Italy is part of the Schengen Area, which allows for one single visa for travel throughout the European Union. There are many nations, however, that are Schengen visa exempt and do not need a tourist visa to enter a member state. Americans are Schengen visa exempt, therefore visas are not necessary for tourist travel to Italy. Other nationalities that are Schengen exempt include: Andorra, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, Guatemala, Panama, Australia, Paraguay, Brazil, Honduras, Romania, Brunei, Israel, San Marino, Bulgaria, Japan, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Monaco, Uruguay, Croatia, New Zealand and Venezuela. If you are not a citizen of one of these nations or are a permanent resident living in the United States, you must apply for a Schengen visa through the Italian consulate general that has jurisdiction over your state of residence.
