Long-Stay Visa (D-Visa): Coming Soon (Q4 2022 - Q1 2023)

An Italy Long-Stay Visa is also known as a D-Visa or a National Visa. This is the type of visa you have to apply for if you want to stay in Italy longer than 90 days. However, a long-stay visa isn’t the only permission you need if you want to live in Italy.

With an Italian long-stay visa, you can enter Italy. After that, you have to get your Italian residence permit, which is what authorizes you to stay in Italy for longer than 90 days. You cannot apply for an Italian residence permit if you are in Italy with a short-stay visa (Schengen).

The type of Italy long-stay visa that you apply for depends on the purpose you want to live in Italy for. So, if you want to go to Italy to study, work, or join a family member, you have to apply for the respective visa.

The most common types of Italian long-stay visas are:

The Italy Work Visa – available to foreign nationals who want to move to Italy to engage in salaried work. You already need to have a job in Italy before you can apply.

The Italy Study Visa – which students over 18 who are already enrolled in an Italian educational institution can apply for.

The Italy Family Visa – which is available to foreign nationals who want to join a family member who has Italian citizenship or an Italian permanent residence permit.

The Italy Self-Employed Visa – which is available to entrepreneurs who wish to open a business or self-employed individuals wanting to work in Italy.

The Italy Working Holiday Visa – which is a type of visa available only to nationals aged 18-30 from countries who are part of a working holiday program along with Italy.

Italian Retirement Visa – which is available to those persons who can financially support themselves without working in Italy.

The documents that are needed to support an Italy long-stay visa application change based on your purpose of travel as well as your country. Different countries may require specific, additional documents. Further, depending on the type of visa you apply for, you may need authorization from competent Italian authorities.

However, there is a set of standard documents everyone must have, such as:

- A long-stay visa application form, completed, dated, and signed

- Two passport pictures in line with Schengen requirements

- Valid passport/travel documents with at least two blank pages. It must have been issued in the past ten years and be valid for another three months after you intend to leave Italy

- Photocopies of your passport’s bio-data pages as well as all previous visas

- Health insurance of at least €30,000, covering all possible arising medical emergencies

- Civic documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.

- Paid visa fee, which changes depending on your purpose of travel

- The Italian visa application center or representation in which you apply will provide information regarding any specific documents that you need.

After determining where you should submit your application, you have to:

1. Book an appointment.
2. Download and complete the Italy Long-Stay Visa Application Form.
3. Gather all the necessary documents that are needed to support your application.
4. On the date of your appointment, submit the documents and the application form in person.
5. Pay the Italy visa processing fee. The fee changes depending on the type of visa you are applying for. It is non-refundable even if you do not receive a visa.