Differences between Italy Visa and Schengen Visa

  • Added:
    May 12, 2014
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Differences between Italy Visa and Schengen Visa Photo by Nayan  Joshi

Applying for an Italy visa essentially means that a permit is issued to citizens of another country so that they can enter the territory of the Italian Republic or of other Schengen countries. You can apply for an Italy visa and enter on a “transit” or “stay” basis. You can apply for the Online Italy Visa form online easily. If you wish to apply for an Italian Visa from Dubai, you must check online for the requirements and documents needed. The visa takes the form of a sticker applied to your passport or another valid travel document.

Before the visa is issued, though, checks are carried out to make sure that the applicant meets certain requirements and conditions. In some cases these conditions are set out in detail in the law. In other cases they are less clearly defined and the official in the visa office evaluates the application at his or her discretion


In general terms, there are two main categories, depending on the duration of the visa which you can apply for through the online Italy Visa form:

• Short-stay visas for visits of up to a total of 90 days, calculated over a period of 180 days. The number of days is calculated from the date of first entry to the territory of the countries of the Schengen area. The visas in question are called Uniform Schengen Visas (USVs, Italian initials VSU) and limited territorial validity Visas (LTV, Italian initials VTL). Uniform visas are valid for the entire territory of the Schengen countries.
Limited Territoriality Visas are only issued in exceptional circumstances. They are valid for the territory of one or more Schengen member states but not for all of them.

• Long-stay visas, for more than 90 days. These are national visas (Italian initials VN). National visas entitle you to stay for a long period only in the country that has issued the visa. They also entitle you to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days, even if you are still waiting for your residence permit to be issued.

Apply for an Italy visa is discretionary and depends on examination of individual cases, including purpose of visit and intention to return. If you intend to visit one of the Schengen countries for business, as a tourist or for a personal/private visit, you must first obtain a Schengen visa, which is valid in all Schengen countries. This normally enables you to visit the countries mentioned below and move freely during one trip within the validity of the visa. A Schengen visa is not appropriate if you wish to remain in a Schengen member state for longer than 3 months or take up employment or establish a business or trade or profession.

Schengen visas are issued by the following 25 countries:

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary

Author's Profile

Nayan Joshi is an employee of Cox and Kings Global Services. Along with wanting to ensure that travellers have extensive information on visa and visa-related services, he also prefers to research. Along with a detailed explanation on how to apply for an Italy Visa, he also explains about getting an Italy Visa form online and talks about how a traveller can apply for an Italian Visa from Dubai.


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