Entry/Exit Requirements
"A valid passport is required. Italian authorities may deny
entry to travelers who attempt to enter without a valid passport.
U.S. citizens can stay without a visa for tourist/business for up
to 90 days. That period begins when you enter any of the Schengen
countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. However, for all other purposes,
such as work, study, etc., a visa is required and must be obtained
from the Italian Embassy or Consulates before entering Italy. For
further information concerning visas and entry requirements for
Italy, travelers may contact the Embassy of Italy at 3000 Whitehaven
Street NW, Washington, DC 20008, via telephone at (202) 612-4400
or via the Internet at http://www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/ambasciata_washington,
or Italian Consulates General in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia,
or San Francisco, accessible through the Italian Embassy web site.
Americans staying or traveling within Italy for less than three
(3) months are considered non-residents. This includes persons on
vacation, those taking professional trips, students registered at
an authorized school, or persons performing research or independent
study.
As of May 28, 2007, under Italian law (http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/07068l.htm),
all non-residents are required to complete a dichiarazione di presenza
(declaration of presence). Tourists arriving from a non-Schengen-country
(e.g. the United States) should obtain a stamp in their passport
at the airport on the day of arrival. This stamp is considered the
equivalent of the declaration of presence. Tourists arriving from
a Schengen-country (e.g. France) must request the declaration of
presence form from a local police office (commissariato di zona),
police headquarters (questura) or their place of stay (e.g hotel,
hostel, campgrounds) and submit the form to the police or to their
place of stay within eight business days of arrival. It is important
that applicants keep a copy of the receipt issued by the Italian
authorities. Failure to complete a declaration of presence is punishable
by expulsion from Italy. Additional information may be obtained
(in Italian only) from the Portale Immigrazione at http://www.portaleimmigrazione.it
and the Polizia di Stato at http://www.poliziadistato.it/pds/ps/immigrazione/soggiorno.htm.
Americans staying in Italy for more than three (3) months are considered
residents and must obtain a permesso di soggiorno (permit of stay).
This includes Americans who will work or transact business and persons
who want to simply live in Italy. An application "kit"
for the permesso di soggiorno may be requested from one of 14,000
national post offices (Poste Italiane). The kit must then be returned
to one of 5,332 designated Post Office acceptance locations. It
is important that applicants keep a copy of the receipt issued by
the Post Office. Additional information may be obtained from an
Italian immigration website via Internet at: http://www.portaleimmigrazione.it.
Within 20 days of receiving the permit to stay in Italy, Americans
must go to the local Vital Statistics Bureau (Anagrafe of the Comune)
to apply for residency. It generally takes one to two months to
receive the certificate of residence (Certificato di Residenza).
Note: Although European Union regulations require that non-EU visitors
obtain a stamp in their passports upon initial entry to a Schengen
country, many borders are not staffed with officers carrying out
this function. If an American citizen wishes to ensure that his
or her entry is properly documented, it may be necessary to request
a stamp at an official point of entry. Under local law, travelers
without a stamp in their passports may be questioned and asked to
document the length of their stay in Schengen countries at the time
of departure or at any other point during their visit, and could
face possible fines or other repercussions if unable to do so."
- US State Dept
For non-US Citizen requirements, please contact
us for updated information.
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