National Visas (Type D) are intended for long‑term stays exceeding 90 days and allow entry into Italy for the purpose of obtaining a residence permit. The main categories of Type D visas include: university or school study, employed or self‑employed work, family reunification, mission, volunteering, scientific research, elective residence, long‑term medical treatment, and other specific cases provided for by Interministerial Decree No. 850/2011. The national visa may allow circulation within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days every 180, but long‑term residence is authorized exclusively in Italy.
Visa applications must be submitted no more than six months before and no later than 15 calendar days before the planned start of the trip.
For national visas, Italian legislation provides a general processing time of 90 days from the date of application (Art. 5, para. 8, Presidential Decree 394/1999), with different deadlines for specific visa categories: 30 days for family reunification and employed work (Arts. 6, para. 5 and 31, para. 8 of Presidential Decree 394/1999), and 120 days for self‑employment (Art. 26, para. 7 of Legislative Decree 286/1998).
PLEASE NOTE: If it becomes necessary to suspend the processing time in order to carry out checks and verifications on the documentation submitted, the Visa Office will provide written notification to the applicant, who must sign it for acknowledgment. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to provide, together with their visa application, valid and regularly monitored telephone and/or email contact details, to ensure reliable and timely communication.