General Information
PLEASE NOTE:
This Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia processes visa applications only for the residents and those legally present in our consular jurisdiction, as follows:
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland (except Prince George and Montgomery Counties), New Jersey (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem Counties), Virginia (except Fairfax and Arlington Counties), West Virginia and North Carolina.
We can accept students enrolled full-time at a College/University located within this consular jurisdiction.
Applicants travelling to multiple Schengen Countries must present the Application to the Consulate of the Schengen Member State where they are spending more time (counting days) considering also the exact purpose of stay. If an equal amount of time is planned in each Schengen Member Country, then apply to the Schengen Member Country of first Entry.
SCHENGEN VISA
The Schengen visa for short stays is issued for a maximum of 90 days and allows the visa holder to travel to all of the 26 Member Countries of the Schengen Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
NATIONAL VISA
The National Visa is a long-stay visa (over 90 days) issued for various purposes (Adoption, Elective residency, Family Union, Diplomatic or Military Mission, Word, Study or Sport Activity, etc).
A foreign national, who is granted a National Visa for Italy, must report to the Questura in Italy within 8 working days from the date of entry in Italy, to apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno (Residence Permit). Please note that failing to report to the Questura to request the Permesso di Soggiorno, will compromise your ability to legally reside in Italy.
DO I NEED A VISA?
Click here to find out if you need a visa, then return to this page and scroll down for detailed visa instructions.
FORMS and VISA REQUIREMENTS:
Download, directly from this website, the appropriate Visa Application Form (see here the Left Side Menu). Please see ALL the appropriate links (see here Left Side Menu) for the Checklists and Forms to prepare your Application for submittal.
Take care to prepare a complete Visa Application with the required “supporting” documentation, according to the Checklist, for your Visa Category. Incomplete documentation will cause delays in processing.
The Schengen Visa for short stays requires fingerprinting which are taken directly at this Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia. The Honorary Consuls cannot take fingerprinting for Visas, however, depending on availability, and only by appointment, can witness the Applicant’s signature on the Application Form.
If a Visa is required, please book an in-person appointment online at this Consulate General, Click here
Immediate family members of Italian citizens, eligible to accompany/join family in Italy, may appear directly at the Consular office during the published office hours to the public.
For ALL other requests, or for specific concerns, you may inquire by writing a concise e- mail to: visti.filadelfia@esteri.it.
VISA FEES (are updated every 3 months for the exchange rate) for the current rate, please click here
Payments for any consular service (including Visas) must be made by Money Order (USPS), payable to “Consulate General of Italy”.
NO FEE for family dependents of active duty military
NO FEE for eligible family of Italian/EU citizens
Visa Applications should include a “self addressed” and postage pre-paid Envelope for the return, Write legibly and preferably use mailing labels such as Priority Mail- Flat Rate with tracking, printed with bar codes.
You must be both the sender/shipper and the recipient/receiver.
Take note of your tracking number.
