Effective January 11, 2025, Italy now requires the collection of biometric data, including fingerprints, from applicants for Schengen visitor (type C) and national entry (type D) visas. Biometrics will be collected during in-person visa appointments at Italian embassies and consulates. Implementation of the fingerprinting requirement comes as part of a broader immigration overhaul under Italy’s Decree Law 145/2024, which aims to modernize the country’s work visa procedures.
Decree Law 145/2024
Passed in October 2024, Decree Law 145/2024 includes several provisions intended to streamline immigration processes in Italy. Among other provisions, the law enables an employer and employee to digitally sign a “contract of stay” (contratto di soggiorno) within eight days of the employee’s arrival in Italy; previously, both parties were required to appear in person at an immigration office to sign the form. The law also reduces the waiting period for labor market testing from 15 days to 8 days, and introduces a new digital notification procedure that requires employers to affirm their intent to hire a foreign worker (for whom they have secured a work permit) within 7 days of the worker’s application for a visa.
Under the law’s fingerprinting requirement, biometric data will be stored for 59 months and can be reused for subsequent visa applications during that period without another in-person appearance. Children under age 12 are exempt from biometrics collection.
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