One Stop Guide on Scoring a Schengen Italy Tourist Visa for Indians

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES. PLEASE READ THE DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Like everyone in their 20s, heading on a Euro trip was nothing short of a bucket list item for me. It had been alluding me for years, and I finally decided to take the plunge and go on my dream trip. After hearing about issues with the Schengen visa for years, it was my time to experience it firsthand.

When Americans, Australians, or other first-world citizens have visa on arrival for Europe, it sucks to go through the painstakingly redundant paperwork as an Indian passport holder. I would love to see the world without borders one day, but for now, there’s no way around it.

Schengen Italy Tourist Visa for Indian Citizens

I wanted to apply for a Schengen Italy visa on my own, so I went through dozens of articles that I could get my hands on. I reached out to a few of my friends who applied for a Schengen visa before. Also, I came across many horror stories of visa rejection. And honestly, it’s true. It can be a nightmare! After a few sleepless nights of sifting through the documents, I applied for the visa. Luckily, I got my Schengen Italy tourist visa within a week. It felt like an accomplishment, no less!

I later ended up assisting over half a dozen friends and strangers in their Schengen Tourist visa application process as well. So, I thought of writing this post so that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel faster than I did.

Visiting Europe for the first time and looking to pass the initial hurdle of procuring an Italy tourist Visa from India? You have come to the right place.

Here’s a DIY step-by-step ultimate guide with all the latest information for all that you’ll ever need to have a smooth and hassle-free Schengen Italy visa from India.

Planning a Euro Trip all by yourself? Check out this essential guide on Euro Trip Planner now.

Booking flights for Europe

Book return flight tickets at least three months in advance. Now that you know your port of entry and exit, you can start drafting a rough idea of your itinerary.

Begin the visa application process right after.

Personal Note: I booked my return flights between Rome and Bangalore through Kuwait Airways for quite a decent price at Rs. 32000 (three months in advance) for Feb 2018. But then Kuwait Airways ended up delaying my baggage for most of the duration of my travel. Consider this as a warning post, and stay away from Kuwait Airways. They not only lost my baggage but also business class passengers. How often does that happen? Anyway, I digress.

These were pre-pandemic prices and they don’t exist anymore. A round-trip flight from India to Italy costs about Rs. 50,000 on average (even higher during season time).

Compare and book cheap flight tickets to Italy:

Apply for Schengen Italy Visa for Indians

You will have to apply for a Schengen tourist visa through a Schengen country if the countries you are planning to visit come from the Schengen area. Here’s a Schengen area countries list.

The underlying process almost remains the same whether you are applying from Italy or other Schengen countries. But, there could be underlying caveats specific to the embassy you are applying from. So, make sure to go through the respective website to get a better idea.

Depending on your itinerary, choose a Schengen country to apply for a visa with one of the two criteria.

Either, apply through the embassy of the country where you are planning to spend the maximum amount of time. (In my case, it was Italy. I was in Italy for around 10 days, so applying through the Italian embassy was a no-brainer for me). Or, if you are staying the same number of days in two or more countries, then apply for a Schengen tourist visa through the country where your port of entry is from. For a hassle-free process, make sure your itinerary follows one of these criteria.

Where to apply for a Schengen Italy Visa From India?

In India, you can apply for a Schengen tourist visa through VFS (Visa Facilitation Services). Head to VFS site. And, redirect to either Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkatta centers depending on which jurisdiction your region falls under. The idea is to choose the closest one or the most convenient one. In my case, as I was living in Bangalore, I came under the Consulate General of Mumbai’s jurisdiction.

I had to submit my Schengen Visa application for Italy at the Bangalore VFS center.

VFS centers are third-party Visa application centers that process the applications and then forward it to the respective embassies. VFS centers are present in most major cities.

Booking an appointment for a Schengen Italy visa for Indians

• You can apply for a visa a minimum of 10 days or a maximum of 3 months before the intended date of travel.
• Check for the latest dates available for appointment and book no later than two months in advance of the departure date. This is just to ensure that if there are any issues with your visa application, you still have enough time to revert without having sleepless nights.
• Note that it might even take three weeks or more to get a visa appointment (especially during peak season), so the earlier the better.
• Reserve the appointment at least 7-10 days from the current date to have enough time for sorting through documents and doing hotel bookings.

What if there are no appointment slots for Italy?

This seems to be a problem post-pandemic and a lot of readers reached out to me regarding this issue. If you are not able to find appointment slots for Italy for your preferred dates, then the only other option is to book Schengen visa slots through other countries that are not so crowded with visa applications like Luxembourg or Poland. Since you are applying for a Schengen visa, you could still enjoy visiting any part of the Schengen region. However, you need to “tweak” your itinerary to show that you are spending the maximum number of days in the country you are applying for the visa from or flying to the country (ideally both).

How to Schedule an Appointment with VFS

Head to the VFS site. Select one of the following jurisdictions based on where you are located – the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, the Consulate General of Italy in Mumbai, or the Consulate General of Italy in Kolkatta. Then go to Schedule an Appointment Menu, and click on Book an Online Appointment link. (You can also call 022-67866004 to book an appointment.)

This will take you to the Appointment Login Page. Register yourself as a new user and fill in the details if you are using this service for the first time. Otherwise, log in with your credentials.

This takes you to the Appointments page where you have options to schedule an appointment, reschedule an existing appointment, or cancel an appointment.

For scheduling a new appointment, go to the Schedule Appointment menu, and choose your closest VFS center from the drop-down, and fill in other details as well.

Click Continue which will take you to the Applicant List Page.

Add details for all applicants here. Only a maximum of 5 applicants can be added here for a group appointment.

As and when you add new applicants, you should be able to see them in the Applicants List page.

Finally, choose the date of your appointment to a suitable date (at least a week from the current date if you haven’t started the visa application process already), and click on Confirm.

You’ll receive an appointment confirmation success message on the screen and you’ll receive a confirmation email as well.

The date and time are now confirmed. But note that the confirmed time doesn’t guarantee that your appointment will be done at the allotted time. The scheduled appointment time only lets you inside the gate. Once you arrive at the VFs center, a fresh token will be issued on a first come first serve basis which would be a more accurate appointment time than the one mentioned in the appointment letter.  I would suggest arriving at the VFS center around 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. The watchman won’t allow you inside the center if you arrive earlier than 15 minutes or so. So no point in arriving too early at the center.

Personal Note: I had my flight to Europe in late February, and I applied for a Schengen Visa for Italy in early January. So, I received the visa appointment within a couple of days since it was off-season.

However, if you are planning for a Euro trip in the season time during the months of June to August, then I would suggest you apply for an appointment for at least two months or the best three months when the slots open.

Ideally, book the visa appointment first for a comfortable date, and then go ahead with the accommodation and other bookings.

Booking accommodations in Europe

Unlike, first world countries, who can decide on a whim with their travel plans, Indians don’t have it easy. We need to show accommodation booking for every single day of our travels. This goes to say that, once you have a visa appointment, draft an itinerary of your travels. And start booking accommodations for the entire duration of your travel.

There are many ways to book stays while traveling. Sites like Airbnb offer beautiful homes for a variety of price ranges. HostelWorld is ideal for the backpacker on a budget. However, both of these sites charge a fee for cancellation. If you’d like to keep the liability low, then I would suggest you book stays through booking.com. It offers free cancellations of bookings up to a certain date. This is particularly helpful when the visa is not confirmed or the itinerary is not fixed yet. Once you receive your visa, you can cancel it for free within a particular time frame and book cheaper accommodation if needed.

On the other hand, if love planning and have already planned your itinerary, then go ahead and book the accommodations as well. Make sure to book stays that have a free cancellation option available (in cases of rejection). But if all goes well, you could stay at these properties and protect yourself from last-minute exorbitant rates or no availability.

Also, don’t cancel the accommodations until you receive the visa. If the booking is not available for a particular day when the visa officials are looking for it, they might as well reject the visa or send you a notice (in the best-case scenario).

Personal Note: I wasn’t sure of my itinerary yet. But I wanted to have my Schengen Italy Visa in place, so I thought of having a rough itinerary. And booked accommodations through Booking.com following the itinerary. This was ideal as they offer free cancellations up to a certain date. After I successfully (Yes. It feels like a success!) received the Schengen visa, I canceled my bookings without any deductions and booked through HostelWorld.

When you are planning to book your stays, consider booking through these links for Booking.com or HostelWorld. I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This would go a long way in helping me maintain this blog. Cheers 🙂

Adding Guest Names to Booking.com

If you are booking stays for more than one person on booking.com, then ensure that all of your names are present in the booking. Usually, Booking.com doesn’t show more than one guest name in the booking. As a workaround, edit and add more Guest names separated by a comma in the Manage bookings section.

Disclaimer – I’ve recently come to know that few countries in the Schengen area (not Italy) don’t accept booking.com accommodations. So please contact the relevant VFS center by phone or email to confirm before doing so.

Booking internal transportation within Europe

The visa application for Italy from India requires you to book internal transportation as well.

You can book trains through Rail Europe – a one-stop site for booking trains in Europe. The company offers access to a wide range of rail products from 50+ European train companies. Rail Europe helps travelers to make an informed decision by providing guidance, tools, and inspiration for exploring Europe by train. Compare and book cheap train tickets in Europe

You can book bus tickets through Flixbus – it’s used widely in Europe. I used Flixbus extensively on my 3-month Europe trip and it was so easy, reliable, and budget-friendly. Check prices of bus tickets on Flixbus.

More inputs on self-planning your Euro trip can be found here.

If your itinerary is already confirmed, then go ahead and book the transportation as well. I found booking individual buses/trains more budget savvy than opting for a Eurail pass. So I booked all of my transportation through RailEurope and Flixbus. On the other hand, if you would like the flexibility that Eurail offers, then buy Eurail Pass here.

Like I said before, make sure there are no loopholes in the application. If there are any documents that you aren’t able to produce at the time like train tickets, then mention the same in the cover letter along with the reasoning behind the absence of the document.

Schengen Italy Tourist Visa for Indians Requirements

Once the Visa appointment is in place, start putting together the necessary documents in one place.

All the Requisite documents needed for Schengen Tourist Visa Italy are listed here.

Carefully sift through the document checklist, sort existing documents, and make a list of documents that need to be procured. Keep in mind that your entire trip is at stake here. It saves you time and money to be meticulous at this point.

Most of the documents mentioned in the list are to basically ensure that you have sufficient funds to travel. And that you will return to India within the stipulated dates.

So, any documents that will add more weight to these points will further tip the scale in your direction in scoring the Schengen visa.

Here are some of the essential documents required for a Schengen Tourist Visa:

1. Schengen Visa Cover Letter

This is an important document where you mention everything from your Europe itinerary, professional and personal details, details of travel companions, the purpose of the visit, the source of finance, any requests, and so on.

Here is a sample Schengen Visa cover letter with a travel itinerary attached for your reference which could be applicable for other Schengen regions as well.

Given the embassy’s experience in going through visa application documents for decades, more often than not, they might notice any loopholes, even when you think otherwise. So, it’s better to be upfront about any concerns that might arise from your application, and address them head-on. Say you are traveling solo, or transportation not booked, and so on.

2. Financial Status and Means of Sustenance

If employed, provide the last three months’ salary slips, and ITR-A forms of the last three years of Form-16A.

Else, if Self-employed, provide a company registration certificate and original bank statement for the last 3 months.

In either case – provide the last three months’ bank statements in original with bank stamp and signature.

Note – While applying through the Italian embassy, make sure you show an average € 70 or more per day for your duration of travel to Europe in the bank statements.

3. Leave letter

If employed, hand over a leave letter from your boss stating your leave dates, and that you’ll be resuming work on return.

If freelancing, then furnish a letter from your client(s) stating the above. Also, mention how long have you been working with each of them.

What matters to them is that you have the intention of coming back to India, so handing over a property document or something similar could further tip the scale in your favor. Mention any fixed assets that you or your parents have, and that would be an added bonus.

4. Schengen Travel Insurance for Indians

When comparing different types of insurance, check out the compensation for delayed (or canceled) baggage, delayed (or canceled) flights, medical insurance, claim-to-settlement ratio, and so on. Here is a detailed guide on what to look for in travel insurance.

Verdict for Schengen Travel Insurance

Higher the premium, the benefits also rise. If you’d like all the benefits travel insurance can provide, then be ready to shell out more money for the premium. Most low-cost travel insurance is useless when it comes to availing the benefits. But, also consider the possibility that it may not come to any use in most cases. So, it’s entirely at the discretion of the traveler to decide the premium one is willing to pay based on individual needs and preferences.

I’d recommend buying Ekta Insurance as it is value for money for the premium and it works all over the world.

5. Schengen Visa Photo Specs

Once you have a Schengen visa appointment ready, head to your nearest photo booth. Keep in mind to adhere to the specs mentioned below.

Find more information about Photo specs for Schengen Italy Visa here.

6. Visa Application Form for Schengen Italy visa from

If you are traveling for tourism purposes for anything less than three months, apply for a Type “C” tourist visa for Italy. You can clarify doubts if any at the VFS center.

I came across the following statement on the VFS site – “Ensure you submit documents in Italian if required. Documents that are not in Italian must be translated into Italian. The translation should be completed by a certified translator.”

While I was pondering how to proceed further, I thought of checking with the VFS center. I called them up and they clarified that it’s not necessary. And they would provide a visa application form with English and Italian words to be filled at the VFS center itself.

Single-entry or multiple-entry Schengen Visa

A single entry visa allows you to enter and exit the Schengen area only once. Suppose, you want to hop on a cruise or visit the beautiful Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, then you will have to own multiple-entry Schengen visas. In this case, you won’t require an additional Croatian visa for entry to Croatia. Even when Croatia is not part of the Schengen countries.

As long as the documentation is concerned for multiple-entry Schengen visas, it’s as simple as checking a box in the visa application form. No additional costs.

So, ideally always apply for Schengen multiple entry visas for the longest duration application (3 months for a short-term Type “C” tourist visa for Italy and 6 months for a long-term Type “D” National visa). Mention the same in the Schengen visa cover letter as well stating your reasons. If you are planning to travel again to the Schengen countries, then multiple entry visas make a lot of sense.

Note – The visa approval and duration are solely under the discretion of the embassy, and more often than not, usually cover the duration of travel with a leeway of a week or two.

VFS Contact details

In the process of applying for an Italy visa for Indians, if you face any questions, reach out to VFS Helpline to clarify any doubts that may arise while applying for the visa.

Contact Number for India: +91 022 67866004

On the other hand, drop a mail at infonorth.italyin@vfshelpline.com or infowest.italyin@vfshelpline.com for more information.

They are available from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday (Except for public holidays).

Find out the closest VFS Italy application center for document submission for North India, East India, or West and South India.

You can also contact the Italian embassy for more information if VFS doesn’t satisfactorily answer your questions.

Head to VFS Italy center on the date of the appointment

I arrived at Bangalore VFS Italy Application Center just in time for my appointment and was ushered into the VFS Schengen Center for Italy. And I received a fresh token there. I then entered the Italian application section. After waiting for about 5-10 minutes it was my turn to submit the documents. The official went through the documents and made sure everything was in place. I was given another form at the center which had both English/Italian in the forms and I filled it. Sometimes, they might suggest making corrections or furnishing more documents. Kindly do so if possible.

Visa Tip: If you are applying for a Schengen visa from a different state than the one that issued your passport, then you might need additional documents like rental agreements. Just to make sure you are currently residing in the state where you are applying for the visa.

Schengen Visa Fees India

Mentioned below are the various charges applicable while applying for Schengen Tourist Visa.

Visa Fee: 80 Euro (Rs. 7160)

VFS Global Service Charge + Convenience fee: Rs. 704/-

Overall visa fee totals up to Rs. 7160/- per person. Additionally, VFS also charges extra for value-added services like SMS, courier, and so on. It can be paid in cash or challan. Once you have submitted your application, you will be guided to submit the cash to the teller.

VFS Premium Lounge service

If normal visa appointments can’t possibly make it in time for your travels, all hopes are not lost yet. Opt for VFS premium lounge service, which ensures faster submission of applications at the VFS center. It offers a confluence of other services as well – Courier, SMS alert, Photobooth, Photocopy, and so on. Keep in mind, though that VFS Premium Lounge Service has no sway over the processing of documents by the Embassy. It’s purely a VFS service. More information about the Premium Lounge service here.

Premium Lounge service costs an additional Rs. 2000. My friend opted for the VFS Premium Lounge service, and yet it did take about a couple of hours to finish the visa process due to some issues with the VFS service. I, on the other hand, booked an appointment at 8:45, and I was able to finish my visa process within 30 minutes without the service. I would suggest you avoid premium lounge services altogether by booking an early morning appointment (before 9:30) where you can finish the visa application process within 30 minutes – 1 hour.

Schengen Visa Delivery

Since I was traveling in the off-season, I got my visa appointment within two days of booking. As a result, I didn’t have to go to the VFS Premium lounge service route. During season time, there will be a longer wait time for visa appointments. If you don’t want to shell out extra money, then make sure you book your appointments well in advance.

I didn’t want to go to the VFS center to get my passport again since it wasn’t close to my home. So, I decided to choose a courier delivery service. And, I wanted to track my visa application for Italy from India, so it made sense to go for SMS service as well.

Within a week, I received my passport with the stamp. Phew! Passed through the initial hurdle without any hiccups.

So far so good!

Workaway

I did a Workaway program near Rome at Olive Tree Hill – a local B&B place near Rome for about a week. But I didn’t mention anything about that in the cover letter as I wasn’t sure how the visa officials were going to take it. Some say that mentioning volunteering, house sitting, Workaway or digital nomads are red flags in the visa application. Since a tourist visa is strictly for tourism purposes, mentioning any of the above can drastically lower your chances of procuring the visa.

Also, mentioning hitchhiking, and couch surfing is a strict no-no as visa officials may get the idea that you might not have enough budget to travel or worse-off, you may not go back to your country. In case you are planning to do any of this, I would suggest having a proper dummy itinerary for the visa application. Your itinerary can later be changed according to your convenience.

Read: Mistakes that can get your visa application denied.

Schengen Visa Rejections

VFS centers are just application centers, and it’s at the sole discretion of the Italian embassy whether the Schengen visa from India is accepted or rejected. Usually, they don’t outright reject the visa if it can be mended. If required, they might reach out for further changes. Ensure that you stay on top of it if approached!

However, with less than sufficient funds in the bank account, or with no stable job, might slim your chances of getting a visa. In that case, it is better to show some documents of a sponsor’s bank accounts and fixed assets, instead of yours in the Schengen Visa application. Here’s a sample sponsorship letter for your reference.

In some cases, solo travel has also been a subject of contention when it comes to Schengen visa rejections. However, as far as I have heard, the Italy embassy doesn’t take solo travel as a purview for visa rejection. Although, it’s always better to be cautious when it comes to visas. So, if you are traveling solo from India, and meeting a friend(s) in Europe, mention the same in the cover letter. If you are traveling solo throughout the trip, state it clearly in the cover letter. And provide all the necessary documents to support this.

Note that Schengen visa rejections are recorded and any rejections might negatively affect your chances of getting a visa in the future.

It is possible to appeal to the Italian Embassy if your Schengen visa is rejected. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has appealed for a Schengen Italy visa. However, the idea is to provide more documents and clearly address all the concerns the embassy had for rejecting your visa. References can be found here and here.

Traveling to Europe

Once you have your Schengen visa with you, traveling around the Schengen area is quite hassle-free. In cross-country buses or trains, keep your passport in handy for verification. There are no additional stamps for any other country on your passport as long as you are in the Schengen area. It’s as good as traveling domestically.

Overwhelmed while planning your travels in Europe on your own? Start here.

There’s a reason why Italy is one of the food capitals of the world. Check out this post to find out about different types of Italian food!

Visiting Europe in the Offseason

The tourist season in Europe is usually from June to September when the crowd will be at its max.

On the other hand, traveling offseason has its ups and downs. The best part about traveling in the offseason is that there’s a fraction of the crowd, at a slashed price. It also offers a different perspective of the city. I paid half the cost of a hostel in Florence in February compared to what my friend is paying in June. I ended up seeing snow in Venice at the end of February which is a very rare occurrence in Venice. And it’s nothing short of magical! The offside is that some of the attractions might be closed, and at times, the weather may not be favorable. If that’s something you can get on board with, then February – April would be a great time to visit Europe in the offseason.

Looking for an interesting 15-day Europe Winter itinerary? Check out the ultimate Europe Winter Itinerary here.

Upon return

When I received my Schengen Italy visa within a week, I got the following note from the embassy with the Mumbai address:

“Mandatory to report back in person within 5 days of return.”

Having never heard of this stipulation before, it came as quite a surprise to me.

I was worried that I will have to fly to Mumbai upon return. And I already started making travel plans! (haha) However, on further inquiry with the VFS center, I came to know that since the embassy is in Mumbai, and I reside in Bangalore, I can submit the documents at the Bangalore VFS center itself. They will then forward the documents to the embassy. Made my life much simpler!

I almost thought of skipping this process, when I came to realize that it was quite a recent development with regards to Schengen Tourist visa. Lately, it came to my attention that many Schengen countries are taking up this process (But it’s not consistent). I went to the VFS center with a passport copy along with entry and exit stamps, and a copy of the ID (Aadhar Card). When enquired about the same, the official told me that failure to submit documents after returning could lead to a problem while applying for Schengen visa the next time, and not just through Italy.

However, I wasn’t able to verify the veracity of the statement.

Visa Agents vs. Self

In any case, there are many tour operators for a packaged tour or just visa applications. However, I have never been fond of these packaged tours since it doesn’t make me taste the essence of the city. It’s more of the systematic ticking of locations and there are hardly any interactions with the locals. I like to decide where I would like to go and when and have the flexibility of choosing the locations on my own. Which is why I almost always go on a self-planned trip.

And moreover, I have heard more than half a dozen cases where applying through an agent was futile. One such instance involved my friend’s case while my friend was applying for a Schengen Italy tourist visa from India. The agents overlooked minor problems in the applications (like no mention of dates in the employee leave letter) which only snowballed into a bigger problem as the days passed by. As a consequence, she received the visa after 20 days, just a week before her departure.

If there are any questions regarding applications for a Schengen Italy visa from India, feel free to drop a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer your questions. If you have applied for a Schengen Italy tourist visa from India before, then let me know if there’s anything you’d like to add to the post.