Do I need a visa to enter Italy and the Schengen area?
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Which countries are part of the Schengen Area?
All EU countries are part of Schengen except for Ireland, which has opt-outs, as well as Cyprus which is due to join Schengen at some point in the future. In addition, four non-EU countries are also part of the Schengen area: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Schengen: a guide to the European border-free zone | Topics | European Parliament (europa.eu)
How long can you stay?
If you are a Visa national and you have been issued a visa, you can stay for the duration indicated in the visa.
How to read your visa sticker
(1) Visa number: top right corner of your visa sticker.
(2) Countries permitted: the phrase ‘VALID FOR’, is set before the name of the countries allowed to visit. ‘SCHENGEN STATES’ means that the visa is valid in all Schengen Member States, while the visa is restricted to certain countries, the sticker (i) will list the country permitted to enter with the letters A, B, CH, CZE, D, DK, E, EST, F, FIN, GR, H, I, IS, LI, L, LT, LVA, M, N, NL, P, PL, S, SK, SVN (Schengen Member States that can be visited); or (ii) the following label: ‘SCHENGEN’ (country initial); (iii) a sticker that just has, ‘name of country’, means the visa is valid only for the respective territory listed.
(3) Validity: the labels ‘FROM’, list the first day permitted to enter the Schengen Area, and the labels ‘UNTIL’, stipulate the date by which the Schengen Area must be left.
(4) Visa type: the label ‘TYPE OF VISA’, indicates the type of visa which may be: Label ‘A’ stands for the A type visa, an Airport Visa, that does not permit the holder to travel past the international airport zone; Label ‘C’ — stands for the C type visa, or the standard short-stay visa, allowing you to stay up to three months in the Schengen Area.
(5) Number of entries: the label ‘NUMBER OF ENTRIES’ indicates the number of times allowed to enter the Schengen Area. The label ‘MULT’ — means that the holder is authorized to enter the Schengen Area as often as they wish, during the period for which the visa is valid. ‘1’ means that the holder is authorised to enter the Schengen Area once. ‘2’ — means that the holder is authorizsed to enter twice.
(6) Duration of stay: the label ‘DURATION OF STAY’ and the one immediately next to it with the words ‘DAYS’ tell the number of days the individual can remain in the Schengen Area on each visit.
If you are a Non Visa national you can stay for maximum 90 days any 180 days periods.
How to calculate your allowed stay?
The short-stay visa calculator can help you calculate the remaining period you are allowed to stay in a Schengen country.
The user’s guide provides step by step instructions and practical examples to help you use the calculator.
Which activities can you do if you enter with a business visa?
Business (“affari”) is defined by Decree 850/2011 as:
- to make contacts
- to conduct economic or commercial negotiations
- to learn and verify machinery use under commercial agreements with an Italian company, or for related professional training and refresher courses.
- to visit the Italian company facilities
- to participate in exhibitions and trade fairs in Italy
“Il visto per affari consente l’ingresso in Italia, ai fini di un soggiorno di breve durata, allo straniero che intenda viaggiare per finalità economico-commerciali, per contatti o trattative, per l’apprendimento o la verifica dell’uso e del funzionamento di beni strumentali acquistati o venduti nell’ambito di contratti commerciali e di cooperazione industriale.”
Is there any clarifications on how to define “business”?
A definition of what can be considered “business” can be found in
‘business activity’ means a temporary activity directly related to the business interests of the employer ……………. including attending internal or external business meetings, attending conferences or seminars, negotiating business deals, undertaking sales or marketing activities, exploring business opportunities, or attending and receiving training.
Conclusions
Given the limited definition of allowable activities, Italian Immigration law leaves space to different interpretations on the matter. For this reason, activities, which may be seen as “business” according to the definitions, could be qualified otherwise by authorities in case of a labour inspection. Business travel must not involve gainful employment or service provision in Italy, except to verify machinery under commercial or industrial cooperation agreements.
