How to justify the reason and duration of your stay in Italy

The necessary documents to demonstrate the legitimacy of your stay for tourism, work, or study

For all non-EU citizens who are invited to Italy, either with a visa or without a visa, at the entry into the Schengen Area, border authorities may request:

• To show a passport valid for at least three months after the scheduled departure date from the Schengen Area (return).
• To provide documentation justifying the reasons and duration of your stay in Italy.
• To show Schengen health insurance worth €30,000.
• To demonstrate the availability of economic means of support or to exhibit a Bank or Insurance Guarantee.
• To possess a return air ticket not exceeding 90 days from the date of entry into the Schengen Area.
• To show proof of hotel accommodation or a declaration of accommodation (a copy of the invitation letter from the person in Italy inviting the foreign citizen).

This is the same documentation required by the Italian Embassy in all countries worldwide when applying for an Italian visa.

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What does “documentation justifying the reasons and duration of your stay in Italy” mean?

The “documentation justifying the reasons and duration of your stay in Italy” refers to the collection of documents that demonstrate why a person is in Italy and for how long they intend to stay in the country.

These documents may vary depending on the reason for the stay, for example:

If it is a tourist stay, the documentation may include accommodation and round-trip flight reservations, travel insurance, identity documents, travel itinerary, bank guarantee, etc. If it is a work stay, the documentation may include the employment contract, work authorization, residence permit, tax documents, etc. If it is a study stay, the documentation may include enrollment in university or school, study program, Italian language proficiency certificate, residence permit, etc. In summary, the documentation should demonstrate that the foreign, non-EU citizen entering Italy has a legitimate reason to stay in Italy and has the financial means (bank guarantee) to support themselves during their stay.

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What happens if a foreign citizen does not comply with the procedures provided by Italian regulations?

If a foreign citizen stays in Italy for more than 3 months or without the correct visa, they become “irregular” and may be expelled, except in cases of force majeure provided for by law.

Expelled foreigners cannot return to Italy unless they have special authorization or the entry ban has expired.

Furthermore, foreigners reported for serious reasons of public order, national security, and international relations are not admitted to Italy.

In practice, foreign citizens who enter Italy without the necessary documents or those who, while entering regularly, lose the requirements for their stay, are considered irregular.

Foreigners who enter irregularly are rejected at the border or expelled unless they need to be held in one of the immigration centers to verify their identity and/or nationality.

The competent prefecture adopts the expulsion measure, which is executed by the police headquarters.