What is needed and what must be done to apply for a Schengen visa

• Go to the Italian Embassy, a suitable time prior to the expected date of departure (taking into consideration that the whole workflow from the presentation of the request to the deliverance of the visa - if any - is expected to take about 15 days) to explain the reason(s) of your request for the visa;
  
  
• Once in the Embassy, fill and duly sign the application form;
  
  
• Produce the following documents:
  

a) a recent passport-style photo;

b) your passport (remember it must remain valid for at least 3 months from the visa application date;

c) an health insurance certificate covering at least an amount of 30.000 Euros for urgent hospital and repatriation expenses;

d) any other document in order to: 

• prove the reasons of your voyage;

• state your social-professional status (letter from employer with position, monthly salary, beginning and end of working contract);
  
• demonstrate the possession of a flight ticket reservation (note that it must be a return ticket);
  
• prove your economical means of support (see chart list) for covering the costs of your stay (e.g., a listing of your bank current account or credit card transactions for the last six months stamped and signed by the bank, or a bank warranty;
  
• know the address during your stay (hotel voucher, hotel reservation, invitation from an inviting host or a company).

• Submit yourself to the collection of biometric data (digital photo and fingerprints of all ten fingers, which is mandatory for all visa applicants under the Visa Information System - VIS - as from May 10th 2012).
  For further information on the VIS system, click here.
  The VIS System allows only for very limited exemptions from the obligation to submitting to the fingerprints collection (click here). 
  
   

• the submission of all the documentation supporting the visa request will not in itself guarantee the issue of the requested visa;
  
• the Embassy will only issue the visa if Italy is the first of Schengen countries' destination or if it is the main destination you intend to visit;
  
• the visa can be requested only from three months before the date of departure;
  
• the passport must be deposited at the visa section of the Embassy and will remain there until the date of issue or denial of the visa;
  
• falsification of the documents, either originating from Italy or otherwise, produced in order to obtain entry visas, will always be reported by the Embassy to the Judiciary Authorities.
  

Once verified the acceptability of the application on the base of the documents provided by the applicant and on the results of his/her interview, the visa application is then submitted to a security check against the International Visa Network to verify that the applicant is not included in the list of persons not allowed in Schengen Countries.
At this point a decision is made about issuing or denying the visa.