Self-Employment National Visa

a) Proof of residence within the Toronto consular jurisdiction area: domestic utility bill or driving license (photocopy).

b) Proof of legal residence in Canada (for non-Canadians only): Canadian permanent residence card or visa valid for at least three months after the date of re-entry (photocopy).

c) National visa application form, carefully and correctly filled out and signed. Please ensure that you leave no blank spaces. If an item does not apply to you, enter N/A (not applicable).

d) Passport-size photo, full front and white background and not older than 6 months.

e) Passport, which must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa expiry date, as well as photocopies of the first 2 pages and of visas previously issued, if any. Furthermore, there must be at least two blank pages in the passport.

f) Flight ticket reservation OR Itinerary, indicating airports of arrival/transit.

g) The visa fee paid in Canadian dollars. Visa fees can be paid by money order/bank draft made out to the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto (Canadian dollars only). Because of the fluctuation of the exchange rate, the type of visa and duration of stay, the fees are subject to change. Please refer to the dedicated page on this website. Please consult regularly our updated list of Consular Fees.

h) Prepaid Xpresspost post envelope (or any other courier service preaddressed envelope) with your address already filled (TO) and the Address of the Consulate as sender (FROM), to return your passport.

Self-employed professionals and Entrepreneurs

1. All Common requirements listed above from a) to h);
2. A) Self-Employed professionals are those mentioned in the list of the Italian Ministry of Justice ‘Associazione delle Professioni non Regolamentate’ according to D.Lgs 206/2007 art. 26 comma 3 and according to ‘Elenco Professioni Vigilate’ and included in ordini, collegi e albi professionali (professional orders, professional boards and bulletin boards). For medical professions the visa is issued upon recognition of your University Degree by the Italian Ministry of Health.
   B) Entrepreneurs are considered those business operators who intend to perform in Italy a commercial activity that is considered significant for the Italian economy.
3. Declaration by the Office authorized to issue any required certification, license and authorization, to receive notices of commencement of business activity, or by the Body which supervises the relevant professional association. Such declarations should be issued within the previous 90 days;
4. Declaration of compliance with the “parametri di riferimento” (list of specific assets to perform different commercial or professional activities) issued by the local Chamber of Commerce or by the relevant professional order. The amount referred to in the declaration cannot be lower than the triple of the minimum social welfare yearly income (14.000 Euro);
5. Proof of income earned during the previous fiscal year in the country of residence, higher than the minimum level provided by the law for exemption from participation in medical and health public assistance (8.500 Euro);
6. Nulla Osta (authorization) issued within the previous 90 days by the competent Italian Questura (Local Police Headquarters);
7. Availability of suitable accommodation.

Managers or highly qualified employees, University language tutors and University professors, translators and interpreters

1. All Common requirements listed above from a) to h);
2. Certification, issued by the competent Labour Territorial Service of the Italian DTL (Territorial Labour Office) stating that, in virtue of the contract stipulated, the applicant will not be employed as a subordinate worker;
3. Availability of accommodation (which can also be documented with a hotel reservation or a declaration by the inviting party certifying that it has made suitable accommodation available to the applicant);
4. A contract showing a yearly income higher than the minimum level provided by the law for exemption from participation in medical and health public assistance (8.500 Euro);
5. Nulla Osta from the competent Italian Questura (Local Police Headquarters) issued within the previous 90 days.

Sport personnel and Athletes

1. All Common requirements listed above from a) to h)
2. Declaration of consent by CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) sent directly to the competent Italian Embassy/Consulate, indicating the athlete’s particulars, sports practiced, and details and address of the team/club of destination. This statement must be accompanied by the Nulla Osta (authorization) of the Italian Questura (Local Police Headquarters), stating that the sport practiced is included in the list of activities for which applicants are entitled to apply for a sport-self-employment visa. The Nulla Osta should be issued within the previous 90 days and must have been sent to this office to proceed with the visa application.

Artists and entertainment industry personnel – renowned artists and their entourage or artists invited by renowned Italian institutions or theatres

1. All Common requirements listed above from a) to h);
2. Job contract ensuring the self-employed applicant’s compensation is higher than the amount provided by the Italian national contracts for the same category of employees;
3. Copy of a formal declaration by the inviting Entity’s legal representative to the Territorial Labour Directorate certifying that no subordinate employment relationship will be established with the applicant; for workers employed in circuses or traveling shows, the declaration must be addressed to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies;
4. Nulla Osta from the relevant Italian Questura (Local Police Headquarters) based on the place where the independent activity will be carried out;
5. Availability of accommodation (which can also be documented with a hotel reservation or a declaration by the inviting party certifying that it has made suitable accommodation available to the applicant).

You do not need to book an appointment to submit your application. National Visa applications are received by mail only (not e-mail).

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

(1) Please send all necessary documents, 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

(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.

After completing the procedure, we will send your passport back to the address you will have indicated on the prepaid envelope (under letter h).

Kindly note that INCOMPLETE or INCORRECT applications will NOT be processed and they will be returned to your address.

Please be aware that the Consulate takes no responsibility for applications, passports or money order / bank draft lost by the postal service or by courier services.

Within eight (8) working days of entry into Italy, foreign nationals must fulfil the obligations of the laws regarding residence in the territory of the State by submitting a request for a Residence Permit relevant to the purpose of the visa. Procedures are indicated here “Types of Visas”. Select the type of National Visa you wish to apply for by clicking on the button “types of visas” and carefully read the information provided.