Experience of applying for an Italy tourist visa on your own.

VnExpress•16/09/2023

After just three days of preparing our own documents, we were granted visas to Italy without any problems, and we didn't even have to pay for plane tickets or hotel rooms.

Reader Trinh Hang (over 40 years old, Hanoi), who has traveled independently to dozens of countries, shares her experience in obtaining a visa to Italy for her trip in early 2024.

Italy is part of the Schengen Area and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. However, according to information on travel forums and groups, the success rate for obtaining an Italian visa is low. But wanting to dedicate our entire trip to exploring Italy, we proactively applied for a Schengen visa to enter the country. As a result, we were granted visas to Italy without any problems.

Read the instructions carefully, and getting an Italian visa isn't difficult. Photo: Trinh Hang — Read the instructions carefully, and getting an Italian visa isn't difficult. Photo: *Trinh Hang*

Gather information and plan your trip .

Gathering information is the most important step. To travel to Italy, you should read the visa regulations on the official website of the Italian embassy in Vietnam and prepare your application according to the instructions of VFS (the designated official point of contact for receiving and processing Italian visa applications) there. These websites are available in both English and Vietnamese.

Next, take the time to plan your trip itinerary. The itinerary is one of the most important documents in your visa application. The visa officer will look at the itinerary and assess your seriousness, determining whether your genuine purpose for applying for the visa is tourism. The more detailed the itinerary, the better it will be evaluated. Italy should be the main destination in your trip (time spent in Italy should account for the majority of your time compared to other countries, if any).

Our itineraries typically include a lot of information: which flight to Italy, date, time, where the hotel is located, address, hotel phone number, tourist attractions, website, ticket prices, opening hours of each location, how to get there (train, bus, taxi, or bicycle), and which flight to return to Vietnam, date, time. You can also create a more simplified itinerary, but the more detailed it is, the more reliable it will be.

Of course, this itinerary doesn't necessarily have to match the actual trip 100%, but it must be clear and feasible. For example, planning to visit 2-3 cities in the same day is definitely not practical, nor is it ideal to travel between two cities 500 km apart or with only an hour's journey. You can refer to itineraries from experienced travelers and ensure that your plan is transparent and reasonable.

Booking rooms , buying plane tickets , notarizing documents .

After creating your itinerary, book your return flight tickets according to the dates and times specified in the itinerary. If you plan to visit countries other than Italy, book your flights or train tickets for those destinations as well. You don't need to pay for the flights; just make the booking and have the confirmation emailed in English.

Similarly, you should purchase travel insurance for the Schengen area that covers the exact number of days of your trip and the number of people applying for visas with you, with a minimum coverage of €30,000 per person, and request that the insurance company send you at least two copies of the certificate (usually bilingual).

Use popular apps like Booking.com, Agoda.com, and Airbnb to book hotels in your planned travel destinations. Choose accommodations that allow payment later and offer free cancellation. Remember that the booking should also be reasonable: check-in and check-out dates and times should match your schedule, and the location shouldn't be too far from your sightseeing spots. You don't need to pay for the room yet; just print the confirmation email.

For personal documents, please have them notarized and attach an English or Italian translation. Documents that are not notarized will not be accepted by the embassy.

Prepare a passport-sized photo taken within the last 3 months, meeting the size and detail requirements. The photo is quite important for your application; if you submit a photo that doesn't meet the standards, VFS will ask you to have it retaken.

Complete your application and schedule an appointment .

You should complete your tourist visa application according to the requirements of the Italian Embassy as listed on their official website, specifically as follows:

Visa application form: Download the form from the VFS website and fill in all the information (you can handwrite or type it), attach a passport-sized photo, and sign the form. No stamping or notarization is required. For any sections you are unsure how to fill in, leave them blank; VFS staff are ready to explain so you can fill them in correctly when you submit your application.

Passport: original passport valid for at least 3 months after visa expiration date and with at least 2 blank pages; a photocopy of the passport (no notarization required). If you have old passports, please submit photocopies as your previous travel history is very important in assessing your creditworthiness.

A photocopy of the Schengen travel insurance certificate you purchased.

Two passport-sized photos (4x6 cm) meeting ICAO standards (International Civil Aviation Organization standards), taken within the last 3 months.

Trip itinerary.

Book your round-trip flight and hotel reservation. Please print the booking confirmation email in English; no stamps or notarization are required.

Proof of financial capability: Original (in English) bank statements for the last 6 months, issued close to the application submission date, with the bank's official stamp. If you receive your salary via bank account, you need to provide a salary statement.

Even if you don't receive your salary through a bank account, submitting a copy of your personal bank statement is acceptable. If you have other assets, please submit them as proof of financial capability. You only need to demonstrate that you can afford the trip and have a stable financial life in Vietnam. It's not necessary to show that you are wealthy or have a high income.

Documents proving social status: notarized copy of social insurance book, original or notarized copy of employment contract, salary slips for the last 6 months, leave certificate, notarized copy of retirement decision, retirement card, pension book (for elderly people).

Your social insurance book is an important document, but if you don't have one, you can still prove your social status with other documents. For students, the embassy requires a notarized copy of your student ID card, the original confirmation letter with the school's seal (in English), and a letter of permission to take a leave of absence. If you cannot obtain these documents, include in your application all documents showing that you are studying in Vietnam on a stable, long-term basis, such as: membership cards for youth organizations, membership cards for clubs you participate in, acceptance letters, enrollment confirmations, certificates of merit, and diplomas. If you are not studying, working at a fixed establishment, or do not have a social insurance book, write a statement explaining your living situation and income sources.

Documents proving identity: notarized copy of household registration book with English translation. For children under 18 years old who are not accompanied by both parents, the guardian not participating in the trip must personally go to the embassy to sign a consent form allowing the child to travel, and submit a notarized copy of the child's birth certificate, a notarized copy of the guardian's citizen identification card, and pay a fee of 550,000 VND for signing the consent form.

You should write a handwritten statement of purpose in English, clearly stating your reasons for wanting to go to Italy and confirming your return after the trip. You can also list the countries you have visited to increase credibility. The letter should be truthful, concise, and match your itinerary.

After completing your application, please visit the VFS website to schedule an appointment. You can reschedule if you have an unexpected event. Italy allows applications to be submitted up to 6 months before your departure date. It's best to apply as early as possible because many tourist attractions in Italy are fully booked 1-2 months in advance; applying close to your departure date may make it difficult to purchase tickets. VFS currently has offices in Hanoi , Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The current Italian visa fee is 80 euros (approximately 2 million VND), and the VFS Global service fee is 237,000 VND. If you choose the service of having your passport delivered to your home after visa results are available, the fee is 80,000 VND. The visa fee for children aged 6 to under 12 is 40 euros; children under 6 are free.

The typical processing time for a visa is 15 days from the date of application.

Trinh Hang

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