Applying for your visa – General Information
Due to the COVID-19 emergency, the Consulate General of Italy in Montreal was forced to reduce access to its premises.
To apply for your visa, you must mail the complete application file the Consulate General.
The Visa Section reserves the right to contact you in case your presence at the Consulate General is mandatory in order to scan fingerprints.
You are kindly requested to read carefully the guidelines regarding how to apply, list of forms necessary and documents to provide.
Types of visas
Schengen visa (Type “C” – up to 90 days in a semester)
Please note that when applying for a first Schengen Visa the applicant must have her/his fingerprints taken.
If you previously applied for a Schengen Visa in the last five years in another Schengen Country the Consulate General will be able to retrieve your fingerprints from where they were collected and your presence at this Consulate General will not be required. In this case, the application can be sent by mail at the following address:
Shipping address:
Consulate General of Italy in Montreal
Visa Section
3489 Drummond Street
Montreal, QC
H3G 1X6
The Schengen Visa is a short term VISA, valid for a maximum of 90 days, which allows the holder to travel in all European Countries part of the Schengen Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
If you intend to visit one or more Schengen Countries during a single trip, you must apply for a Visa at the Consulate General of the Country where you are planning to stay the longest.
If you will spend an equal amount of time in different Countries, the Visa must be requested at the Consulate General of the Schengen Country which is yours port of Entry.
Example:
- Air ticket from Montreal to Milan (round trip): 5 nights in Italy, 7 nights in France and 8 nights in Spain. The Schengen Visa application must be submitted at the Spanish Consulate General.
- Air ticket from Montreal to Milan (round trip): 5 nights in Italy, 5 nights in France and 5 nights in Spain. The Schengen Visa application must be submitted at the Italian Consulate General.
When applying for first Schengen Visa the applicant must have her/his fingerprints taken.
In case he/she has previously applied for a Visa Schengen in the last five years in another Schengen Country the Consulate General will be able to retrieve his/her fingerprints from where they were collected, his/her presence at this Consulate General will not be required.
Please provide this Visa Section a photocopy of the previous visa sticker if no longer present in applicant’s passport.
Please note that the European Visa Information System might not store all previously taken fingerprints. Should this occur you will be called to come in person in order to leave your fingerprints even if a Schengen Visa has been recently issued.
The following applicants are exempt from collection of fingerprints:
- children under the age of 12;
- persons for whom fingerprinting is physically impossible (injury, cast, etc.);
- heads of State and members of National Governments and accompanying spouses;
- the members of their official Delegations, when invited for an official purpose.
National Visa (Type “D” – 91 to 365 days)
All National Visa applications must be sent by mail at the following address:
Consulate General of Italy in Montreal
Visa Section
3489 Drummond Street
Montreal, QC
H3G 1X6
Applications presented in person cannot be accepted.
Canada Post offers safe and reliable service which contributes to decrease the spread of the virus.
Requests for Visa must include:
- all necessary documents to apply listed here
- “Xpress Post” prepaid envelope, for the returnee of the passport;
- Money order (bank or postal) for the payment of Visa fees;
- please ascertain that your passport (or other travel document) has a validity of at least 3 months beyond the last day of your intended stay within the Schengen area and has at least two empty visa pages.
The National visa is a long-term entry/permit issued for various purposes.
This type of visa also allows a foreign national, whose is awaiting a residency permit in Italy is pending, to move freely within any other Schengen Countries.
A foreign national who has been granted an Italian National Visa must report to the Questura (Central Police Station) within 8 working days from the date of entry in order to apply for a “Permesso di Soggiorno” (Residence Permit). Failing to report to the Questura can compromise your ability to legally reside in Italy.
Passport (or other travel document) requirements: please ascertain that your passport (or other travel document) has a validity of at least 3 months beyond the last day of your intended stay within the Schengen area and at least two empty visa pages.
***MINOR APPLICANTS
For applicants under 18 years of age we require, besides the documents listed for an adult’s visa, the following document are to be submitted:
1. Original birth certificate (plus one copy). Please note that all foreign (i.e. non Canadian) documents must be translated into English or French and legalized by the Italian consular authority in the Country that issued the certificate.
2. Letter signed from both parents, granting permission to travel.
3. Financial Affidavit of the person who is assuming financial responsibility for the entire trip.
If the parents (or one of them) live(s) abroad, their (his/her) signature must be legalized by the Italian Consulate General located in the Country of residence.
N.B At least one parent must be present at the Visa Section on the day of the appointment.
4. The parent assuming financial responsibility of the trip must submit a letter of employment and his/her (last three months) for the Bank Statements.
***LEGAL STATUS IN CANADA
If you are not a Canadian citizen and you need to apply for a visa, you are requested to provide a copy of the permit allowing you to legally reside in Canada. The permit must be valid after the date of your return from the Schengen Area.
***PROCESSING TIMES
Processing time generally varies from 15 to 90 days depending on the type of visa and citizenship of the applicant.
You can apply for a visa not earlier than 6 months before the date of departure. Schengen rules impose visa requests to be scheduled not earlier than six months before the planned departure date.
You are entitled to apply for a visa at the Consulate General of Italy in Montreal if:
- Your residence is in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut. Please provide a copy of your driver’s license or a utility bill with your name and address to certify your residence.
- Italy is your main destination or, if you are visiting different States in the Schengen area, Italy is the Country where you will be spending the higher number of days; or Italy is your first port of entry in the Schengen area, when visiting different Schengen Countries spending an equal number of days in each Country.
***RECEIVING PASSPORTS ONCE VISA IS ISSUED
Once a visa application is processed, your passports will be sent by mail.
Please provide a Canada Post prepaid and pre-addressed “Xpress Post” envelope.
FedEx and UPS are not accepted.
***USEFUL LINKS
Visa Page of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs