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Italy · Visa guide

Italy Family & Friends Visit Visa

A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends already living in Italy — up to 90 days.

  • ProcessingAbout 15 working days
  • Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
  • Your guideOne consultant
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Italy Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview

The Family & Friends Visit Visa is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for visiting relatives or friends who live in Italy, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The heart of this application is the host: an invitation letter signed by the host in Italy, a copy of their ID or passport (plus residence permit if they are not an EU citizen), and proof of your relationship — apostilled birth or marriage certificates. The embassy also wants to see that you have the funds and the ties to return to India.

Lifeset Overseas coordinates the host's documents and your own into one consistent file, and flags anything an officer might question before you submit.

9 items

Documents you need

  • Schengen application form

    Fully completed and signed by the applicant.

  • Passport

    Valid at least 3 months beyond the stay, with 2 blank pages, issued within 10 years.

  • Host invitation letter

    Filled and signed by the host in Italy; the signature must match their ID or passport.

  • Host ID & status proof

    Passport/ID copy of the host — plus an Italian residence permit copy if the host is a non-EU citizen.

  • Proof of relationship

    Apostilled birth certificate, marriage certificate or family-status records linking you to the host.

  • Travel medical insurance

    Minimum EUR 30,000 cover, stamped and signed by the insurer.

  • Round-trip flight ticket

    Confirmed return travel booking.

  • Proof of employment & finances

    Employer letter or business proof, plus 6-month personal bank statements with a positive balance.

  • Proof of ties to India

    Employment contract, education proof or other evidence you will return home after the visit.

5 steps

How the process works

Typical processing: About 15 working days — apply at least 15 days before travel; can extend to 45 days if documents need verification.

  1. Step 1

    Free eligibility review

    We confirm the visit-visa route and build the checklist for both you and your host.

  2. Step 2

    Coordinate the host documents

    We guide your family or friend in Italy through the invitation letter and supporting papers.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare and verify every document

    Relationship proofs are checked for apostille and spelling consistency before submission.

  4. Step 4

    Submit at VFS & give biometrics

    You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide biometrics.

  5. Step 5

    Embassy decision & passport return

    The Embassy of Italy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.

Transparent

Costs & fees

Item

Amount

Schengen visa fee (adult)

Payable in INR at submission.

EUR 90

Schengen visa fee (child 6-12 years)

Children under 6 are usually exempt.

EUR 45

VFS Global service charge

Plus optional courier and add-on services.

Confirmed at booking

Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.

3 answers

Frequently asked questions

Q.Who can invite me to Italy?
A relative or friend living in Italy can be your host. If they are an EU citizen they provide an ID or passport copy; if they are a non-EU resident they also provide their Italian residence permit copy.
Q.How do I prove the relationship?
Through apostilled Indian documents such as birth or marriage certificates, alongside the host's family-status records. Names must match exactly across all papers.
Q.Can the host cover my expenses?
Yes — where your own funds are limited, a host in Italy can sponsor you, including through a formal bank guarantee (fidejussione). We advise on the right route for your case.

Why it matters

Going it alone vs filing with us

On your own

  • Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
  • Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
  • No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
  • Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
  • A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.

With Lifeset Overseas

  • An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
  • A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
  • Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
  • Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
  • 1,200+ approvals, handled by one licensed consultant end to end.

Refused before?

A refusal isn't the end

Refused applicants often win the second time — once the real reason is fixed. If a Italy visa has been refused, we:

  • Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
  • Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
  • Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
  • Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
  • Rebuild a stronger application — same fixed fee, refusal or first try.
Get refusal support

Your next step

Ready to start your Italy Family & Friends Visit Visa?

A visa file is won or lost on the small things — a mismatched date, a thin financial trail, a document formatted wrong. We go deep into your profile, build every document properly, and give you an honest verdict before you commit. If your case isn't ready, we'll tell you — and tell you exactly how to fix it.

  • Free, honest assessment

    We read your full profile and tell you straight whether your case is ready — before you pay anything.

  • Your file, built right

    Every document prepared, apostilled, translated and stress-tested the way the embassy expects.

  • One consultant, end to end

    The same person handles your case from the first call to the visa decision — no hand-offs.

  • We handle the process

    VFS appointment, biometrics, submission and follow-up — we manage the moving parts for you.

licensed (No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024)Fixed fees agreed upfrontWe won’t take a case we believe will fail

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