Entry into Italy is permitted to aliens who:

• Seek entry through a border crossing point; 
• Are in possession of a valid passport or equivalent recognised travel document permitting them to cross the border;
• Are in possession of documents substantiating the purpose and conditions of the planned visit and have sufficient means of support, both for the period of the planned visit and to return to their country of origin (or to travel in transit to a third State). Aliens already holding sojourner’s permits issued by a Schengen signatory countries are exempted from this requirement;
• Are in possession of a valid entry or transit visa, if required;
• have not been prohibited to enter through an alert in the Schengen Information System;
• are not considered to be a threat to public policy, national security or the international relations of any of the Schengen signatory countries, under Italian law or the law of another Schengen State.

Authority to issue visas for entry to the Italian Republic is vested in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its network of accredited diplomatic and consular offices which are responsible for ascertaining that applicants are in possession of the requisites entitling them to obtain a visa. Visas are issued by the diplomatic or consular mission with territorial jurisdiction over the alien applicant’s place of residence.

 For further information click here

Having a visa does not automatically ensure entry into Italy inasmuch as border authorities may refuse entry if foreigners do not have means of sustenance, are unable to provide detailed information as to the conditions of his or her stay in Italy or owing to reasons of security and public order.

A sojourner’s permit is a document which authorises foreigners to stay within the territory of Italy for an extended period of time.
This document, issued for the same reasons and duration indicated on the foreigner’s visa, may be requested for reasons of tourism, medial treatment, joining family members, employment, seasonal work, artistic work, self-employment, political asylum and business, mission, study, religious or social purposes.
 
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Foreigners – whether subject to visa obligations or not – who intend to remain in Italy for an extended period of time must apply for a sojourner’s permit at the Questura (police authorities) with jurisdiction in the area within eight days after entering the country.

The Schengen Agreement is an agreement among European states which abolishes border posts and checks between those countries which are signatories to the Schengen Agreement. In 1985,  France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands agreed to create a territory without frontiers called the Schengen Area or Schengenland. The agreement was named after the city in Luxemburg where the initial convention was signed. This scheme of inter-governmental co-operation was then extended to included thirteen countries with the Amsterdam Agreement in 1997. The decisions adopted since 1985 by members of Schegenland as well as the structures which have been created were integrated into the European Union on 1 May 1999.
The adopted regulations established a common policy regarding visas, the Right to Asylum and external frontiers in order to allow for the free movement of people within the signatory countries.
This freedom of movement was accompanied by so-called “compensatory measures” aimed at improving co-ordination between police, customs and judicial administrations in the Schengen area states and enabling the necessary measures to combat important problems such as terrorism and organised crime.  As a result, the complex Schengen Information System (SIS) was set up to exchange data on people’s identities and the descriptions of objects.

An “alien” is a citizen of those countries which are not signatories to the Agreement. In the event of entry, stay or transit within the Schengen area, aliens must have a passport or other document recognized as valid by all of the Schengen countries in order to cross the Schengen frontier.
For further information, please see the  Italian Foreign Ministry site
 

• Display their boarding pass or ticket and a photo ID (the only way to access the boarding area);
• Remove all metal objects (or objects containing metal) being carried on their person (including electronic apparatus such as mobile phones, pagers, I-Pods, electronic agendas, walkmans, etc.) and place them in their carry-on bags or the containers for x-ray screening before crossing the Archway Metal Detector (ADM);
• Remove any liquids transported in carry-on bags into the specific plasticbags for examination by security personnel;
• Remove jackets and overcoats which will be examined separately;
• Extract laptop and any other electric or electronic large device from carry-on bags which will be inspected separate from carry-on bags
• Extract laptops and any other electric or electronic large devices from carry-on bags which will be inspected separately from carry-on bags
• Place carry on baggage on the conveyor belt for x-ray screening as provided for by law;
• Walk through the archway metal detector (AMD).
   

If the metal detector alarm should ring or if a passenger is selected for a random security check, they are subject to one or more of the following checks:

• Manual search;
• Searches with manual metal detector wands;
• Scanning of shoes with a special metal detector;
• “Sniffer” checks for chemical and compound residues.
  
  

Passengers must:

• Not interfere with the work of Security personnel;
• Not leave the designated area and must be present during the search;
• Not remove objects from the view of Security personnel;
• Not have any metallic objects (or those containing metal) on their person (including electronic devices such as mobile phones, pagers, I-Pods, electronic agendas, Walkmans, etc…) and should place them in their carry on baggage or in the containers provided for this purpose located before the archway metal detector (the containers must also pass through x-ray screening);
• Not carry open beverage containers;
• read the information notices at the check-in counters and near the security screening points;
• ensure that they are carrying only one lighter (or one box of safety matches) which must be kept on their person: current regulations prohibit transporting these items in hold baggage.

• always keep their bags with them both before and after security screening. The presence of unattended baggage generates a security alarm and the baggage may be confiscated and destroyed;
• queue up for security screening, remove coats and jackets and place them in the x-ray screening device;
• label all carry-on baggage and other objects such as lap tops in order to avoid confusion with similar objects belonging to other passengers;
• remember to collect all belongings after the security check is completed.

When undergoing body searches, passengers must promptly inform security personnel of any objects they do not want exposed to public view (for personal, religious, cultural etc… reasons) or of any physical condition which might call for alternative search methods. According to the new security regulations, packing containers (especially bottles) must be less than 100 ml/each for a maximum of 1 litre and must be easy to inspect and clearly labelled as to facilitate identification of contents. If there is any doubt, security personnel will not allow the objects to be brought aboard.

Contacts: for information about transporting substances and objects not listed in the present notice or for any other information regarding security, operators are available from Monday-Friday (09.00a.m. to 6:00p.m.) on 081/7896868. and on Saturdays and Sundays on 081/7896429.