Italy long-stay (Type D) visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Italy long-stay (Type D) Schengen visa when you apply from United States.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇮🇹 Italy·····✈·····🇺🇸 from United States
To
Italy
Type
D · LONG STAY
Apply at
USA
Centre
VAC
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Action neededLong stay — national (Type D) · applying from United States.
Documents ready00 / 11
Competent authority
Italian consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant's US state of residence (Embassy DC or the nine Consulates General). National D visas are handled by the consulate directly.
Application centre
Applies directly at the consulate via Prenot@mi (national/type D visas are generally processed directly by the consulate, not outsourced).
Recommended — commonly expected even when not on the official list
Cover letterA letter of introduction stating who you are and why you are travelling.
Travel itineraryA day-by-day plan of your trip to attach to the application.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
$38
Est. total (adult)
$138
Long stay (Type D)
€116
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in USD · centre: VFS Global.
Fee notes
VFS Global (~$35-40). D commonly €116 (study/work reduced), approximate.
Timeline
high confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
4–16 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
High volume, often the binding constraint. Off-peak 4-8 weeks; peak season (Jun-Aug) 6-14+ weeks. Book 8-12 weeks ahead, 14-16 for summer.
Application centre
VFS Global (ItalyVisa). Large, strictly jurisdictional network: Embassy Washington DC plus consulates Boston, NY, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Miami, LA, SF. Apply to the post covering your state/county (split at county level in NJ/MD/VA/CA).
Timeline notes
Among the highest-volume Schengen destinations globally; appointment scarcity drives the timeline. SF consulate cites ~7-15 days processing, up to 60.
Funds to show
high confidenceThe figures below are the short-stay (Type C) means of subsistence. A long-stay (Type D) visa sets its funds requirement nationally by purpose (study, work, family reunification, income) — check the consulate for the amount that applies to your case.
Per day
~€44.93
Minimum
€269.6
In EUR ≈
as shown
1 traveller, 1-5 days
€269.6
2+ travellers, 1-5 days (per person)
€212.81
1 traveller, 6-10 days
€44.93 / day
2+ travellers, 6-10 days (per person)
€26.33 / day
1 traveller, 11-20 days: fixed component
€51.64
1 traveller, 11-20 days: daily component
€36.67 / day
2+ travellers, 11-20 days: fixed component (per person)
€25.82
2+ travellers, 11-20 days: daily component (per person)
€22.21 / day
1 traveller, over 20 days: fixed component
€206.58
1 traveller, over 20 days: daily component
€27.89 / day
2+ travellers, over 20 days: fixed component (per person)
€118.79
2+ travellers, over 20 days: daily component (per person)
€17.04 / day
Floor
solo traveller, trip of 1-5 days: overall fixed sum EUR 269.60 (EUR 212.81/person for 2+ travellers)
Notes
Official 'Table A' (Ministry of Interior directive of 1 March 2000, ISTAT-indexed). Per person, by trip length and party size. Longer trips combine a one-off fixed component with a per-day component (see tiers).
Consulates apply discretion and may expect a buffer above this figure — treat it as a floor, not a guarantee.
Funds source ↗⚠ Special cases & caveats
- Non-US citizens resident in the USAMust prove lawful US residence (Green Card or valid long-term visa) to apply at the US mission.
- All D-visa applicants (since 11 Jan 2025)Fingerprints required per Italian Decree No. 145 of 11 Oct 2024.
- All D-visa holdersMust apply for a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within 8 working days of arrival in Italy.