How to apply for Italy visa from Dubai

Before you begin: Research what is Italy visa and requirements for UAE citizens and residents

 

• • This blog concerns the application process for UAE residents who need to apply for a Schengen visa to Italy from Dubai. Depending on your nationality, you will need a visa to enter Italy and the rest of the Schengen area. If you are granted a Schengen visa, you will be able to travel throughout the Schengen area and stay in Italy for up to 90 days.  

• • Please note that UAE citizens enjoy visa-free access to the Schengen area. There is thus no short-term Italy visa for UAE citizens, and therefore no Italy visa requirements for UAE citizens. A long-term Schengen visa is for the UAE citizens who are considering stays over 90 days (a long-term Schengen visa has its own set of Italy visa requirements for UAE citizens). A non-Schengen Italy visa for UAE citizens is also available for applicants seeking to live, work, and study in Italy for long periods of time (therefore, the Schengen visa for the UAE citizens who want to travel to Italy and stay over six months is the long-term Schengen visa).  

• • While they will continue to travel without a visa to the Schengen area, UAE citizens will soon need to apply for a travel authorization called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) in order to enter Europe. However, ETIAS is not a visa (it takes 10 minutes to apply for it and you may do so online, for a very small fee).    

1) Think about when to submit your application for the Italy visa for UAE residents

 

• • When should you apply for Italy visa from Dubai? That depends on when specifically you need to arrive in Italy. If you are trying to get a Schengen visa three weeks before you need to be in the country, you should apply for your Italy visa from Dubai immediately, so that you receive it in time to make your departure date (the earliest you should expect to get a decision is 15 days after you’ve applied). If you need a Schengen visa for a trip that’s five months in advance, you can wait a couple of months to submit an application (for a trip that’s six months or more away, you will have to wait to apply for the Italy visa from UAE, as applications at the 6+ month mark are not accepted). 

2) Find your application destination: Where to apply for a Schengen visa from Dubai

 

• • The Italian Embassy, which is responsible for issuing decisions on the Italy visa from Dubai and from elsewhere in the Emirates, has a consular section in Dubai, at which you will likely be directed to submit your application. 

3) Choose your Italy visa from Dubai type 

 

• • Italy visa from Dubai types are numerous enough to reflect more than 10 purposes for traveling to Italy. The most common reason (and therefore visa type) for visiting Italy is “Tourism.” Other common reasons include “Visiting Family and Friends” and “Business.” See these Dubai visa types and more here.

• • All Italy visa fees are the same regardless of which type of Italy visa from Dubai you apply for, so when you go to choose your type, simply be guided by which one fits you the best.  

4) Choose your Italy visa from Dubai entry category

 

• • In addition to being concerned with how long they can stay in the Schengen area, all Italy visa from Dubai applicants will also need to consider the number of entries they need to the zone. Specifically, they need to select their visa entry category, which will determine whether—and how many times—they can go back to the Schengen area if they leave it during their visa validity period. The Schengen visa entry categories that allow for re-entries from the Schengen zone are the double and the multiple. However, whereas a multiple entry Italy visa from Dubai grants unlimited entries and exits from the zone, a double entry Italy visa from Dubai limits you to two. A single-entry Italy visa from Dubai does not allow any re-entries to the zone, meaning that you can use it only to enter the Schengen area that one first time—not to return to the zone should you leave it. 

5) Access the main application form for Italy visas and types for UAE residents

 

• • Applicants for all Italy visas and types from Dubai should apply through the main application form here. As you can see, this is an electronic visa portal operated by the Italian government. 

• • Follow the links to complete the form, print it out, and sign it. When you are ready to submit your complete application, you will take the form (and the rest of your documents) to your application destination. There, they will scan the barcode on the print out (all visa forms have a unique barcode) and take possession of your Italy Schengen visa data. 

• • You will likely need to write your answers to the questions on the form in English or Italian (or in one of the allowed languages—Arabic is not one of them). The documents you submit—if not already in English—will likely need to appear alongside translations into Italian or English in order to be accepted. 

6) How to apply for an Italy visa from Dubai: gather your required documents

 

• • Italy Schengen visa Dubai applicants will need to bring the following to their visa appointment (in order to meet the Italy visa requirements for UAE residents):

     

    • • Valid national passport.
    • • UAE residence permit.
    • • Two (2) passport photos (appropriately sized) of the passport holder. 
    • • Proof of travel medical insurance coverage. 
    • • Proof of finances (financial accounts/other financial documents showing you have enough money to travel to Italy and support yourself throughout your time there). 
    • • Proof of accommodation (address where you will stay in Italy—and addresses of other destinations in the Schengen area, if relevant). 
    • • Proof of return (tickets/flight reservations back to the UAE from Italy, for example—i.e. evidence that you will leave Italy and exit the Schengen area when your visa is up).
    • • Supplemental documents: most Schengen visa types come with their own set of document requirements, which you will need to fulfill in pursuit of your specific visa type. “Visiting Family and Friends,” visas for example require applicants to submit invitation letters (from the family or friend who is inviting them to visit).

7) Contact us to schedule your interview

 

• • Applicants for all Italy visas and types attend their visa interview for the purpose of submitting their complete application there (and meeting other in-person required for the Italy visa from Dubai). Contact us for help with this essential component of the application, and for more assistance in locating your Italy visa from Dubai application destination. 

8) At your interview: find out how much does an Italy visa cost and other requirements

 

• • Your complete application is the main item you will submit at your visa interview. This includes your main Schengen visa application form (complete with Italian barcode) and all the other documents outlined in step 6. 

• • Italy visa fees are paid at your visa interview—they typically are 80 EUR (you will likely be able to pay the equivalent price in AED). Some people (certain students and most dignitaries) pay less. Click here for more info.

• • Biometric date is also submitted at your visa interview. Biometric information includes fingerprints and photos and must be submitted by all applicants—except those who have already given their prints/photos in pursuit of a prior (and successfully and recently obtained) Schengen visa. 

• • The interview itself is where you will, as you hand in your application, discuss with the consular officer in charge of its processing details about your trip. It does not typically exceed 15 minutes. 

9) Processing time for Italy Schengen visa applications

 

• • It takes 15-60 days to receive a decision on an Italy visa from UAE application. 

10) How to get Italy visa from the UAE if rejected

 

• • Let’s say you receive a rejection on your application for an Italy visa from Dubai—what should you do? Many applicants for the Schengen visa for Dubai residents are unaware that they can appeal if their application is rejected. This process—which has its own “application” process, occasionally results in an overturned decision, and the ultimate issuing of an Italy visa from UAE.