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Visas

Consult the portal “Visto per l’Italia” to get information on applying for an entry visa to Italy.

The Visa Office of the Embassy of Italy in Kenya is connected to VIS. The acquisition on biometric data of short-stay visa applicants has begun in accordance with the modalities defined with other states in the Schengen Area.

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Persons interested in applying for a visa are kindly asked to read the Instructions thoroughly.

The Visa Section accepts travel insurance policies only from the insurance companies contained in this List.

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Whereas visa applicants are required to book an appointment, submit all the necessary documents and receive replies through the agency to which these services have been outsourced (VFS Global – vide contacts below), it is possible to submit visa applications directly at the Embassy – only for Schengen visas, solely subject to obtaining an appointment by writing to the email address visti.nairobi@esteri.it. This appointment will be confirmed to the visa applicant by email at the earliest convenient date.

VFS Global operates through a designated Visa Application Centre, VFS Global, located on the Fifth Floor of Parkfield Building, Muthangari Drive, opposite SAFARICOM House, off Waiyaki Way, Westlands, P.O. Box 25180 – 00100 Nairobi.

–      Submission of applications: from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday

–      Collection of passports:  from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.*

(*) Visa applicants of Somali nationality applying for Type “D” visas (Family Reunification – Long Term Visa) may collect their passports on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

In order to ask for information please contact the Call Center on the number +254 205 147 906, send an email to info.itke@vfshelpline.com and consult the website http://www.vfsglobal.com/italy/kenya/.

All decisions regarding visa applications will however be made by the Embassy.

The waiting time for the processing of visa applications submitted through the Visa Application Center for Italy will be around 20 days under normal circumstances.

Visa applicants must pay both the visa application fees and the visa handling fees to VFS Global.

When applying for visas, applicants must pay only the following fees corresponding to the visa type applied for:

SCHENGEN VISA – TYPE “C” (up to 90 days):

  • KES 10,000/= EUR 80.00 (adults and minors over 12 years)
  • KES 5,000/= EUR 40.00 (minors between 6 and 12 years)
  • Free (minors under 6 years)

NATIONAL VISA – TYPED “D” (over 90 days):

  • KES 14,500/= EUR 116.00 (all applicants)
  • KES 6,250/= EUR 50.00 (Type “D” Study Visas)

In addition, visa applicants must pay VFS Global the following commissions for services provided:

–      KES 3,250 for the receipt and handling of Type “C” visas (adults and minors)

–      KES 2,750 for the receipt and handling of Type “D” visas (adults and minors)

The above procedures are the only ones that allow the issue of an Italian visa. Nobody may ask for any money that is not indicated on this website. Persons who promise that they can facilitate, expedite or assure the issue of a visa are to be considered fraudulent or must be reported to the authorities. It is recommended, therefore, that nobody trusts any broker who promises facilitated processes to obtain a visa.

 

Immediate Family Members of Italian Citizens

The Law (Directive 2004/38/CE and Legislative Decree 30/2007) establishes preferential treatment in terms of documentation required and access to the Visa Office for immediate family members of citizens of European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) Member States. Please use the following check-lists for Tourism and/or Family Reunification:

We draw your attention to the fact that from the 6th of August 2003 Italy abolished the issue of National Visas (Type D – Long Stay) for Family Reunification, applying the amendments introduced through Decree Law 89/2011, converted through Act No. 129/11 on the matter of free movement and stay of citizens of the European Union and their family members.

Instead, a Schengen Short-Stay Visa (up to 90 days, Type C, Multiple Entry) for Tourism may be issued to the spouse, child or parent of an Italian Citizen and also the child or parent of the spouse of an Italian Citizen, having verified the marriage or relationship between them and the Italian Citizen. The said visa is aimed at allowing the foreign citizen entry into Italy for the sole purpose of crossing the external borders of Schengen Territory.

After entry into Italy the relevant Questura (Police Headquarters) may issue the prescribed Residence Permit for a Family Member of an Italian or EU Citizen, on presentation of the documents indicated in Article 10 of Legislative Decree No. 30/2007 (http://www.esteri.it/mae/normative/Normativa_Consolare/Visti/D_Lgs_30_2007.pdf).

For the format of the Invitation Letter, click here.

Preferential handling of visa applications submitted by family members of EU/EEA Citizens (limited to those identified as such by Directive 2004/38/CE) is envisaged at the Visa Office of the Italian Embassy, where it is possible to go by requesting directly for an appointment at the address visti.nairobi@esteri.it, which will be given on a priority basis. For purposes of proving one’s relationship with the EU/EEA Citizen it is mandatory to come with one’s Identity Card and – depending on the situation – marriage or birth certificate or other certificate proving relationship, registered with the relevant Italian authorities and already certified.

Visas issued to the aforesaid categories of EU Citizens’ family members are issued free of charge (Article 5, Legislative Decree 30/2007).

BIOMETRIC DATA (VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM)

Starting from November 2013 all visa applicants must provide their biometric data (fingerprints for all ten fingers and photographs) at the time of submitting the Schengen visa application. The applicants must therefore avail themselves in person when applying for the visa. It is a simple procedure that requires only a few minutes. Since biometric data is conserved for 5 years, for subsequent visa applications the collection of fingerprints is not necessary and therefore the applicant does not have to present himself/herself in person.

In cases where the collection of fingerprints is not necessary because they have already been collected, only immediate family members of EU Citizens may submit their visa applications also at the Honorary Consulates of Malindi and Mombasa on appointment, by writing to the following email addresses:

Honorary Consulate in Malindi:     malindi.onorario@esteri.it

Honorary Consulate in Mombasa: mombasa.onorario@esteri.it

Important information notice from Schengen Member States

 

According to Article 12 (a) of the Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009, commonly known as “Visa Code”, the validity of a travel document shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Schengen Member States.

According to an official notification from the Kenyan authorities issued to all diplomatic missions, all Kenyan passports – except the new East African Community biometric e-Passport – will be rendered invalid from 1 September 2019.

The Schengen Member States therefore wish to inform the Kenyan public that from 1