How to apply for Italy Schengen visa from Egypt

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the Schengen area, Italy accepts thousands of visa applications each year from Egypt (an Italy Schengen visa is required for Egyptian citizens and residents, who lack visa-free access to the zone). If you are approved for a Schengen visa, you will be able to stay in Italy for up to 90 days, and even visit the rest of the area’s 26 European countries (states that include France, Germany, and Spain). Today’s blog will provide essential Italy visa information for Schengen visa applicants, including a step-by-step guide for how to apply for a Schengen Italy visa from Egypt. 

How to apply for Italy Schengen visa from Egypt

• 1. Decide when to apply 
  • Visa applications should be submitted so that the applicant receives his or her visa in time to travel to Italy. This means that you should apply for your visa to Italy no later than 15 days  before you intend to travel (but not earlier than six months prior to your trip).
• 2. Select your Schengen visa type
  • There are numerous types of Schengen visas that you can apply for. Many Egyptians apply for tourism, medical, and student visas to Italy (a complete list is available here). 
  • Browse the above types and decide which best reflects your reason for traveling to Italy (for example, if you are going to Italy in order to attend some sort of educational program there, you should apply for a Student Schengen visa. 
• 3. Select your Schengen visa entry category 
  • Italy visa category for entries include single, double, and multiple. 
  • A single-entry Schengen visa will only allow you to enter Italy/the Schengen area one time (meaning that if you leave the zone, you won’t be able to return, even if your visa hasn’t yet expired). 
  • A double-entry Schengen visa will allow you to enter the Italy/the Schengen area twice (meaning that you can leave the zone once after entering it, but if you leave it a second time, you won’t be let back in). 
  • The final, most flexible Italy visa category for entries is the multiple (meaning that you can re-enter the zone as many times as you like after leaving it). 
• 4. Select Italy as your primary destination 
  • All Schengen visa applicants must select their primary destination in the area as part of their application. 
  • Italy will be your primary destination if it is the Schengen country where you will be spending the most time on your trip. 
  • Please note that Italy can still be your primary destination even if you do not enter the Schengen area through it. For example, if you are spending the majority of your trip in Italy but you plan on entering the Schengen area by flying directly from Cairo to Paris, you will still apply for a Schengen Italy visa from Egypt (rather than a French one). 
• 5. Determine where to apply in Egypt 
  • Apply for your Italy visa from Egypt through the Italian Embassy, Consulate or visa application center near you. Most of these destinations will be in Cairo (and in certain instances Alexandria). 
  • Your application destination should provide you with additional Italy visa information in the event that you request it. 
• 6. Gather your required documents
  • When you apply for an Italy visa for Egyptian citizens and residents, you will be required to submit the following documents and materials:
    • Egyptian passport (or other valid country passport) 
    • Two passport sized photos 
    • Schengen visa application
    • Schengen visa fee (Italy tourist visa fees for Egypt citizens and residents—and fees for all types of visas—are 80 EUR for most applicants, for more information, click here) 
    • Proof of accommodation (i.e. proof that you have a place to stay in Italy)
    • Proof of return (i.e. proof that you will leave the zone once your Italy visa from Egypt expires) 
    • Proof of subsistence (i.e. proof that you can afford your trip to Italy) 
    • Travel medical insurance 
  • In addition to the above, you will also have to submit documents relating to your specific visa type (outlined in step 2). For example, if you selected a “Visiting Family and Friends” Schengen visa, you will need to submit a letter from the person you are visiting, inviting you to Europe. 
  • Please note that any documents you submit that are not already written in either Italian or English may need to be accompanied by a translation into one of those two languages (meaning that if you submit, for example, an invitation letter that is written in Arabic, you will need to have that letter officially translated in order for it to be accepted). 
• 7. Access your application for Italy visa
  • The general Schengen application for the Italy visa (which can also be used by applicants to other Schengen countries) is available here.
  • Please note that there is currently no Schengen Italy tourist visa application form online. Because you cannot apply online, you must download, print out, fill out, and sign the above form in order to complete your application. 
• 8. Schedule your visa appointment
  • Pre-scheduling an appointment for the Italy Schengen visa is required for Egyptian citizens and residents who are applying for the travel document (this means that you cannot, for example, simply show up at the Italian Embassy with your Schengen visa application during embassy operating hours and expect to be able to submit it—you must call ahead first).  
  • Because you cannot access the Italy tourist visa application form online, you will have to reach out to your application destination directly in order to make an appointment. 
• 9. Attend your visa appointment 
  • Pay your Italy tourist visa fees for Egypt citizens and residents at your Schengen visa appointment and fulfill the rest of your in-person visa requirements there, (these include the submission of the complete application, biometric information collection, and a visa-interview). 
  • Please note that biometric information includes fingerprints and photos, which are collected from all applicants for security purposes, and entered into the Schengen information database. If you submitted your biometrics on a previous Schengen visa application (within the last 5 years) you do not need to re-submit them, even if you were traveling to a different Schengen country on your previous application).  
• 10. Await your decision 
  • Not everyone receives a visa to Italy. If your Schengen Italy visa for Egyptian citizens and residents is rejected, you may choose to appeal, which you can do through the following steps.