Italy Visa from Dubai: VFS or BLS, Fees, Documents and Bank Balance

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Italy: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. Where you apply depends on the emirate that issued your residence visa. Dubai and the northern emirates go to the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai, through VFS Global at The Gate, DIFC. Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra go to the Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi, through BLS International at Nation Towers. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, plus a service charge. A decision takes 15 days, up to 45, and your residence visa must be valid at least 90 days beyond your return.

Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast and the lakes around Milan make Italy one of the most popular Schengen trips from the UAE. Italy issues Schengen visas, so an Italian visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Italy is your main destination.

Italy visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Residence visa from Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah	Consulate General of Italy in Dubai, through VFS Global at The Gate, DIFC
Residence visa from Abu Dhabi	Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi, through BLS International at Nation Towers
Visa fee	EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children aged 6 to 11, free under 6, plus the centre's service charge
Processing	15 days, up to 45 in some cases
Apply	No earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before you travel
UAE residence visa	Valid at least 90 days after your return date

Who needs a visa for Italy

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Italy and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Italy if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Rome, Florence and Venice with two nights in Switzerland is an Italian application. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

Dubai or Abu Dhabi: which office handles your application

Italy splits the UAE between two missions, and the emirate that issued your residence visa decides which one handles your application, not the emirate you live in.

• Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah residence visas: the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai. You apply at VFS Global's Italy centre at The Gate, DIFC.
• Abu Dhabi residence visas, including Al Ain and Al Dhafra: the Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi. You apply at BLS International's centre at Nation Towers. BLS has handled the embassy's visa applications since September 2023.

If you live in Dubai on an Abu Dhabi residence visa, you apply in Abu Dhabi. If you live in Abu Dhabi on a Dubai residence visa, you apply in Dubai.

How to apply

1. Book an appointment online with VFS (Dubai) or BLS (Abu Dhabi). Tourist visas need an appointment at both centres. At BLS in Abu Dhabi, business visa applicants can walk in without one.
2. Fill in the Schengen application form and sign it. For a child, both parents sign in person at the centre.
3. Attend your appointment, hand in your documents, give fingerprints and pay the fees. Family members travelling together apply together.
4. Wait for the decision. The mission keeps your passport until it decides.

BLS says it has no connection with any agent in the UAE and isn't responsible for money paid to one for an appointment.

Documents

The checklists of both Italian missions in the UAE ask for:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least 90 days after you leave the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages
• A copy of your UAE residence visa, valid at least 90 days after your return date. The Dubai checklist also asks for copies of your previous UAE residence visas.
• One recent colour photo on a white background, taken within the last six months
• The signed application form
• Copies of previous visas for the Schengen area, the US, the UK, Canada or Japan
• An NOC from your employer stating your position, monthly salary, start date, the purpose and dates of your leave and that they have no objection, signed by someone other than you, with copies of the signatory's passport, UAE visa and Emirates ID. The Dubai checklist also asks for your labour contract.
• Business owners: an NOC from the local partner and a copy of the company's trade licence
• Bank statements for the last three months from the account your salary is paid into, stamped by the bank. Only statements from banks in the UAE are accepted.
• Payslips for the last three months, stamped and signed, and a salary certificate
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and your whole stay, including repatriation. The Dubai checklist asks for the policy's table of benefits.
• Hotel booking for the whole stay, or an invitation from a host in Italy with a copy of their ID and their tenancy contract or property deed
• Return flight reservation; a paid ticket isn't needed

If you are sponsored by a family member and don't work, the same financial documents are needed for your sponsor, plus a translated marriage or birth certificate.

Children

Both parents must sign the child's application form in person at the centre. If only one parent travels, the other gives consent legalised at the Italian mission, and you add a birth certificate naming both parents.

How much money you need to show

Italy is one of the few Schengen countries with a published table. It dates from a 2000 Interior Ministry directive, and the Foreign Ministry still publishes it:

Length of trip	One traveller	Each of two or more travellers
1 to 5 days	EUR 269.60 in total	EUR 212.81 in total
6 to 10 days	EUR 44.93 a day	EUR 26.33 a day
11 to 20 days	EUR 51.64 plus EUR 36.67 a day	EUR 25.82 plus EUR 22.21 a day

In practice the missions judge your three months of statements, payslips and NOC rather than a single balance, so a regular salary matters more than one large deposit.

Fees and processing time

• Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11. Children under 6 pay nothing. The dirham amount depends on each office's exchange rate: BLS in Abu Dhabi lists AED 382 for adults, and VFS's Dubai figure is reported at about AED 388.
• Service charge: BLS charges EUR 16.80, or AED 71.19, per application. VFS in Dubai charges its own fee; check it when you book.
• Processing: 15 days, extendable to 45 days in particular cases. BLS says the embassy often decides sooner, but plan on the full 15 days.
• When to apply: no earlier than six months and no later than 15 days before you travel. An application outside that window is returned unprocessed, and booking fees aren't refunded.

Fees aren't refunded if you are refused. Summer and Christmas appointments are the hardest to get, so book as soon as your dates are firm.

Italy's Dubai visa service was interrupted twice in 2026: a six-day system outage in February, and a pause during the regional disruption in March, after which the DIFC centre gradually reopened from 23 March. Check the consulate's and VFS's notices before your appointment.

At the border

Since April 2026, Italy and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• Emirates flies non-stop from Dubai to Rome, Milan Malpensa, Venice and Bologna, in about six to seven hours.
• Etihad flies non-stop from Abu Dhabi to Rome and Milan.
• flydubai flies from Dubai to Naples, Milan Bergamo and Catania. Its Naples flights use Salerno from 1 to 30 November 2026 while Naples airport is closed for work.
• Air Arabia is reported to fly from Sharjah to Rome since July 2026.
• ITA Airways has paused its Rome–Dubai flights, reportedly until at least 24 October 2026.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for an Italy visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's Italy centre at The Gate, DIFC, if your residence visa was issued in Dubai or one of the northern emirates. Abu Dhabi residence visa holders apply at BLS International in Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi.

How long does an Italy visa take from Dubai?

15 days, which can be extended to 45 days in particular cases. Apply no later than 15 days before you travel, and ideally a couple of months ahead for summer.

How much is the Italy visa fee in Dubai?

EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, paid in dirhams at the office's exchange rate, roughly AED 380 to 390 for an adult. Children under 6 pay nothing. The visa centre's service charge is extra.

How much bank balance do I need for an Italy visa?

Italy's table asks for EUR 269.60 for a trip of up to five days for one person, or EUR 44.93 a day for six to ten days. You prove it with three months of stamped statements from a UAE bank.

Can I apply in Dubai if my residence visa is from Abu Dhabi?

No. The emirate that issued your residence visa decides: an Abu Dhabi visa means the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, through BLS, wherever you live.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Italy?

No. UAE citizens can visit Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Italy

A week covers Rome, Florence and Venice by high-speed train; ten days adds the Amalfi Coast or Lake Como. Spring and early autumn avoid the worst of the summer heat and crowds. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Italy application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Greece visa from Dubai
• Spain visa from Dubai
• France visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the tourism checklists and notices of the Consulate General of Italy in Dubai and the Embassy of Italy in Abu Dhabi, BLS International's Italy fee pages for Abu Dhabi, the Italian Foreign Ministry's proof-of-funds table, the EU Visa Code, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System and airline schedules. VFS Global's Dubai fees are as reported, as its page could not be checked directly. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global, BLS International or the Italian mission that covers your emirate before you apply.