Documentation

Documents required

Citizens of European Union countries and countries that have signed the Schengen treaty

To enter Italy, a valid identity card or passport is sufficient.

Citizens from non-EU countries

They can enter Italy with a passport valid for at least three months after the scheduled departure date from the Schengen area.

A VISA may be required to enter Italy depending on your country of origin. To find out if you need to obtain a VISA, go to the esteri.it website.

• After entering your nationality, country of residence, duration of stay (less or more than 90 days), and the reason for your trip, you will receive all the information you require.

Remember that when you cross the border, Italian authorities may ask you to show the documentation justifying the reasons and duration of your stay in Italy.

The VISA must be requested through the Italian consulate in your country of residence and is generally issued 90 days after making the request.

If you stay in a hotel or other hospitality facility, the manager will fill out a declaration of presence on your behalf which will be sent to Police Headquarters. You must always carry a copy of this declaration with you so that you can show it to the police if asked to do so.

If you enter Italy from a country outside the Schengen Area, the harmonized Schengen stamp applied to the passport during border checks takes the place of the declaration of presence.

If you enter Italy from a country in the Schengen Area and do not stay in a hospitality facility, you must provide a declaration of presence within 8 days of your entry into Italy to the Police Headquarters of the Province where you are staying.

Customs

There are specific limits that vary from country to country as regards bringing particular goods into Italy, such as food, alcohol, and tobacco derivatives, as well as cultural items and pharmaceutical products. Money in cash is also subject to precise limits: you can bring up to € 9,999.99 in coins and banknotes into Italy without making a declaration. Above this sum, you must compile a specific form c/o appropriate offices to avoid incurring penalties and seizures ranging from 30% to 50% of the sum in excess of the indicated limit. There are also precise rules about what travelers may include in their personal effects, transport of goods of animal and plant origin, or bringing pets into Italy.

The indications applied in order to enter Italy must also be upheld when leaving, be it to your home country, another European country, or any other destination.

For more information about every single item outlined above, please consult the Traveler’s Customs Card, which you can view/download here: Traveler Customs Card

Tax-Free (only for non-EU countries)

If you arrive from a non-European country (or in any case from outside the Schengen area), you can obtain a direct deduction or a subsequent VAT refund affixed to the goods you purchase in Italy.

This benefit may be granted provided that:

• the value of goods purchased, against each invoice, is more than 154.94 euros
• goods are intended for personal or family use and are carried in personal luggage
• the invoice includes a description of the goods, personal data of the traveler, and details of passport or other equivalent document proving that the traveler is a resident or domiciled outside the EU
• the goods leave EU territory within the third month after the date of issue of the invoice as proven by the “customs visa”
• the invoice thereby validated is returned to the Italian seller within four months after the month of purchase

It must be mentioned that the OTELLO service has been active at exit points from Italy since 1 September 2018. This procedure digitizes the VISA to be affixed to tax-free invoices issued electronically. It should be mentioned in this regard that, at the time of purchase, travelers must ensure that the copy of the invoice received from the seller has the request code certifying that it has been sent to OTELLO.

For more information about this procedure, refer to the section dedicated to OTELLO.

If you prefer, you can contact an “OTELLO intermediary”, i.e. an agency specialized in “Tax-free shopping” which will handle transmitting your data to OTELLO and obtaining the VAT refund. The agency will retain a percentage directly from the VAT sum refunded to you.

Suggestions

It is always advisable to take out travel insurance to ensure financial coverage in the event of flight delays/cancellations and avoid exposure in the event of health problems: you should also consider this option when planning your visit to our country.

In addition to the printed version of various flight and hotel booking receipts, which you should keep in your luggage, always save an image or pdf also on your mobile phone: it will be easier to show your credentials when requested!

Check if any electrical/electronic devices you wish to bring with you and use in Italy need adapters for our systems.