport. The rule applies even if you have to stay overnight at an Italian airport. It is only valid for 24 hours. Please keep in mind that you only need and Italy transit visa if your destination is a non-Schengen country.
If you need to leave the airport to take your flight from another Italian airport, then you have to apply for a regular Schengen Visa (C Type).
There are two types of Italian visa, depending on the means of your traveling:
- Italy Airport Transit Visa (ATV)
- Italy Transit Visa for Seamen
They have various requirements and times of validity, for each of them.
Who Needs an Italy Transit Visa?
In case you are from one of the following countries, you need an Italian transit visa to change your traveling means:
Asia
| Afghanistan | Pakistan |
| Bangladesh | Sri Lanka |
| Iran | Syria |
| Iraq |
Africa
| Eritrea | Ghana | Somalia |
| Ethiopia | Nigeria | Senegal |
North America
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
Who Does Not Need an Italy Transit Visa?
You might be the national of one of the mentioned countries, but you can be exempt from an Italy transit visa. In case you are part of these categories, you are exempt from an Italy transit visa:
You have a valid visa issued from:
| A Schengen state | EU country |
| Andora | EEA country |
| Cyprus | Canada |
| Croatia | Japan |
| Ireland | The US |
| Romania | The UK |
| San Marino |
In case you have a valid residence permit from:
| A Schengen country | Japan |
| An EU country | The United States of America |
| An EEA country | The Principality of Andorra |
| Canada | The Republic of San Marino |
If you have one of the following conditions,
- You have a diplomatic/official, service, or special passport.
- Applicants are a family member of a Switzerland, EU/EEA citizen.
- You are a member of an airline crew citizen of a country that is part of the Chicago Convention
If you have an Italy tourist visa, you do not need a transit visa.
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What are the Required Documents for an Italy Transit Visa?
To apply for a Visa, you have to submit these documents:
- Italy Schengen Visa Application Form. Completed with full details and signed.
- Your passport with two blank pages.
- Two photos.
- The visa of the country you are traveling to in case you need one.
- Purchased tickets.
- Medical health insurance. It must cover €30,000 for all medical necessities in the Schengen area.
- Paid Italian visa fee
- Your seamen book. You should provide its copies too.
- An invitation letter from the Shipping company. Please remember to provide its license and certificate.
Italy Transit Visa for Seafarers
The seamen/seafarers need a visa if they want to enter one of the Italian seaports. By this visa, they can leave the vessel and stay in a seaport for a restricted time.
In case you are a sea vessel crew, you need a Visa to:
- Get on s sea vessel on one of the Italian seaports.
- Leave a sea vessel for personal reasons or sickness.
- get out of a sea vessel to join another one in an Italian seaport
You should keep in mind that an Transit Visa for Seamen is only valid for up to five days.
How Can You Apply for an Italy Transit Visa?
You have to go through some procedures to apply for a transit visa, including:
- Figure out if you need a visa or not. The members of EU/EAA and Schengen states are exempt from Italy visa. But many more need one. The same rules apply for the transit visa.
- Complete the application form. Be careful with what you fill in. The information you fill must be the same on your documents. Then print and sign it.
- Gather the required documents. They got listed and explained above.
- Book an appointment. It will be in an Italian embassy, consulate, or a visa center.
- Participate in the appointment. When the time comes up, take part in the appointment and submit the application along with the required documents. The authorities might ask you a few questions, give true and honest answers.
- Pay the fee. The transit visa costs you €60. But check with the Italy visa costs. You might be free-fee or pay a reduced fee.
- Wait for processing. The authorities will inform you whether your application got accepted or rejected. If yes, they will send your passport with the attached visa on it. If not, they will inform you of the reason for denial.
How Long Does it take to Get an Italy Transit Visa?
You will get the answer to your application in about two weeks. If your application is a special case or the situation is complicated, it could take 30-60 working days. It’s wise to submit your application and documents sooner.
How Much Does an Italy Transit Visa Cost?
The transit visa costs you €60. But check how much you have to pay. Some groups are exempt from paying fees, and some have to pay less. You can check every fee from this blog.
What are the Restrictions on a Transit Visa?
When you have an Italy Transit visa, you may not leave the international transit area. You can only stay there for up to 24 hours. Most airports have a restaurant, lounge, etc. so you can spend your time there. In case you have a seafarer transit visa, you may stay on the seaport for up to five days.
How Long Can You Stay in Italy with a Transit Visa?
If you have an “A” Italy transit visa, you can only stay in the international area for 24 hours to switch your flight. By a Transit visa for seafarers, you may only stay in the seaport for up to five days. But if you have a “B” transit visa, you can leave the airport to catch your flight to another Italian airport.
Let’s sum up …
In this blog, we explained all you need to know about Italy Transit visa.
The nationals who need and don’t need an transit visa, the required documents, the application process, fees, etc. got covered.
You can find all the Italy visa information in the world here. To find out more about the visa that suits you, go through the menu of the site. You can find all the Italy types of visas at the left sidebar.
You can check the visa library to find more information about other countries’ visas.
In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences as comments is a great help for applicants.
- Published by
- Max-B.