# Inviting Parents from India to Italy: Visa Guide > The four Italian visa routes open to Indian parents, what the son or daughter in Italy must send, and which Italian office in India decides the file. _Published: 2026-11-06 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1277_ ## TL;DR Most Indian parents visiting a child in Italy apply for a Schengen C visa under 'Visiting Family and Friends', using the child's invitation and an apostilled birth certificate. Dependent parents of Italian or EU citizens can use the fee-free 'Visiting Family EU' category. Parents who will live in Italy need a Family Reunion D visa backed by a Nulla Osta from Italy. ## Key takeaways - A short visit uses the 'Visiting Family and Friends' C visa: € 90 / INR 9,630 plus INR 631 VFS charge. - Dependent parents of an Italian or EU citizen can apply under 'Visiting Family EU', which has no visa fee. - Parents moving to Italy as dependants need a Family Reunion D visa and a Nulla Osta from the SUI, valid 6 months. - Your parents apply to the Italian mission covering the state where they have lived for the last 6 months, not where you live in Italy. - Parents who have lawfully used two Schengen visas in three years can be issued a two-year multiple-entry visa. **According to the Embassy of Italy in New Delhi, Indian parents visiting their children in Italy apply for a Schengen C visa under 'Visiting Family and Friends' at VFS, with the child's signed invitation, apostilled birth certificate and EUR 30,000 insurance. Dependent parents of Italian or EU citizens pay no visa fee; others pay € 90 / INR 9,630.** ## Article This guide is written for the son or daughter in Italy who is organising the trip, and for parents preparing the papers in India. The right route depends on two things: your own status in Italy, and whether your parents are visiting or coming to live with you. Details are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Our Italy visa page for Indian applicants covers every other category. ### Which Italian visa route fits your parents' plan? RouteWhen it fitsVisa feePublished processingVisiting Family and Friends (C)A visit of up to 90 days to a child who lives legally in Italy€ 90 / INR 9,63015 working days, extendable up to 45Visiting Family EU (C)Dependent parents or in-laws of an Italian or EU citizenFree of chargeCan be extended up to 45 days while Italian municipal certificates are verifiedFamily Reunion (D, Nulla Osta)Dependent parents joining a son or daughter resident in Italy for the long term€ 116 / INR 12410 (category D)30 working daysFamiliare al Seguito (D)A parent travelling at the same time as the principal applicant's work or study visaCategory D feeNot published separatelyThe VFS service charge of INR 631 applies to every route, including the fee-free EU category. ### What does the son or daughter in Italy need to send? For a visit, your parents' file starts with your papers: - Invitation letter, filled in and signed by you. Your signature must match the one on your ID. - Your status papers: if you are an Indian or other non-EU national, a copy of your passport and your Italian residence permit (permesso di soggiorno); if you are an EU or Italian citizen, a copy of your ID or passport. - A guarantee if you are paying: where your parents' own funds are insufficient, the Embassy asks for an original 'fidejussione' issued by an Italian financial institution. If you are an Italian or EU citizen and your parents depend on you, the Visiting Family EU checklist adds two things. Your invitation must be issued no more than 6 months before submission. And you need evidence that over the last 12 months you transferred money or bore their expenses, showing genuine financial dependence. Keep your bank transfer records to India ready. ### What do your parents prepare in India? - Passports issued within the last 10 years, valid 3 months beyond leaving the Schengen area, with 2 empty pages. - Your birth certificate showing their names as parents, apostilled. Italy's 'Stato civile' and 'Stato di famiglia' certificates from the ANPR portal (with QR code) support the relationship from the Italian side. - Their own personal bank statement for the last 6 months, updated to within 1 month of submission. Business accounts are not accepted. - Overseas health insurance of at least EUR 30,000, stamped and signed by an insurer on the approved list for Schengen consulates in India. - Round-trip flight booking and proof of ties to India. The checklist names employment, studies, children in school or a caregiver role as examples. - A signed application form carrying their own working phone number, not an agent's. The checklist lists employment proof for employees, the self-employed and students, but no separate document for retired parents. Retired parents rely on their own bank statement, and on your fidejussione if their funds fall short. ### Can your parents come to live with you in Italy? Only as dependants, through the Family Reunion D visa. The process starts in Italy: you obtain a Nulla Osta from the competent S.U.I. (Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione), valid for 6 months from issue. Your parents then apply in India with: - The Nulla Osta or its reference number. - An application form signed by each parent in person, not by an agent. - Passports issued within 10 years, with at least 2 years' residual validity and 2 blank pages, issued within the Embassy's jurisdiction. - An attested copy of all pages of your passport and your permesso di soggiorno. - Your apostilled birth certificate, issued in English or bilingual Hindi-English or Punjabi-English. Notarised translations are not accepted. - An attested and apostilled affidavit on their economic conditions that names all their children. - Proof of economic dependency: continuous remittances from you, and/or no other means of support. The Embassy may suspend processing or issue an advance notice of refusal giving 10 working days to respond. Once in Italy, a national visa holder must apply for a permesso di soggiorno at the Questura within 8 working days of arrival. ### Which Italian office decides your parents' application? Your parents apply where they have lived continuously for the last 6 months, with proof of residence. Your address in Italy does not matter. OfficeStates coveredVFS centresEmbassy of Italy, New DelhiDelhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, ChandigarhNew Delhi, Jalandhar, ChandigarhConsulate General, MumbaiMaharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar HaveliMumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, KochiConsulate General, KolkataWest Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim and the north-eastern states, Andaman and Nicobar IslandsKolkataConsulate General, BangaloreKarnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, PuducherryBengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad ### How can parents who visit every year get a longer visa? The EU 'cascade' rules for Indian nationals residing in India have applied since 18 April 2024. If your parents have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas within the previous three years, they can be issued a multiple-entry visa valid for two years. That is normally followed by a five-year visa if the passport has enough validity left. Each stay is still limited to 90 days in any 180-day period. ### Before your parents book the appointment - Do not book the tourist category when they hold your invitation; the Embassy directs invited applicants to Visiting Family and Friends or the EU relative category. - Apply up to six months before travel, and allow at least the 15 working days published for C visas. - If a C visa is refused, they can reapply or appeal through a lawyer to the T.A.R. of Lazio within 60 days. Family-reunion refusals go to the immigration section of the Ordinary Court of Rome. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can I submit my parents' Italy visa application from Italy? No. Your parents apply at the VFS centre for the Italian mission covering the Indian state where they have lived continuously for the last 6 months. First-time applicants give fingerprints in person at the centre. #### Is there an age limit on travel insurance for parents visiting Italy? Italy's requirement is about cover: at least EUR 30,000, valid across the Schengen area for the whole stay, from an insurer on the list approved by the Schengen consulates in India. Insurers set their own age conditions, so check the policy terms for your parents before buying. #### Do parents of an Indian working in Italy get the free EU family visa? No. The fee-free Visiting Family EU category is for family members of EU or Italian citizens. Parents of an Indian national living in Italy on a permesso di soggiorno apply under Visiting Family and Friends and pay € 90 / INR 9,630. #### How long can parents stay in Italy on a family visit visa? A Schengen C visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays need a national D visa, such as the Family Reunion visa for dependent parents. ## FAQ ### Can I submit my parents' Italy visa application from Italy? No. Your parents apply at the VFS centre for the Italian mission covering the Indian state where they have lived continuously for the last 6 months. First-time applicants give fingerprints in person at the centre. ### Is there an age limit on travel insurance for parents visiting Italy? Italy's requirement is about cover: at least EUR 30,000, valid across the Schengen area for the whole stay, from an insurer on the list approved by the Schengen consulates in India. Insurers set their own age conditions, so check the policy terms for your parents before buying. ### Do parents of an Indian working in Italy get the free EU family visa? No. The fee-free Visiting Family EU category is for family members of EU or Italian citizens. Parents of an Indian national living in Italy on a permesso di soggiorno apply under Visiting Family and Friends and pay € 90 / INR 9,630. ### How long can parents stay in Italy on a family visit visa? A Schengen C visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays need a national D visa, such as the Family Reunion visa for dependent parents. ## Sources 1. [Embassy of Italy New Delhi - Visiting Family and Friends checklist (via VFS)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/italy/india/new-delhi/english/pdf/Visiting-family-and-friends-2024.pdf) — Embassy of Italy, New Delhi 2. [Embassy of Italy New Delhi - Family Reunion visa for dependent parents checklist (via VFS)](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/italy/india/new-delhi/english/pdf/family-reunion-visa-for-dependent-parents-apr-22.pdf) — Embassy of Italy, New Delhi 3. [EU Delegation to India - EU adopts more favourable Schengen visa rules for Indians (visa cascade, 18 April 2024)](https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india/european-union-adopts-more-favourable-schengen-visa-rules-indians_en) — Delegation of the European Union to India