Q Which are the requirements to apply for a visa?
A It depends on the type of visa.
Q Which is the territorial jurisdiction on this Consulate General?
A The Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles will accept visa applications only from legal residents of ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, NEVADA and the following counties in the state of CALIFORNIA: S.Luis Obispo, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial Valley, Orange.
Q How long am I supposed to wait to get my visa?
A It takes between 3 to 2 weeks.
Q Which nationalities requires transit airport visa?
A Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Congo, Eritrea, Etiopia, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sry Lanka.
Q Which Countries do not require a tourist visa (for less than 90 days)?
A Albania, Andorres, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia-herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, el Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Granadine, Salmon islands, Samoa, San Marino, Santa Lucia, Serbia*, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor (east), Tonga, Trinidad and Tabago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, U.S.A., Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela.
Q How can I pay my fee?
A Money order or cashier check (make the payment to the consulate general of Italy).
Q Which are extra requirements for minors?
A For minor applicant, one of the parents must submit the visa application on behalf of him or her. The minor should be present if older than 12
The extra requirements for minors are:
· Declaration of financial responsibility
· Authorization to travel abroad signed by both parents. If the parents are in the U.S.A. and are not present the day of the appointment the signatures must be authenticated by a notary public if the parents are resident outside of the U.S.A. the signatures must be authenticated by the Italian embassy or the Italian consulate of the country of residence.
· Birth certificate translated in english, and the translation must be authenticated by the local consulate general of the country of birth (original and copy, the original will be given back). for people born in the U.S.A. is required just the birth certificate (original and copy)
· Notarized copies of both parents’ picture I.D. if both parents are not present the day of the appointment.
Q How can I pick up my passport?
A Pick up or by mail (fedex, usps…).
Q How many people can come to the Consulate for an appointment?
A From one to four people (if family).
Q Where can I find Schengen visa application?
Q Does an American spouse of an Italian/European citizen need to get a visa in order to follow the spouse who wants Italian residence?
A No, he/she can enter without a visa (as a US citizen) and then apply for a residency permit for family.
Q Is a substantial sum of money in the bank a sufficient requirement for elective residence?
A No, it is not.
Q Is it always necessary to have the return airline ticket to get a study visa?
A No, but you need to prove to have enough funds to buy one.
Q Does the return airline ticket have to be purchased?
A No, the reservation is sufficient.
Q How many months of bank account statement am I supposed to present for a Schengen Visa for Tourism?
A Last three months.
Q Which are the insurance features for a Schengen Visa for Tourism?
A It must have a coverage of at least 30,000 euros and cover the repatriation
Q Where can I find forms?
Q Am I supposed to appear in person to submit a visa request?
A Yes
Q Which Countries are in the Schengen area?
A The Schengen area is composed of twenty-six countries: AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CZECH REPUBLIC, DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HUNGARY, ICELAND, ITALY, LATVIA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, MALTA, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND.
Q I am an American citizen, do I need a visa to visit a Schengen area Country?
A Citizens of the following countries DO NOT require a visa when visiting the Schengen area countries for a stay of up to 90 days per semester, for tourism, business, invitations, study, on mission or to take part in sport events. Nonetheless, according to art. 5, par. 2 of the Testo Unico (Unified Body of Laws) n. 286/98 and Law n. 68 of May 28,2007, upon your arrival in Italy you must report to the Border Authorities or, if you are coming from one of the Schengen Countries, you must report to the competent Questura (Police Department) within 8 (eight) working days of your entry in Italy: ALBANIA, ANDORRES, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, BRAZIL, BRUNEI, BULGARIA, CANADA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, DOMINICA, EL SALVADOR, GEORGIA, GRENADA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, HONG KONG, ISRAEL, JAPAN, KIRIBATI, MACAO, MACEDONIA, MALAYSIA, MARSHALL ISLANDS, MAURITIUS, MEXICO, MICRONESIA, MOLDOVA, MONACO, MONTENEGRO, NEW ZEALAND, NICARAGUA, NORTHERN MARIANAS, PALAU, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRANADINE, SALMON ISLANDS, SAMOA, SAN MARINO, SANTA LUCIA, SERBIA*, SEYCHELLES, SINGAPORE, SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN, TIMOR (EAST), TONGA, TRINIDAD AND TABAGO, TUVALU, UKRAINE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, U.S.A., URUGUAY, VANUATU, VATICAN CITY, VENEZUELA.
Q Do I have a legal right to a visa?
A The Consular office will evaluate the documents submitted and may request additional ones at its discretion. Furthermore, the applicant should also be aware that submitting the required documentation does not automatically guarantee the issuance of a visa. There is no legal right to a visa.
Q In which Consulate am I supposed to apply for a visa if I have to visit many European Countries?
A For a tourist visa is competent the country where you will stay longer. If you stay in many countries for the same number of days the Country where you first enter is competent.
Q How long before is it advisable to apply for a Schengen visa?
A t is advisable apply to for the visa at least three weeks and not more than ninety day prior to the entry date in the Schengen territory. During the summer months and holiday periods, a longer processing time may be required. Rush processing is not possible.
Q What happen if my visa application is incomplete?
A You must submit ALL the required documents. Incomplete visa applications will not be accepted and will be returned without processing. The application form must be completely filled out and legible.
