RULES ON VISAS

Applicants are requested to read the following information carefully :

• Processing time: the new Schengen provisions have lengthened the visa processing to 10 working days (Monday to Friday). The processing time might take longer in particular cases or verification of documents.
  
• Forged passports submitted to the Consulate General of Italy would be sized and handed over to the competent Nigerian Authorities.
  
• Any cases of forged documents produced by foreign nationals for the purposes of obtaining an entry visa shall always been reported to the Italian judicial authorities by the diplomatic or consular mission (article 331 of the code of criminal procedure). This applies both to the forgery of Italian documents and documents of foreign origin that are in any way used in support of a visa application.
  
• In the event that the diplomatic/consular authorities are acquainted with any fact, situation or condition that would have prevented the grant of an entry visa that has already in granted, they must issue a formal REVOCATION measure.
  
• As a rule, aliens do not have a "right" to be granted a visa, but at most a "legitimate interest". Art.4, paragraph 2 of Consolidated Text 286/1998, with latest legislative amendments states that "visa denials do not have to be justified, except when regarding visa applications for work, joining family members, medical treatment and study. In the case of denial the person concerned must be notified in a language understandable to him/her or, in the absence of the same, in English, French, Spanish or Arabic. To dispute a denial a claim must be filed with the TAR del Lazio within 60 days of receiving notification. In the case of denial of visa for joining or accompanying family members only, eventual claims can be filed with the regular authorised Court.
  
• An alien wishing to enter Italian territory or the Schengen Area must have sufficient financial resources available to guarantee maintenance throughout the planned visit. The availability of means of subsistence is therefore an essential condition for the entry of an alien into the Schengen Area (Common Consular Instruction).
  
• Foreign nationals have to demonstrate that they possess means of subsistence by showing bank guarantees, insurance policy guarantees or equivalent credit instruments, vouchers for prepaid services or other documents demonstrating access to sources of income in Italy. Click here to download the "Directive defining means of subsistence for the admission and stay of aliens within Italian territory" issued by the Italian Ministry of Home Affairs on 1st March 2000.
  Except where otherwise provided by the instruments mentioned above, the alien must indicate the existence of appropriate accommodation within Italy and the availability of funds for repatriation, which may also take the form of a prepaid return travel ticket.
  The need to provide evidence of means of subsistence in the amount required is not only a fundamental condition for the issue of certain types of visas, but is also required at the moment the alien enters Italian territory.
  No visas can be issued in the event of failure to produce evidence of means of subsistence or, in the event that such evidence cannot be produced to the Border Police, the alien will be formally turned away from the border.