There are not so many places in the world that every inhabitant of the planet dreams of visiting at least once in his life. Italy is one of them. This is a country of striking beauty with an ancient history, home to amazing artists, sculptors, poets and designers, as well as pizza and pasta.To visit fashionable resorts, chic shops, world-famous museums, you need a permit to enter the country. Visa to Italy in St. Petersburg is in great demand. It remains to be seen how to get it without much fuss.
What are Italian visas
If you have previously visited any country in the Schengen area, obtaining a permit to enter Italy is simplified. Depending on the purpose of travel, a visa can be:
- tourist;
- business;
- medical (departure for treatment);
- student;
- working;
- transport;
- transit;
- sports;
- for adoption;
- for religious reasons.
The term for issuing a visa to Italy does not depend on its type, with the exception of an urgent one. Also, a national visa has been established, allowing an unlimited stay in Italian territory in case of a request for a residence permit. For those who decide to stay for permanent residence, it is issued for several months (that is, not only for a year), but renewed on the spot, in Italy, when the validity ends.
In addition, there is a multiple-entry tourist visa to Italy. It is available for up to three years to individuals who:
- come to the country twice a year or more;
- have at least 2 Italian or 3 Schengen visas, one of which is Italian.
To obtain this type of visa, you must confirm the financial capabilities that allow you to live in the country without working.
Where are visas issued in St. Petersburg
To apply for a visa, you should contact the embassy, consulate or visa center of the country to which you plan to travel. There is no Italian embassy in St. Petersburg. But there is the Consulate General of Italy at Teatralnaya Square, 10. On the portal of the institution conssanpietroburgo.esteri.it, the latest news is always available, as well as the procedure for obtaining entry permits is explained.
Issuance of completed documents and additional delivery of documents are carried out on working days from 10.00 to 12.00. You can ask for help by fax (812) 318-0796 or via the mailbox [email protected].
The processing time for a visa to Italy varies from 4 to 14 days.
There is also an office of the Italian Visa Application Center at the address: Nevsky Prospekt, 25 / Kazanskaya Str., 1. Visa Management Service (VMS) is located on the fifth floor of the Atrium shopping center. Submission of documents is paid here.
You can make an appointment online or by calling the information service (812) 334-8048 from 09.00 to 18.00 every day, except Saturday and Sunday. Reception of citizens is carried out on weekdays from 9.00 to 16.00, and it will be possible to obtain a visa to Italy on your own from 14.00 to 18.00.
The operating procedure of the center, the rules for obtaining a visa can be found at spb.italy-vms.ru. The procedure is described in great detail here. Consultation is also possible via e-mail [email protected].
Where to go with documents
Contacting VMS is optional. An application for the Italian Schengen can be submitted to the visa department of the Consulate General. Appointments are available via the Prenota online system or by calling (812) 71-88-195 (14.30-15.30 Monday through Thursday). Travel agencies submit applications only after an appointment by phone. Applications from relatives of EU citizens are considered out of turn.
Registration at the Italian Visa Application Center must be made in advance. This is the European practice of avoiding humiliating live queues. The service is provided free of charge. It is worth considering that documents are allowed to be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the planned trip.
Login to the Prenota system is available both from the VMC website and from the consulate portal.
The user registers and then gets access to the application. The consulate requires passport details, mobile number and email address. After completing all the forms, the client receives a confirmation of the date of admission.
The procedure on the portal of the visa center is also simple and does not take much time. The information about the applicant is the same. The next available date is displayed immediately. After registration, a message is sent to the e-mail indicated by the applicant with a link, by clicking on which he can continue the recording, receive information about the status, postpone or cancel the visit, and print the completed Schengen application form. In a group application, a general entry is created and the fee is paid with a single receipt.
What you have to pay for
In VMC, a type C visa for up to 90 days (as well as C1, C2, C3 and C5 for a period of 1-5 years) will cost 35 euros. An urgent visa to Italy costs € 70 and is issued in 2-5 days. A document for a child under 12 years old will cost half the price. A student visa for up to 90 days inclusive is issued free of charge, and for a year it costs € 50. The price of a worker for 365 days is € 116.
The consular fee can be paid online or at any office of Banca Intesa. There are a couple of branches in St. Petersburg, but they do not accept this type of payment. You will have to use the bank's website or the cash desk of the visa center at the rate of the Central Bank.
The following are exempt from paying the consular fee:
- children under 6 years old;
- disabled people;
- close relatives of EU and Swiss citizens - children, parents, grandfathers, grandmothers, grandchildren and spouses;
- close relatives of Russian citizens with a residence permit in the European Union (except Switzerland).
In any case, it is necessary to document the relationship, as well as provide a passport or residence permit of a relative.
In addition to the consular, it is required to pay a service fee for the services provided at the rate of 1450 rubles. per person. Payment is made in cash or by credit card at the cash desk of the center.
How to apply
Submission of documents must take place no earlier than 3 months before the date of travel. You can check the confirmation of the appointment in the corresponding tab of the website of the visa center. The contract number and date of birth of the applicant will be required. You cannot be late, so you should arrive at the appointment 10-15 minutes before the time indicated in the confirmation of the entry.
Russians with permanent registration in the Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Novgorod, Pskov, Vologda, Murmansk regions and Karelia can apply to the St. Petersburg visa center.
The staff of the center on Kazanskaya Street strongly recommend making an appointment in advance to avoid queues. The organization's website has a calendar of official holidays - these days the institution does not work.
Confirmation is printed and presented at the entrance. Accompanying persons who are not related to the application are not allowed for security reasons. The exception is made by relatives of disabled persons or minors. It is forbidden to use mobile communications in the center, so the phone should be disconnected before entering.
Fingerprints are required. Biometric data is collected once every five years. This information will be available to the visa departments of consulates of all Schengen countries.
Exempt from the obligation to be fingerprinted:
- children under 12 years old;
- persons who are physically unable to do so.
A completed passport is also issued to an authorized person who has an original notarized power of attorney from the applicant included in the contract.
List of required documents
To make an Italian visa, you need to provide:
- Application form filled in block letters in Italian or English. Parents (both) sign for the minor in the questionnaire.
- Color photo 3x4 or 3.5x4.5 cm without frames, retouching and corners, on a white background with a full face image, taken in the last six months.
- International passport (both, if there is a second one) with a validity period overlapping the return date by 3 months, two blank pages and issued no earlier than 10 years ago.
- Medical insurance.
- Round trip tickets (can be booked). If you plan to travel by your own car, you will additionally need a package of documents for the car, license and Green Card.
- Evidence of solvency. These can be account statements, copies of traveler's checks, passbooks, bank cards, and so on.
- Confirmation of the possibility of accommodation. This includes invitations, hotel reservations, formalized contracts for the sale of property in Italy, and so on.
Additional service
For the convenience of Russians, VMC offers the following additional services:
- Prime time. Allows you to submit documents on Thursday evenings (from 30 to 20.00). The cost of the service is 2250 rubles.
- Insurance. You can get a policy that includes several types of risks right in the center. It is also possible to do this online.
- Photocopying and printing. The cost of a standard sheet is 25 rubles.
- Filling out the questionnaire - 250 rubles.
- Courier delivery (DHL).
- SMS notification about the readiness of documents - 50 rubles.
- Photographing - 250 rubles. for 4 photos.
These services are not included in the cost of an Italian visa. Recently, a comprehensive VIP Premium Lounge VMS service has been offered, including:
- prime time recording from Monday to Friday at 08.30-17.30;
- filling out a questionnaire;
- photographing;
- copying and printing of documents;
- use of mobile communications and Wi-Fi;
- informing about readiness by phone;
- courier delivery of issued passports.
In addition, soft and hot drinks, as well as printed publications are offered to customers. The total cost of the service is 6750 rubles. Cash or non-cash payment is made in the VIP-hall.
Conclusions
To obtain a visa, you should contact the Consulate General or the Visa Application Center of Italy. The questionnaire can be drawn up by yourself or paid to specialists who will do it professionally and accurately. The package of required documents is not too large, and an entry permit is issued relatively quickly. It is possible to track the status of documents readiness, and even receive them by courier delivery.
