CHECKLIST FOR VISITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS APPLICATION

1.  Visa application, duly filled out in English and signed by the applicant (for minors: signed by parents or legal guardian)

Two recent passport pictures

Photo must be: 35 mm wide, 45 mm high, photo must be well contrasted person, must look straight into the camera, head must be straight, not
2.  tilted, mouth closed, head must take up 2/3 of the photo, but must not exceed 36 mm in height, eyes must be in the upper middle of the photo,
eye color must be clearly recognizable, distance between the two pupils must be between 8 and 10 mm, white background). Any alterations (like
Photoshop etc.) are strictly forbidden.
Valid passport
3. 
At least two free pages, validity of at least 90 days after expiration of Visa requested; duly signed.
Residence Permit
4. 
Original and copy of residence permit, valid for at least 1 month after coming back from the Schengen states.
Two copies of applicant’s passport’s first page and copies of previous visas issued in the last 3 years from any other Schengen
5.  country (if applicable).
If Visas are in old passport: copy of the first page of the old passport and copies of relevant visas.

Proof of accommodation provided by host in Italy

Invitation Letter filled up and signed by the host in Italy. Please download form: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/one-
pager/italy/uk/london/pdf/invitationletter-tourist.pdf. The signature of the host must be matching with the one on the ID or Passport
If the host in Italy is an EU citizen: ID or Passport copy including signature page
6. 
If the host in Italy is a non-EU citizen: Passport copy including signature page and Italian residence permit copy
If the host in Italy is a family member: Family relationship must be proved (Birth certificate, marriage certificate)
If submitting documents, to prove family relationship, from countries other than the UK and Italy, legalization from Italian
Consulate/Embassy in the country where the document was issued is required.
(If applicable) for applicants with insufficient finances sponsored by the host in Italy:
7.  Fidejussione/Polizza Fidejussoria in original and copy issued by Italian financial institutes only. Needed only in case of applicant’s insufficient
finances.
(If applicable) For applicants with insufficient finances sponsored by a direct family member in the UK.
Sponsor letter from close relative only (parents, son and daughters, spouse) who wishes to sponsor the applicant, proof of family relationship
 must be submitted (original and copy of birth certificate or marriage certificate issued by registry Office), statement of the last three months of

the sponsor’s account (British accounts only) updated to maximum 1 month before date of submission + job letter and last 3 pay slips of the
8. 
sponsor. No business accounts. Sons and daughters can financially sponsor their parents only if the parent is dependent on the son or the
daughter (proof of cohabitation is required).
If submitting documents, to prove family relationship, from countries other than the UK, legalization from Italian
Embassy/Consulate in the country where the documents was issued is required.
Evidence of applicant’s employment
If the applicant is an employee: Headed paper company’s original approved letter should report: full name of applicant, job position of
applicant, salary, indication of the number of vacation days, company stamp, signature of manager, full address of company, telephone number
of company, letter’s date of issue must be within 30 days before date of submission + latest 3 months pay slips.
9.  If the applicant is Self-Employed: Full Business Certificate of Incorporation + last 3 months Business Bank Statement + latest tax return or
Accountant letter dated within 30 days before date of submission + latest tax return. Accountant letter must include accountant’s full name,
contact details, position of signatory and registration number in the UK. The letter must also state the annual salary drawn from the company.
If the applicant is Sole Trader: Letter from HMRC with UTR code + latest tax return if available.
If the applicant is unemployed and receiving benefits: Official proof of receiving benefits from the government
 If students applying (including minors)
10.  Original letter from the school, dated within 30 days before date of submission, must report:
Full name of the applicant, full name and address of school, telephone number of the school, signature of the Head of Department.
Exact itinerary
11.  Dates, cities, transports used to move across Schengen Area; if travelling to a Non-Schengen country during the same trip, transport ticket and
valid visa (for the non-Schengen country) is needed.

Round Trip transports ticket booking

Document must be in English or in Italian language, must be issued by the airline, train company or ferry company, must be fully paid, must
12. 
report full name of applicant as per passport. If traveling by car, driving license, car registration, car insurance must be submitted
If the driver is not the applicant, a cover letter + copy of the driving license of the driver is as well required.
Overseas medical insurance Certificate
Must be issued by an insurance company in the UK or in the Schengen area. Must cover whole period of stay, must report full name of
13. 
applicant as per passport, must be valid for the whole Schengen Area, minimum coverage of 30.000 Euro for urgent hospitalization or
repatriation expenses, the stamp and signature of the insurance company are mandatory.
Proof of economic situation in country of residence
Statement of the last 3 months updated to maximum 1 month before date of submission with stable transactions, name of the applicant shown
14. 
on the statement must be the same as on passport, accounts with positive balance only, no business accounts. If in possession of a credit card, it
is recommended to provide the statement showing the credit monthly limit.
(Only applicable for minors applying)
If applicant is traveling with both parents: original and copy of birth certificate.
If applicant is travelling with one of the parents: original consent letter written and signed by the other parent, legalized through the
Italian Embassy/Consulate where the other parent is resident and minor applicant’s birth certificate (copy and original). If the consent of the
other parent is not available consent of the UK Family Court is required.
15. 
If minor is travelling alone: original consent letter to travel abroad written and signed by both parents, legalized through the Italian
Embassy/Consulate where parents are resident
If one of the parents passed away, death certificate (original and copy) together with translation in English.
If submitting documents from countries other than the UK, legalization from Italian Embassy/Consulate where the document was
issued is required.
IMPORTANT NOTES:

It is recommended to provide a cover letter.

In case the applicant wishes to apply for a multiple visa, the application format must be double signed also on the third page near
the sentence “I am aware of the need to have an adequate travel medical insurance for my first stay”. An explanation letter for the
reason of such request must also be provided together with proof of future trips to Italy.

After applying for the Visa, the applicants will not be able to collect their passports from the Embassy. The processing time for a
Visa application is maximum 15 calendar days according to Visa Schengen Code. For same cases this period might extend up to
45 days.

The Consular administration has full authority to evaluate and request additional documentation, if deemed necessary, in addition
to what is submitted. Furthermore, the applicant is hereby informed that submitting all required documentation does NOT
guarantee the issuance of any particular visa.

Dear Applicant,
A complete application is a crucial step for a fast processing of your visa.
Please do not provide any document in the form of a screenshot or photo. All documents must be
presented in A4 format.

I, the applicant declare that I have been informed by VFS staff about any incomplete / incorrect
documentation regarding my Visa application and that I received back all my original documents, which I
had showcased as evidence to the VFS counter staff.

Date: Signature of Applicant: Name of VFS Staff:

___________________________ _________________________________________________________