Italy Visa From Saudi Arabia 2026: Schengen Requirements for Iqama Holders, Appointments, Fees and Processing

Italy Visa From Saudi Arabia - 2026 Quick Answer

Residents of Saudi Arabia apply to Italy when it is the sole or main destination of a Schengen trip, or the country of first entry if there is no main one. The visa allows up to 90 days in any 180.

Files go in person to visa centres in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, run by the Consortium for Italian Visa Services (Almaviva and VFS). The centre collects documents and biometrics. The Italian Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General in Jeddah decides. The adult fee is EUR 90, and a decision normally takes up to 15 days.

European Commission figures for 2025 mix all nationalities, Saudis included, so they say nothing about individual odds:

• Applications to Italy in Saudi Arabia: 83,189 (Riyadh 62,513, Jeddah 20,676), 15.0% of all Schengen applications in the Kingdom and second after France.
• Visas not issued: 2.38% (Riyadh 2.25%, Jeddah 2.75%).
• For comparison: 5.17% for all Schengen consulates in Saudi Arabia, 10.82% for Italy worldwide, 14.6% globally.

Visarun is a visa agency that helps with the form and the document check. The Embassy or Consulate decides, and nobody can guarantee a visa.

Where to Apply - Embassy in Riyadh, Consulate in Jeddah and the Visa Centres

The competent mission is the one for the place where the applicant legally resides. According to the Consulate General in Jeddah, it covers Makkah, Madinah, Al Bahah, Asir, Jazan, Najran, the Northern Region and Qurayyat. The Embassy in Riyadh covers the rest of the Kingdom, including Riyadh, the Eastern Province, Qassim and Hail.

The visa centre draws its own map and allocates applicants by work city. According to the centre's booking page, people working in listed cities such as Jeddah, Makkah, Taif, Yanbu, Khamis Mushait and Tabuk apply in Jeddah. That list adds Tabuk and leaves out the Northern Region and Qurayyat. No official text reconciles the two. If you live or work in Tabuk, Al Jawf or the Northern Borders, we recommend booking wherever the booking system lets you for your work city.

The centre also asks for a National Address in the same jurisdiction. If home and work regions differ, we recommend checking that both point to the same centre before booking.

The centre's office list, as of November 2026:

• Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam (Eastern Province): 09:00 to 17:00, closed Fridays and Saturdays.
• Aramco desk in Dhahran: 09:00 to 14:00, only for Aramco employees, retirees and dependants. Others are turned away without a refund.
• Mobile biometric points in Al Jawf, Qassim and Medina: no schedule published, so availability is worth checking when booking.

Documents for Iqama Holders

This list follows the centre's checklist dated 26 October 2026. A file missing any item is not accepted at the counter, and the applicant books again. A complete file still does not guarantee a visa.

Iqama and identity

• Original iqama and a copy, valid for more than three months after you return from Schengen.
• Exit re-entry visa covering the whole trip, with a copy.
• Printed Muqeem certificate and an Absher screenshot showing the iqama expiry date.
• Copy of the Saudi National Address.
• Passport plus two copies of the photo page, with two empty pages, valid at least 3 months after leaving Schengen.
• Two photos, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, under 6 months old, the form from the centre's Documents page and copies of earlier Schengen, UK or USA visas.

Applicants apply with the nationality on the iqama, and dual nationals use the passport registered on it. If the iqama is close to expiry, renewing it first is the safer route.

Money and work

• Bank statements: 6 months for non-Saudis, 3 months for Saudi citizens, salary account included. We recommend an English statement from a Saudi bank with a QR code or bank stamp, issued within about two weeks of the appointment.
• Employer letter no older than one month, addressed to the Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah by jurisdiction, with the Chamber of Commerce stamp and QR code. It states start date, job title, salary, contract renewal and leave period.
• GOSI certificate with a QR code for non-Saudi employees.

Trip

• Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states, at least EUR 30,000 for medical care and EUR 30,000 for repatriation.
• Return flight reservation, no later than 6 months after applying.
• Hotel booking for each person, or the Embassy's hospitality declaration from a host legally resident in Italy.
• Business: a signed invitation from the Italian company with the signatory's ID and company registration.

Italy's minimum funds under a 1 March 2000 Interior Ministry Directive, for one traveller: EUR 269.60 in total for up to 5 days, EUR 44.93 a day for 6 to 10 days, EUR 51.64 plus EUR 36.67 a day for 11 to 20, and EUR 206.58 plus EUR 27.89 a day beyond that. By our estimate, a week needs about EUR 314.51 and 30 days about EUR 1,043.28.

Special cases

• Citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Palestine, and XXA or XXB document holders, need both parents' full names from a birth certificate or consular declaration.
• Domestic workers whose sponsor recently got a visa from another Schengen country apply to that country.
• Palestinian refugees with an Egyptian travel document cannot apply at the Italian centre.

Fees and Service Charges

The euro fee is fixed by EU law at EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12. Children under 6 pay nothing, and the centre's fee page also exempts EU citizens' family members.

In riyals, the Embassy resets the consular rate every quarter. The latest published table, for July to September 2026, uses EUR 1 = SAR 4.3637. As of November 2026 no October to December table had appeared, so the centre may show a slightly different figure at booking.

• Adult visa: SAR 393 in cash, SAR 398.17 by debit card.
• Child visa: SAR 197 in cash, SAR 199.59 by debit card.
• Centre service fee: SAR 52.09 per application, 15% VAT included, at the time of writing.

Both fees are mandatory. The centre's own fee sheet lists one adult price, SAR 393, and takes cash, mada and credit cards. Every fee is non-refundable, including after a refusal.

Optional extras include the Premium Lounge (SAR 328), the Platinum Lounge in Riyadh (SAR 1,130), a Prime Time slot (SAR 113) and courier return of the passport (SAR 98). None of these speed up the decision.

Appointments and Processing Time

Booking happens on the centre's website: create an account, enter applicants, centre, visa type, travel date and destination city in Italy, pick a slot and pay the service fee online to confirm. Applicant details cannot be changed afterwards, and a no-show loses the service fee.

Only the applicant can reschedule, in their own account, up to 5 business days before the date. The centre does not move appointments by phone, e-mail or at the counter.

Everyone appears in person to give biometric data. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. Passports come back at the centre or by courier.

Applications can be lodged up to six months before departure and at least 15 days before. Under Article 23 of the Visa Code, the decision takes up to 15 days and can be extended to 45 if necessary. That is the legal framework, not a promise. The passport's expiry date caps the visa's validity.

Some nationalities trigger prior consultation, and the consulted Schengen states have up to seven calendar days to reply. Italy's list includes Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, among others. India and the Philippines are not on it. The list does not say how much time this adds.

No official waiting times for appointments are published. According to an applicant post on Reddit in October 2026, a Riyadh resident struggled to get an Italy appointment and asked if others did too. The post drew no replies. Booking early within the six-month window helps.

The Jeddah Consulate states that it does not recognise any agency claiming to obtain appointments or visas for an extra fee. Visarun does not sell slots.

Multiple-Entry Visas and the Cascade Rule

Iqama holders follow the standard cascade in Article 24(2) of the Visa Code:

• 1-year multiple-entry visa after three visas obtained and lawfully used within two years.
• 2 years after a lawfully used 1-year visa within the previous two years.
• 5 years after a lawfully used 2-year visa within the previous three years.

Article 24(2c) also allows up to five years for frequent travellers who prove their integrity and reliability, in particular the lawful use of earlier visas.

Under Commission Implementing Decision C(2024) 2689, Saudi nationals living in the Kingdom who qualify receive a five-year multiple-entry visa straight away.

In 2025, 96.3% of the visas Italy issued in Saudi Arabia were multiple-entry, against 60.7% for Italy worldwide. That share includes Saudis, so it does not show what expats receive. A first-time applicant should not count on a multiple-entry visa. We recommend requesting the entries you need and showing earlier visas used correctly.

Refusals and Appeals

Italian law gives foreigners no right to a visa, only a "legitimate interest". A refusal is reasoned and given in a language the applicant understands, or in English, French, Spanish or Arabic.

According to Italy's Foreign Ministry, a refusal cannot be changed. There is no administrative re-examination, so the options are a new application or an appeal through a lawyer to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR) of Lazio within 60 days of notification.

A previous refusal does not automatically lead to another one. Fees are not refunded. Visarun can help prepare a stronger new file, but the decision stays with the Italian authorities.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 10 April 2026: the EU Entry/Exit System became fully operational, replacing passport stamps with fingerprints and facial images recorded at the border.
• 19 October 2026: the Council of the EU approved conclusions on launching a visa-waiver process with Saudi Arabia. Visa-free travel for Saudi nationals will be considered only once all benchmarks are met. Saudis still need a visa, and expats on an iqama are not affected.
• 26 October 2026: the centre published a new checklist.
• 3 November 2026: the Embassy in Riyadh replaced its English visa page with a generic Foreign Ministry template. Local details remain on the Italian and Arabic versions.

Rules and fees change, so we recommend checking the centre and mission pages before booking.

FAQ

Can any iqama holder apply for an Italy visa from Saudi Arabia?

In most cases yes, if Italy is the main destination and the iqama is valid for more than three months after return, with an exit re-entry visa.

Do I apply in Riyadh or Jeddah?

Jeddah covers Makkah, Madinah, Al Bahah, Asir, Jazan, Najran, the Northern Region and Qurayyat, and Riyadh the rest. From Tabuk, Al Jawf or the Northern Borders, book where the system allows.

How much is the fee in riyals?

SAR 393 in cash for adults in the July to September 2026 table, plus the SAR 52.09 service fee. The figure is reset every quarter.

How long does processing take?

Up to 15 days by law, extendable to 45. Prior consultation gives other states up to seven days to reply.

Do Saudi citizens get a five-year visa?

Those living in the Kingdom who qualify do, under a 2024 Commission decision. Expats follow the 1, 2 and 5-year cascade.

Can a child apply with one parent?

The centre asks both parents to attend. With shared custody, a Najiz authorisation from the parent not travelling works in Riyadh and Dammam, while in Jeddah both parents sign at the centre.

Do premium services speed things up?

No. Lounges, Prime Time and courier are optional and do not change the decision time.

What does Visarun do?

We help fill in the form and check documents. We do not sell slots, and the Embassy or Consulate decides.