Italy, located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, is famous for its long history, various styles of architecture, coastline, and rich natural landscape, which attracts tens of millions of foreign visitors every year. However, visitors who come from countries that do not reach visa-liberalization agreements with Italy or who plan on a long-term visit must apply for an Italy visa. Before submitting documents and having an interview at the embassy or the visa center, booking an appointment is an essential step, Otherwise, your application will not be processed. Here comes the question: “How to schedule an appointment?” “What if I have scheduled a seat but cannot attend?” Don’t worry. In this passage, we will introduce how to book, cancel or reschedule an Italy visa appointment.
Common Types of Italy Visa
First of all, you should learn about what types of visa you need, which depends on the length of stay and purpose of traveling.
Airport Transit Visa (Type A)
- Airport Transit Visa (Type A)
It is issued to travelers who transit in Schengen Area’s airports. This visa holder can only stay within the international zones of airports instead of entering the member states’ territories.
Schengen Visa
- Uniform Schengen Visa (USV, type C)
It is a short-stay permit issued for travelers to travel freely within the Schengen Area which contains 27 member countries. The holders can stay in the area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Anyone who arrives in Italy first or who stays in Italy for the longest time among all Schengen countries should apply for an Italy Schengen visa.
Long-stay or “National” Visa” (NV, type D)
It is issued to those who plan to stay for more than 90 days, such as international students, employees, etc. Visa holders can enter Italy multiple times. They can travel freely between other Schengen states and stay for up to 90 days in every six-month period.
Why Is It Necessary to Book Appointment for Italy Visa
Some people might be accustomed to walking into a government department and asking for the service they want. Instant walk-in service seems more convenient than prior booking, but that’s not the truth. Here are the reasons why you should make an Italy visa appointment.
● Make full preparation
Many applicants know little about what to prepare for visa application. Sometimes they head to the visa office only to find that the supporting proof is insufficient or even incorrect. Scheduling a visa appointment can not only hold a seat for you but also tell you what documents should be brought to the interview, so you can get ready in advance.
● Save time
Imagine that you walk into an Italian consulate, wait in the long line, and it’s finally your turn. It is quite exhausting. Sometimes you might you might get nothing because working time is up, which is quite depressing. Making an Italy visa appointment guarantees you can access the service. All you need is to attend as scheduled instead of waiting for hours.
● Screen out applicant
Individuals are required to fill out the application form in advance and attend the appointment in person. In this case, the officer can have a face-to-face talk with the applicant and identify any questionable intentions such as fraud, identity theft, certificate forgery, etc.
How to Book Italy Visa Appointment
Depending on where you apply from, you may make an Italy visa appointment online, by phone, by email or in person. Italian consulates in some countries use the Prenot@mi online booking system, such as the US, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada, Singapore, etc.
For Indians, if you live in other parts of India, you should apply to the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata (for Northeast and Nepal) or to the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai (for South and West). If you are a citizen of Nepal, please apply to the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkata.
In this section, we will take it as an example to talk about how to make Italian Schengen visa appointment.
Create an Account
Go to the Prenot@mi portal and click on the “REGISTRATI ” ((REGISTERED) button. Read the warm tips in the pop-up window and click the “OK” button at the end. Then fill out all required fields with an asterisk (*) mark, including name, place of birth, date of birth, email, address, mobile phone number, etc. Check the box in front of “In order to register, you must consent to the processing of your personal data.” at the bottom and click on the “REGISTRATION” button.
Confirm Your Account
You will receive an official confirmation email sent by the system. Click on the link in the email to finish registration. Please note that personal details except the address cannot be changed once the account has been set up, so please check the accuracy of provided information before verification.
Book an Italian Schengen Visa Appointment
Log in to the Prenot@mi. Choose the consulate you want to visit according to your location and “visas” for “Service”. Enter extra information relevant to your application for the Notes Section. Just leave a plain statement instead of questions. For example, if you want to book a joint appointment for all family members, specify everyone’s personal information, and the officer will decide whether to combine all these bookings.
Check the calendar and select a favored date and time. The Prenot calendar will display the dates with different colors.
- Green — the whole day available
- Yellow — partial slots available
- Red — no slots available
- Black — no appointments available (usually on public holidays and non-public business days).
Click the date with green or yellow and you will see a list of time slots. Pick one and click on “Confirm”.
Confirm Booking
The system will send an email with an 8- or 10-digit code. The code is one-time. Please enter it on the confirmation page of Prenot@ami. After this final verification check, you have successfully booked an appointment. A confirmation email that contains the Italian consulate location, address, and details of the appointment will be sent to your mailbox. It is suggested to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time.
How to Cancel Italy visa appointment
According to the authority, an Italian Schengen visa appointment is not confirmed no later than 3 calendar days before the date of the appointment will be canceled. Supposing that you have confirmed the booking but cannot attend it, it is suggested to cancel the appointment so as to make way for other applicants. The cancellation should be made through the following steps.
- Go to the Prenot@mi portal and log in.
- Go to “My Appointments” Section where you will see details of your booking, including booking code, date, time and status.
- Click on the item “Cancel booking” button next to the booked appointment. Once canceled, the appointment cannot be restored.
How to Reschedule Italy Schengen visa appointment
Unfortunately, Prenot doesn’t allow for more than one visa appointment on the same account. That is to say, if you want to change the time or date that you have reserved, you have to cancel the previous one, which has been introduced before. Then go to the “Book” Section and choose the location, date and time again.
Some applicants exploit the advantage of creating another Prenota account to book a new appointment while maintaining the previous one. It is acceptable, but make sure the new account uses a different email address and a different identity document on a different computer, or the system will identify you as the same user. In any case, it is strongly suggested to cancel the extra booked appointment supposing that you can’t attend it as scheduled and make room for other applicants.
Cost of Italy visa Application
The visa fees vary from the visa type and the age of the applicant, which is listed in the chart.
| Visa type | Italy visa |
| Italian Schengen visa (for adults) | €80 |
| Italian Schengen visa (for minors between 6-12) | €40 |
| Italian Schengen visa (for minors under 6) | Free of charge |
| National visa (for students) | €50 |
| National visa | €116 |
Payment methods vary from country to country. In the US, only money orders payable to the Consulate General of Italy are acceptable. Please note the fees will not be returned even if your visa application is rejected.
Lists of Italian Visa Office
There are several Italian Consulates in the US, UAE and India. Their addresses and contact are listed below.
| Coutry | Location of Italian Consulates | Contact |
| India | Delhi | 50 E, Chandragupta Marg Chanakyapuri South West Delhi 110021 Phone: +91 11 2611 4355 |
| Mumbai | Kanchanjunga, first floor 72 G.Deshmukh Marg Mumbai 400026 Phone: 0091 22 23804071 | |
| Kolkata | No 5G, New Rd, Alipore, Kolkata,Kolkata 700027 Phone: +91 33 2479 2426 | |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | World Trade Centre Sheikh Rashid Tower, 17th Floor Phone: +971 4 331 4167 |
| United States | Boston | 600 Atlantic AveBoston, MA 02210 Phone: (617) 722-9201 |
| Chicago | 500 North Michigan Ave., Suite 1850 Chicago, IL 60611 Phone: (312) 467-1550 | |
| Los Angeles | 12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025 Phone: (310) 820-0622 |
FAQs
Q: After scheduling an Italy visa appointment, should I apply in person or by mail?
A: All applicants must appear at the chosen location on the day of the appointment. No mail applications or authorized representatives are accepted.
Q: Should I make an appointment when applying for a visa for my child?
A: Each applicant aged 18 years old or above should make a separate appointment on Prenot@mi. If your child is under 18, you can leave a note in your booking.
Q: What should I bring to attend the Italy Schengen visa appointment?
A: General supporting documents include:
- original passport with at least 3 months of validity from the date of leaving the Schengen zone and at least 2 empty visa pages.
- photocopy of the bio-data page on the passport
- a colored and clear Schengen visa photo taken within the last 6 months and satisfying the official photo guidelines.
- photocopy of the latest Schengen visa (if any).
- proof of flight booking, including the returning or onward ticket.
- insurance, and financial statements.
- other evidence depending on specific visa type
Q: How long does it take to get my visa?
A: The processing time for a short-stay visa is usually 7 to 15 days and a National visa is up to 90 days.
Q: Can I pay extra fees to expedite the application?
A: It’s a pity that a rush fee is not applicable currently.
Q: Should I pay for an Italy visa appointment?
A: Booking an appointment is always free, but if you ask for help from third-party agencies, you might be charged extra service fees.
Q: How should I prepare for the interview when attending the appointment?
A: Before the interview, make sure your documentation, including original and photocopies, is ready, and don’t be late. During the interview, be confident, honest and polite. Keep your answers clear and concise.
Summary
There are short-stay and long-stay visas for foreigners to visit Italy. As long as you come from a visa-required country, an Italy visa appointment is a must-do, which helps you to get ready in advance and save time. Booking an Italian Schengen or long-term visa through Prenot@mi online can be quite simple if you follow our instructions. Pay attention that availabilities and procedures might differ from consulate to consulate, so please contact your local visa office for the latest news. Anyway, the main principle is to schedule as early as you can. After booking, please attend the appointment as scheduled with all supporting documents. If you do have to miss it, don’t forget to cancel it and reschedule a new one.
Erin Lo