National Visa for family reasons for non-EU family members of non-EU citizens

A National visa for family reasons allows foreign family members of a non-EU national residing in Italy to join him/her for their period of stay in Italy (longer than 90 days), provided that the non-EU national in Italy has been granted a “Nulla Osta” (clearance, authorization) by the Italian “SUI – Sportello Unico Immigrazione” (Immigration “One-Stop Shop”).

Requests for “Nulla Osta” to the SUI may be filed by foreign residents in Italy holding a Card or Residence Permit of no less than one year’s duration for reasons of employment, self-employment, research, asylum, subsidiary protection, study, religious reasons and family reasons. For foreigners who have a residency permit issued on the basis of Article 27 ter of Legislative Decree 286/1998 (research), the “Nulla Osta” is issued regardless of the duration of the residency permit. The “Nulla Osta” must be used within six months of issue.

If you are a non-EU family member of an EU citizen (as an example, Chinese spouse of an Italian citizen residing in Italy) and you wish to settle in Italy with your EU family member who is already an Italian resident, please visit National Visa for family reasons for on EU Family members of EU citizens (settlement in Italy)

Foreign family members of a non-EU national residing in Italy, identified as:

– spouse (or partner in a registered partnership/same-sex marriage) who is not legally separated and not younger than 18 years of age;
– minor children, including those of the spouse/civil partner or born out of wedlock, who are not married, subject to the consent of the other parent, if any. Children are considered minors if they are under the age of 18 at the time of submission of the application to the SUI ;
– minors of foreign nationals who are adopted, entrusted or subject to guardianship. In these cases, the visa may be issued, without the need for the relevant judgments to be deliberated in Italy, only on condition that are issued by the competent authority according to local legislation and are in conformity with Italian public order;
– dependent adult children, if they cannot provide for their essential living needs due to their state of health resulting in total disability;
– dependent parents, if they have no other children in their country of origin or provenance;
– parents over the age of 65, when their other children in the country of origin or provenance cannot provide for their subsistence due to documented serious health reasons.

A foreigner who holds a valid Italian residency permit or an Italian National visa for subordinate work relating to a contract of not less than one year, or for non-occasional self-employment, or for study or religious reasons, may be accompanied by family members with whom family reunification is possible (list above), provided that the requirements of housing availability and income the Italian Consolidated Act on Immigration are met. In such cases, the application for a “Nulla Osta” may also be submitted to the Sportello Unico through a proxy (Article 6 of Presidential Decree 394/1999).

Applications for National Visas are received by mail.
You do not need to book an appointment to submit your application.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of January 11, 2025, fingerprints must be acquired even for National Visa Applicants.

(1) Please send all necessary documents (see below “What documents do I need to apply?”), including a money order or bank draft for due consular fees payable to the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto and a prepaid and pre-addressed XpressPost (or any other courier service) envelope, which will be used to return your passport, by registered mail (with a tracking number) to the Visa Office at the address below.

Consulate General of Italy
VISA OFFICE
136 Beverley St.
Toronto M5T 1Y5

Please be aware that the Consulate does not take responsibility for applications, passports or money order / bank draft lost by the postal service or by courier services.

(2) If you do not already have an account, please, set up an account on Prenot@mi (press the button “register your account”. You only need to register as user. DO NOT book any appointment. The Consulate will contact you to schedule an in-person appointment for fingerprints, in due time. In order to allow the Consulate to assign you an appointment, you must be registered as a Prenot@mi user.

(3) Once the Consulate will have received your postal application, if you will have registered on Prenot@mi, the Visa Office will contact you to make an appointment. On the day of the appointment, applicants must attend the Consulate in person. Being summoned for fingerprinting DOES NOT imply that your visa application will be granted.

The only exemptions to the requirement of fingerprints are: children under the age of 12; physical inability, even temporary; Heads of State and Government and members of foreign governments with their delegations on official missions; sovereigns and members of royal families on official missions. Even if exempt from the requirement of fingerprints, children under the age of 12 must attend the appointment for identification purposes.

– Nulla Osta (authorization) issued by the relevant Italian SUI – Sportello Unico Immigrazione. Your family member residing in Italy must apply for a Nulla Osta for family reunification.  Nulla Osta must be used within six months of issue.

– Civil status documentation (Long form Marriage/Same-Sex Marriage certificate, Long form Birth certificate) attesting to the status of family member (as outlined above) translated and apostilled or legalized depending on the Country of issue of the civil status certificate. This Consulate reserves the right to ask for additional documents.

– In cases where verification of dependency is required: proof of economic remittances by the family member resident in Italy. The economic support must be of a structural nature (there is no minimum duration) and must allow the beneficiary, in light of his/her financial and social conditions in the State of origin or provenance, to meet his/her essential needs. It is up to the applicant, where applicable, to document the absence of other children in the country of origin or provenance, the state of health and the status of dependent family member, which can be demonstrated with evidence such as bank transfers, receipts of money transfers, provision of housing rental payments, documentation proving that the applicant has no income from annuities or pensions, or that these are insufficient sources of income for the applicant to maintain him/herself in the local economic and social context, proof that the applicant has no source of income, etc. This Consulate reserves the right to ask for additional documents.

– Original passport of the applicant with an expiry date that is three months longer than that of the visa requested and a passport photocopy;

– Application form duly filled out and signed (once printed);

– If the applicant is not a Canadian citizen, Canadian Residence Permit or Canadian Visa (not a tourist/visitor visa);

– Proof of residence (proof of address) in the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto (utility bill, driving license, bank statement)

– Passport-style photo full front and white background and not older than 6 months. Styled poses (looking over one shoulder, head bowed etc.) are not allowed. The head must be free of all headgear, no hats, scarves, headbands or other decorative objects.

– Prepaid and self addressed envelope (preferably Canada XpressPost or any other courier service with a tracking number): we will use this envelope to return your passport once the visa will be issued. If you do not provide a prepaid an self addressed envelope, we will not be able to ship your passport once ready nor could we return your application if incomplete.

– Visa Fee (see below).

– If you are applying on behalf of a minor child: authorization to settle in Italy signed by the holder(s) of parental authority in the forms required under local law, along with a copy of his/her identity document (if the minor is not travelling with his/her parents or guardian).

BEWARE: Incomplete applications will not be processed and will be returned to the applicant using the aforesaid prepaid and self addressed envelope. The Consulate reserves the right to ask for additional documents. The Consulate is not liable for applications, passports or money order lost by the postal service.

Check the National Visa fee, on the Visa Fees page. Visa fee must be paid by money order/bank draft made out to the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto. Please, include the money order/bank draft in the application envelope.

For information on how to apply for a “Nulla Osta” to obtain family reunification clearance and to apply for the Residence Permit once in Italy, please visit: Il visto per l’Italia (esteri.it)