General conditions for the entry of foreigners into Italy

Entry into the Schengen Area and into the Italian territory of foreigners coming from external borders is permitted only to foreigners who:

1. show up at a border crossing point;
2. have a passport or other recognised equivalent travel document valid for crossing borders;
3. have documents justifying the purpose and conditions of their stay and prove they have sufficient financial means in relation to the nature and duration of their stay and the cost of returning to the country of origin (or for transit to a third State);
4. have a valid entry or transit visa, where required;
5. are not reported to be subject to an alert for being refused entry into the Schengen Information System (SIS);
6. are not considered to be a threat to public order, national security or the international relations of any of the Contracting Parties, by national provisions or those of other Schengen States.

A foreigner already living in a Schengen State and holding a stay permit is exempt from the visa requirement for stays not exceeding 90 days in a 180-day period, provided that entry into Italy is not for the purpose of employment, self-employment or study/internship-training.

A foreigner who does not meet even one of these requirements may be subject to refusal of entry, which can be enforced by the competent border authorities even in the presence of a regular entry visa.