# Italy Airport Transit Rules for Indian Passport Holders > Indian ordinary-passport holders need no airport transit visa for Italy. Here is when a layover turns into an entry that needs a Schengen visa, and what that costs. _Published: 2026-11-06 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1058_ ## TL;DR India is on neither the EU common list nor Italy's national list of nationalities needing an airport transit visa, so Indians can change flights inside an Italian airport's international transit area without a visa. Leaving that area means entering Italy, which needs a Schengen visa costing €90 / INR 9,630 plus the INR 631 VFS charge. ## Key takeaways - Indian ordinary-passport holders need no airport transit visa for Italy (EU Annexes 7A and 7B, June 2026). - Leaving the international transit area counts as entering Italy and needs a Schengen visa. - Schengen visa fee: €90 / INR 9,630 for adults, plus the VFS service charge of INR 631. - Processing: 15 working days, extendable up to 45; the Embassy generally decides C visas within 15 calendar days. - You apply to the Italian mission covering the state where you have lived for the last 6 months. **No, not if you stay airside. According to the European Commission's airport transit visa lists (Visa Code Handbook Annexes 7A and 7B, June 2026), Indian ordinary-passport holders need no visa to remain in the international transit area of an Italian airport. Leaving that area means entering Italy, which requires a Schengen visa.** ## Article The rules here are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. The real question for most travellers is not whether Italy has a transit visa for Indians, but whether a particular connection keeps them inside the transit area. That depends on your tickets, your bags and your plans during the layover. ### Do Indians need an airport transit visa for Italy? No. An airport transit visa is required only for nationalities on the EU common list (Annex 7A) or on a Member State's national list (Annex 7B). India is on neither list for Italy. The Commission's Annex 7B (June 2026) sets out the national lists. So an Indian ordinary-passport holder who changes planes at an Italian airport and stays inside the international transit area throughout needs no visa for that stop. The rule covers ordinary passports; Indian passport holders need a visa for any actual stay in Italy. ### When does a layover in Italy need a Schengen visa? The moment you pass out of the international transit area, you are entering Italy. India is on the EU list of countries whose nationals must hold a visa to cross the Schengen external borders (Annex I, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806), so that entry needs a Schengen C visa. Your layoverVisa needed?You stay inside the international transit area until your onward flightNo visaYou want to leave the airport during a long layoverSchengen visaYou stay overnight at a hotel outside the transit areaSchengen visaYou must collect bags and check them in again from the landside areaSchengen visaYour connection requires passing border controlSchengen visaSeparately booked tickets need the most care. If the second airline cannot take your bags through, you may have to collect them and check in again, which can take you out of the transit area. Ask both airlines how the connection works before you book. ### Which Italian visa do you apply for if you must leave the airport? Italy's short-term Schengen C categories include a Transit category. A separate VFS checklist exists for it, so download the current version before you start. If you plan to spend a few days in Italy on the way, apply under Tourist instead, where hotel bookings are mandatory. The common Italian checklist applies in both cases: - Application form completed and signed, with your own working phone number. - Passport issued within the previous 10 years with at least 2 blank pages; VFS asks for at least 6 months' validity from the date of travel for short-term visas. - Overseas medical insurance of at least Euro 30,000 from the approved list of Indian insurers. - Travel itinerary with dates and a return flight reservation or ticket. - Employee proof: company letter, latest 3 months' pay slips and latest 3 years' ITR. - Personal bank statement for the last six months, stamped by the bank. - Proof of residence in the jurisdiction for the last 6 months. ### How much does it cost, and how long does it take? ItemOfficial figureVisa fee, adults€ 90 / INR 9,630Visa fee, ages 6-12€ 45 / INR 4,820Visa fee, under 6€ 0 / INR 0VFS service chargeINR 631 per applicationProcessing time15 working days, extendable up to 45; the Embassy generally decides C visas within 15 calendar daysThe fee is paid by demand draft in favour of VFS Global Services Private Limited or in cash at VFS, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused. European Commission data shows a refusal rate of 12.7% for Schengen applications lodged at Italian consulates in India in 2025 (6,810 visas not issued; 53,423 applications lodged). ### Which Italian office handles your application? You apply at the VFS centre linked to the Italian mission for the state where you have continuously lived for the last 6 months. Italian missionStates coveredVFS centresEmbassy, 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, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar IslandsKolkataConsulate General, BangaloreKarnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, PuducherryBengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad ### What should you check before booking a connection through Italy? - Whether the whole journey is on one booking, so bags can be checked through. - Whether the layover is long enough that you will want to leave the airport. - Whether your onward flight departs from an area that requires passing border control. - Whether you hold the visa needed for your final destination. If you do enter Italy, expect biometric registration at the border. Since 10 April 2026, the EU Entry/Exit System has replaced manual passport stamping at Schengen external borders, including for Indian short-stay visa holders entering Italy. Fees, centres and other visa types are on our Italy visa guide for Indians. If you are applying for a Transit or Tourist visa, a verifiable flight reservation covers the itinerary without buying tickets before the decision. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full package. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can I leave an Italian airport during a layover without a visa? No. Leaving the international transit area means entering Italy, and Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to do that. Staying airside until your onward flight needs no visa. #### Is the Italy visa fee refunded if my transit or tourist visa is refused? No. The €90 / INR 9,630 fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. The INR 631 VFS service charge is a separate payment. #### Can I apply for an Italy visa in a state I moved to recently? You must apply where you have continuously lived for the last 6 months, and the checklist asks for proof of residence in that jurisdiction for that period. #### What happens at the border if I do enter Italy? Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU short-stay travellers' passport data, fingerprints and facial image on entry and exit, replacing manual passport stamping. ## FAQ ### Can I leave an Italian airport during a layover without a visa? No. Leaving the international transit area means entering Italy, and Indian passport holders need a Schengen visa to do that. Staying airside until your onward flight needs no visa. ### Is the Italy visa fee refunded if my transit or tourist visa is refused? No. The €90 / INR 9,630 fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. The INR 631 VFS service charge is a separate payment. ### Can I apply for an Italy visa in a state I moved to recently? You must apply where you have continuously lived for the last 6 months, and the checklist asks for proof of residence in that jurisdiction for that period. ### What happens at the border if I do enter Italy? Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System registers non-EU short-stay travellers' passport data, fingerprints and facial image on entry and exit, replacing manual passport stamping. ## Sources 1. [European Commission - Visa Code Handbook Annex 7B: national airport transit visa lists (June 2026)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7337515c-60a1-4510-b639-80de714f543e_en?filename=Annex-7B_en.pdf) — European Commission 2. [European Commission - Visa Code Handbook Annex 7A: common airport transit visa list](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-08/annex_7a_atv_common_list_en.pdf) — European Commission 3. [Embassy of Italy New Delhi - Visas](https://ambnewdelhi.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/visti/) — Embassy of Italy in New Delhi