General Information

1. How long should the validity of my passport be to be able to apply?

For Italian Schengen visa applications, you should have a passport obtained within the last ten years and valid for at least three months from the end date of the anticipated trip.

Long-term visas for family reunion purposes would be issued with one-year validity so in these cases the passport must have an extra validity of at least 15 months.

There must be at least two blank pages in the passport at the time of application.

2. What is a Schengen visa?

Schengen Visa (type C) is the type of visa that you need to travel anywhere in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days within the visa's validity period decided upon by the Consulates. A C-type visa does not bestow the holder's residency rights.

3. What is a national visa?

A national visa (type D) is valid for residence periods exceeding 90 days in the Schengen area. i.e., it is the type of visa obtained for family reunions, studying or working in Italy.

4. When should I apply for a Schengen and National visa?

For Schengen visa applications (less than 90 days stays) and National visa applications (more than 90 days stays), you must apply no more than 180 days before the start date of the trip.

5. Can I send my application documents by courier?

No, application documents sent by courier are not accepted. After booking your appointment through our website, you should bring your application documents to the VisaMetric office in person on the appointment date and time.

Exceptionally, applications made by courier are accepted as part of the Mobile Service.

6. I am an Iranian citizen (I hold an Iranian passport) but I reside in a country outside the Schengen zone with a residence permit. Where should I apply for an Italian Schengen visa?

You should apply in the country of your residence.

7. What are your business hours?

You can find detailed information on business hours here.

8. In name/surname changes, can I apply using my passport with my previous name/surname?

The passport you submit for application should be up-to-date. An outdated passport—because of name/surname changes due to marriage, divorce, etc.—shall not be accepted during the application.

9. May I have full contact information of the Visametric office?

You can find all contact information, address, email and details of the office here.

10. May I have the contact information of Italian Representations in Iran?

For general inquiries on visas (no appointments) consolato.teheran@esteri.it -  visti.teheran@esteri.it - teheran.applications@esteri.it  - studi.teheran@esteri.it