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Visas overview

EU citizens require only a passport or ID card to stay or work in Italy for as long as they like. They are, however, required to register with a questura (police station) if they take up residence and obtain a permesso di soggiorno (permission to remain for a nominated period).

Citizens of many other countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Switzerland and Japan, do not need a visa if entering as tourists for up to three months. Passports may not be stamped upon entry, so that three-month rule can be interpreted with a certain flexibility.

If you are entering for any reason other than tourism (for instance, study) or plan to remain for an extended period, insist on having the entry stamp. Without it you could encounter problems when trying to obtain a permesso di soggiorno. Non-EU citizens who want to study at a university or language school must have a study visa. These can be obtained from your nearest Italian embassy or consulate.

Detailed entry requirements information

Country	Passport?	Visa?
Australia	yes	no; may enter for 90 days or less
Austria	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Belgium	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Canada	yes	no; may enter for 90 days or less
China	yes	yes; unless holding Hong Kong (SAR China) or Macao (SAR China) passport, in which case you may enter for 90 days or less without a visa
Czech Republic	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Denmark	yes	no
East Timor	yes	yes
England	yes	no
Finland	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
France	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Germany	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Greece	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Ireland	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Italy	n/a	n/a
Japan	yes	no; may enter for 90 days or less
Netherlands	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
New Zealand	yes	no; may enter for 90 days or less
Russia	yes	yes
Scotland	yes	no
Singapore	yes	yes
Spain	yes; though a national ID card is sufficient	no
Turkey	yes	yes
USA	yes	no; may enter for 90 days or less