The world’s seventh-largest economy, the Republic of Italy, is located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of 301,340 km2 and a population of 60.20 million. It emerged from the Roman Empire, which was one of the greatest European empires to have ever existed.
As a result, today, the country is home to many castles and palaces and a lot of buildings of various architectural styles, such as Romanesque, Gothic, Mannerist, Baroque, and Neoclassical. Moreover, it has a coastline of 7,600 km, picturesque lakes, stunning cliffs, and many green national parks.
With all these natural and man-made wonders, Italy is a huge magnet for tourists. It is estimated that over 50 million tourists visit Italy each year. Tourism is crucial to Italy’s economy, providing more than 60% of the country’s national income.
World travellers wishing to enter Italy for short stays can do so by obtaining a Schengen Visa to Italy, but not everyone needs a visa to enter Italy. In this article, you will find out if you belong to countries whose citizens need or don’t need a visa to visit Italy, as well as other entry and visa requirements.
San Marino and the Vatican City – two European microstates located within Italy – are considered part of the Schengen Area, although they did not officially sign the particular documents of the agreement. Besides, no border control is performed for the Schengen countries surrounding them.