The Visa Office operates by on-line appointment only. Appointments must be booked by using the “Prenot@mi” portal.
Appointments must always be confirmed by the applicant, using the online portal Prenot@mi, 3 to 10 days prior to the scheduled appointment date.
The booking system is entirely FREE OF CHARGE.
The system will automatically open a time slot, should it become available when a previous booking is canceled.
Please be advised that you can schedule your appointment starting maximum 180 days before the intended departure day.
All applicants must appear in person on the day of the appointment.
Proof of residence/Jurisdiction: only residents of States/Counties falling under its consular jurisdiction can apply at the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia
You can provide any of the following documents: your driver’s license with up to date address; the last 3 months of utility bills; Federal State Income Tax Return.
Students enrolled in full time school programs in schools/universities located in the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia shall bring the current enrollment verifications.
If you are not a U.S. citizen and you need to apply for a visa you must provide a copy of the document that allows you to reside legally in the U.S. (U.S. long term visa except B1/B2, U.S. permanent resident card, I-20 for all F1 Visas only, Advance Parole). The document must have a validity of at least 90 days from the intended departure date from the Schengen Area.
Please follow this link if you reside outside the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia: Italian Consular Offices in the US
Citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq need to provide a copy of their birth certificate showing full names of mother and father or an equivalent Consular declaration. English translation is also required.
Travel document requirements: before applying for your visa, make sure your travel document has a validity of at least 3 months beyond the last day of your trip in the Schengen Area and at least two empty ‘VISA’ pages.
Processing time: it generally varies from 7 days to several weeks depending on the type of visa and citizenship of the applicant. Visas are issued at the discretion of the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia upon fulfillments of all requirements established by the Law.
Visa fee are payable only by money order or certified bank check. For accounting reasons the money order has to be the exact amount since the office cannot provide change. Since the exchange rate changes every 3 months please consult the following link for the correct fees.
All documents must be presented in original. Please provide also a photocopy of the passport’s first page, latest Schengen visas, Permanent Resident Card, US visa (excluding US B1/B2 non resident visas), driving license, I-20, Advance Parole, as well as of the original documents that you wish to keep.
Passports will be returned exclusively by mail. On the day of the appointment the applicant MUST bring a self-addressed, prepaid envelope (prepaid labels with a barcode or stamps + tracking number) and a photocopy of it. The Visa Office will accept only prepaid priority mail envelopes from the U.S. Postal Service (no FedEx, no UPS).
All applicants must also present the Declaration for Mailing Passports duly filled out.
The Consulate is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged passports in transit.
MINOR APPLICANTS:
For minor applicants, the following certification is needed:
Original birth certificate, plus one copy. Please note that all foreign (i.e. not issued in the US) documents must be translated into English and the translation must be legalized by the Italian Consular Authority in the Country where the certificate was issued.
– A letter from both parents granting permission to travel and assuming financial responsibility for the entire trip. The authorization to travel must be signed by both parents and has to be notarized by a US notary or, if the parents live abroad, by the Italian Consulate of their Country of residence. Either both parents (or legal guardians) of the minor must be present at the Visa Office. The Consulates reserves the right to request the physical presence of both parents if deemed necessary.
– Assumption of responsibility of an adult during the minor’s trip to Italy duly notarized by a US or Italian notary.
Minors cannot contact the Visa Office and need the parents or legal guardians to book an appointment on their behalf.
Minors must appear in person on the day of the appointment, with both parents (or legal guardians)
All foreign documents MUST be translated into English and the translations legalized by the competent Consulate in the country where the document was issued. The Visa Office reserves the right to require further documentation (i.e. certificates, divorce decree, family court decree etc.) if deemed necessary.