# Schengen Visa for Italy



## uel123 (Jan 4, 2014)

Hello my wife and I are planning to go italy in August, we will be back on11th august. We both are non-Eu resident so we require a visa to travel to europe. My question is i have heard that applicant must have 3 months valid passport after the retun data of the trip. My wifes passport will expire on 14th November which is 3 months and 3 days after our return date from Italy. Would this be ok? Or she needs to renue her passport before we apply for the visa? Thanks


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## Donutz2 (Apr 14, 2014)

You should be fine.

The Italian embassies Schengen visa instructions say "Passport, with at least 2 adjacent blank visa pages, valid for at least 90 days beyond the return date of the trip and not issued more than 10 years ago on the submission day"

Tip: If you live in London you might prefer to apply directly at the embassy. Request an appointment with them and they should offer a date within 2 weeks of your request. This would have the benefit of directly facing an Italian staffer and saves you a service fee of the external, optional, service provider. If you are in a rush or live near the VFS visa office, you could ofcourse better apply there. at the cost of a service fee. 

You can apply between 3 months and 2 weeks before your intended day of deperature to Italy. I would suggest to apply as soon as suits you but at the very least 1 month in advance. Maximum processing time would be 60 calendar days (if documents are missing and further review is needed). The ormal deadline is 15 days. The avarage turnaround for most Schengen embassies time is between 1-2 weeks.

More info (such as contact information and visa information):
http://www.conslondra.esteri.it/Consolato_Londra/Menu/I_Servizi/Per_chi_si_reca_in_italia/


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## uel123 (Jan 4, 2014)

Thamks for the reply. I live in Manchester but i can go for a day to London. Do i need to go to collect the documents my self or someone else can collect on my behalf as I can only take a day off once from work. Thanks


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## Arturo.c (Aug 15, 2010)

uel123 said:


> Hello my wife and I are planning to go italy in August, we will be back on11th august. We both are non-Eu resident so we require a visa to travel to europe.


Before you apply for a visa, have you checked if you do indeed need one? Some non-EU member countries have bilateral visa exemption agreements with Italy that allow their respective citizens to visit the other country without having to apply for a visa beforehand.
You can check that on the webpage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

uel123 said:


> We both are non-Eu resident so we require a visa to travel to europe....I live in Manchester but i can go for a day to London.


I didn't understand this. Manchester is inside the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom is part of the European Union. If you're legal residents of the United Kingdom you're also legal residents of the European Union, of an EU country.

You might still need a visa, but perhaps you could clarify?


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## Arturo.c (Aug 15, 2010)

BBCWatcher said:


> If you're legal residents of the United Kingdom you're also legal residents of the European Union, of an EU country.


That would be true only if they lived in one of the signatory countries of the Schengen treaty, from which both the UK and the Republic of Ireland opted out, meaning that non-EU citizens legally residing in those two countries still require to obtain a visa prior to travel to a destination within the "Schengen area".


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Arturo.c said:


> That would be true only if....


No, what I wrote is true. The United Kingdom really is in the European Union. You're _elaborating_ on the truth, as I did.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

At the risk of splitting hairs, I think the OP may have misspoke (mis-typed?) when he stated that both he and his wife are "non EU residents" - though that depends on their exact immigration status in the UK.

In any event, even if they are full residents (ILR, for example) it is possible they still need visas to visit elsewhere in Europe. 

But to answer the original question:


> . My question is i have heard that applicant must have 3 months valid passport after the retun data of the trip. My wifes passport will expire on 14th November which is 3 months and 3 days after our return date from Italy. Would this be ok? Or she needs to renue her passport before we apply for the visa?


As long as you meet the 3 month past your return date requirement, you should be OK. OTOH, if renewing your passport from a distance is a hassle, she might want to consider renewing early, if only for the peace of mind. Up to her, really.
Cheers,
Bev


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## uel123 (Jan 4, 2014)

Thank you everyone for the replies. Just to be clear my wife has ILR and and i am 2.5 years of spouse visa. As we both are not british national we require a visa to travel to Italy.Also if anyone knows how much to cost get the medical insurance for schenzen visa for 8 days? Thanks


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## NickZ (Jun 26, 2009)

Weather or not you need a visa can't you get the EU health travel card? What ever the current name is. I assume you're on the NHS in the UK.


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## Arturo.c (Aug 15, 2010)

NickZ said:


> Weather or not you need a visa can't you get the EU health travel card? What ever the current name is. I assume you're on the NHS in the UK.


No, the EHIC only covers basic emergency health care, and it's not an alternative to travel insurance. However, before shopping around for health care coverage during the trip, it would be wise to take a look at the terms and conditions of your bank account and/or your credit card, as some packages include travel insurance if the trip has been paid for by bank transfer or credit card.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

True, but it's definitely worth getting an EHIC, though. Get both.


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