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Schengen visa, applied for from the UK

Italy visa from the UK for non-UK passport holders

If you live in the UK on a non-UK passport, you apply for an Italy Schengen visa through VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. VFS charges the €90 visa fee as £77.20, plus a £13 service charge. Processing takes a minimum of 15 calendar days and up to 45, plus 2 working days outside London.

Checked against official sourcesLast reviewed · sources at the foot of the page
Consulate fee, adult. €45 for ages 6 to 11, free under 6.
€90
VFS Global service charge, paid at the centre.
£13
Standard processing after the appointment.
15 days
The earliest you can apply before you travel.
6 months

Who can apply from the UK

You can apply in the UK if you live here, for example on an eVisa as a worker, student or family member. Italy asks for your UK residence permit and a share code from the Home Office's View and prove service. Other share codes, such as right to work, are not accepted.

Your UK status must be valid for at least 3 months after you return from Italy, according to VFS and the consulate's main visa page.

Italy must be your main destination, judged by where you will stay longest. If your stays are equal, you apply to the Schengen country you will enter first.

You can use any of the three VFS centres. The Italian consulate in Edinburgh says residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland can book at the Edinburgh centre.

Holders of a UK visitor visa, and people who live outside the consulate's district, cannot apply in the UK. Apply in your country of residence instead.

Documents for a Italy visit visa

You provide

  • Passport Original and one copy, valid at least 3 months after you return from Italy, with at least 2 blank pages. The consulate keeps it while it decides.
  • UK immigration status Your UK residence permit (original and one copy), valid at least 3 months after you return, and a valid share code from the Home Office's View and prove service. Right-to-work share codes are not accepted.
  • Photo One recent colour passport-style photo, no older than 6 months, full face, on a white or off-white background, printed on photographic paper.
  • Bank statements Your last 3 months of personal UK statements showing your name, address and transactions. At least one account must show your salary, pension or universal credit coming in. You can add savings accounts.
  • Job or study evidence Employees: a letter from your employer, no older than one month, with the company registration number, your start date, job title, annual salary and holiday entitlement, plus your last 3 payslips. Self-employed: a signed letter from your accountant, banker or solicitor stating your annual salary, plus your self-assessment form. Students: a recent signed letter from your school, college or university with your course, weekly hours and attendance.
  • Invitation from your host If you stay with family or friends instead of a hotel: an original invitation letter addressed to the Italian Consulate, dated and signed by your host, with a copy of their ID or passport showing their signature. A host who is not an EU citizen adds their Italian residence permit.
  • Sponsor's documents If a spouse, civil partner or parent supports you: their employment letter, payslips and bank statements, a sponsorship letter, a copy of their passport and your marriage, civil partnership or birth certificate. Certificates must be no older than 6 months, and certificates from outside the UK must be translated into English or Italian and legalised.
  • Children's documents A child travelling without one or both parents needs that parent's consent, notarised by a UK notary, and copies of both parents' passports. A parent living abroad has the consent notarised at the Italian consulate where they live.
  • VFS appointment VFS says the applicant books the appointment, and since 19 September 2025 short-stay slots can only be booked in VFS's mobile app. Each person needs their own appointment. We tell you when your file is ready so you can book.

We provide

  • Application form The Schengen application form, completed and signed, with the VFS application checklist.
  • Cover letter Italy's tourist checklist asks for one. It sets out your dates, plans, who pays and your ties to the UK.
  • Return flight reservation A reserved return ticket printed directly from the airline, train or bus company, showing your name, dates and route. If you visit several Schengen countries, bookings between each country are mandatory. By car: ferry or Eurotunnel bookings in your name.
  • Hotel booking A fully booked hotel reservation for your whole stay, unless your host sends an invitation letter.
  • Travel medical insurance From a UK or Schengen insurer, with a letter from the insurer confirming cover in every Schengen country for medical expenses, hospital treatment and repatriation of at least €30,000 for your whole stay.

Where and when to apply

Italy takes UK short-stay applications through VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. Apply no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before you travel.

VFS Global takes every UK short-stay application for the Consulate General of Italy in London, which decides. The Edinburgh consulate does not handle visas itself, but residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland can book at the VFS centre in Edinburgh.

Appointments in London →Appointments in Manchester →Appointments in Edinburgh →

Worth knowing about this consulate

  • VFS shows the visa fee in pounds at the current exchange rate: £77.20 for adults and £38.60 for children aged 6 to 12. It adds a £13 service fee including VAT. You pay by debit or credit card (not American Express), or in cash in London only. Fees are not refundable.
  • Since 19 September 2025 you book short-stay appointments only in VFS's mobile app (notice of 17 November 2025). The contact centre cannot book for you, new slots are released periodically, and you can reschedule once, at least one day before.
  • Book under the right visa category. If you picked the wrong one, VFS will not take your application on the day and you lose the service fee.
  • Italy turns incomplete files away at the counter, so you would need a new appointment. Employer letters must be no older than one month, and a cover letter is required.
  • Manchester and Edinburgh are satellite centres. Their files go to VFS London and on to the consulate the next day, which adds 2 working days.
  • Collect your passport at VFS London from 16:00 to 17:30 on weekdays, or pay for courier return. The consulate does not let you withdraw your passport while it decides.
  • Changing planes in Italy? The consulate says that since 28 June 2024 UK residents with a valid UK Biometric Residence Permit do not need an airport transit visa, and that a UK visa does not exempt you. It does not say how eVisa holders are treated.

Notes by passport

Pakistani passport holders

  • Italy asks Pakistani citizens to show the full names of both parents, on a birth certificate or a consular declaration. Bring it with your application.
  • Pakistan is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at an Italian airport on the way somewhere else? As a Pakistani national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless Italy confirms otherwise.

Bangladeshi passport holders

  • Bangladesh is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at an Italian airport on the way somewhere else? As a Bangladeshi national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless Italy confirms otherwise.

Nigerian passport holders

  • Nigeria is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at an Italian airport on the way somewhere else? As a Nigerian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless Italy confirms otherwise.

Sri Lankan passport holders

  • Sri Lanka is on the EU's prior-consultation list (version of 1 November 2024), so your application may be checked with other Schengen states before a decision. This can add time, so apply early.
  • Only changing planes at an Italian airport on the way somewhere else? As a Sri Lankan national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless Italy confirms otherwise.

Ghanaian passport holders

  • Only changing planes at an Italian airport on the way somewhere else? As a Ghanaian national you need an airport transit visa unless an exemption applies. The EU exemption for UK residents names the Biometric Residence Permit, and all BRPs have now expired, so with an eVisa plan on needing the transit visa unless Italy confirms otherwise.

Gambian passport holders

  • EU restrictions on The Gambia (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1781) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Somali passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Somalia (a Council decision of 25 June 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

Guinean passport holders

  • EU restrictions on Guinea (a Council decision of 10 July 2026) mean only single-entry visas and a standard processing time of 45 days instead of 15. Apply well ahead.

How a Italy application runs, day by day

  1. Day 0Eligibility and checklistA yes, a no or a “not yet, because”.
  2. Days 1–5File builtYou send documents on WhatsApp; we do the rest.
  3. VariesAppointment waitWe watch releases daily and book the first that fits.
  4. 15 daysConsulate decisionFingerprints at VFS Global, then we track the file.
  5. DonePassport backThen we confirm your real flights and hotel.

What it costs, and who you pay

Separate payments to separate people. Only ours is set by us, quoted in writing before you commit.

Consulate visa feePaid to the consulate. €45 for children aged 6 to 11. Not refundable if refused.
€90
VFS Global service chargePaid at the centre. Extras are optional.
£13
Fast Travellers, file and appointmentEverything from eligibility to decision, quoted in writing before you commit.
Fast Travellers, urgent or after a refusalAdds a daily slot search and a refusal review, quoted in writing before you commit.

Italy visa questions from UK residents

Can I apply for an Italy visa on a BRP?

BRPs have been replaced by eVisas. Italy asks for your UK residence permit and a share code from the Home Office's View and prove service, valid at least 3 months after you return. Right-to-work share codes are not accepted.

Where do I apply for an Italy visa in the UK?

At VFS Global in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. The Consulate General of Italy in London decides every application.

How long does an Italy visa take from the UK?

VFS gives a minimum of 15 calendar days and up to 45. Add 2 working days if you apply in Manchester or Edinburgh.

How much is an Italy Schengen visa from the UK?

VFS shows £77.20 for adults and £38.60 for children aged 6 to 12, plus a £13 service fee. The pound amounts follow the exchange rate.

How do I book an Italy visa appointment in the UK?

Since 19 September 2025, short-stay appointments are booked only in VFS's mobile app. Each person books their own slot, and the VFS contact centre cannot book for you.

Can I apply for an Italy visa on a UK visitor visa?

No. The consulate does not take applications from holders of a UK visitor visa, so apply in the country where you live.

Will my passport be stamped when I enter Italy?

No. Since 10 April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System records your entries and exits digitally instead of stamping your passport. As a visa holder, the system stores a photo of your face taken at the border; your fingerprints are already on file from your visa application.

Can I visit other Schengen countries on an Italy visa?

Yes. A Schengen visa covers all 29 Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180, as long as Italy is your main destination.

Where these facts come from

Fees and rules are checked against official and visa-centre pages. Last reviewed . Rules change: we confirm everything again before you pay.

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