On 21 February Italy’s Ministry of the Interior quietly confirmed that it will activate its long-planned e-visa filing platform and biometric border-control procedures in the second quarter of 2026. The announcement, reported by sector publication Travel & Tour World, places Italy among the first wave of Schengen states to commit to fully digital visa issuance ahead of the European Union’s broader Entry/Exit System (EES) and ETIAS travel-authorisation launch.
Under the plan, all national (D) and Schengen short-stay (C) visa categories—except for humanitarian and diplomatic visas—will migrate to a single online application environment by late May. Applicants will complete smart forms, upload supporting documents and pay fees electronically. Consular posts will still collect biometrics at the appointment stage, but Italian authorities say a pilot allowing remote facial-recognition enrolment for low-risk frequent travellers is under consideration.
Travel planners who would like hands-on assistance as these changes unfold can turn to VisaHQ, which already supports Italy-bound travellers with online visa filing, document validation and appointment coordination. The company’s portal will automatically integrate Italy’s new e-visa workflow once it comes online, giving applicants and corporate mobility teams a single dashboard for real-time status tracking and compliance updates. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/italy/
![Italy Confirms Roll-out of E-Visa Platform and Biometric Border Controls in Line with Schengen Partners]()
At the same time, Italy’s border police (Polizia di Frontiera) will expand the network of e-gates already in use at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa to 18 additional international airports and three ferry ports. Third-country nationals over age 12 with a biometric passport will be able to self-process arrival and departure checks once they have enrolled fingerprints and facial data. The move is designed to align with EU Regulation 2017/2226, which makes electronic registration of every external-border crossing mandatory from April 2026.
For corporate mobility managers the changes have several implications. While end-to-end digital filing promises faster adjudication, the technical rollout will initially create dual workflows: legacy paper applications will run in parallel until 31 July, requiring close tracking of which consulates have switched. HR teams should also budget for incremental lead-time as first-time travellers queue for biometric enrolment during the summer peak. Conversely, repeat travellers who clear the one-time registration will benefit from shorter airport dwell times and, eventually, lighter passport-stamp requirements once EES is fully live.
Italy’s decision signals momentum after several delays blamed on procurement disputes and integration testing with the EU’s shared EES central system at eu-LISA. It also raises pressure on fellow Schengen members lagging behind the timetable; airlines and airports have warned that uneven adoption risks bottlenecks at hub gateways. For now, businesses should monitor consular websites for the go-live dates of the e-visa portal and start briefing travellers on the new biometric capture steps.
Under the plan, all national (D) and Schengen short-stay (C) visa categories—except for humanitarian and diplomatic visas—will migrate to a single online application environment by late May. Applicants will complete smart forms, upload supporting documents and pay fees electronically. Consular posts will still collect biometrics at the appointment stage, but Italian authorities say a pilot allowing remote facial-recognition enrolment for low-risk frequent travellers is under consideration.
Travel planners who would like hands-on assistance as these changes unfold can turn to VisaHQ, which already supports Italy-bound travellers with online visa filing, document validation and appointment coordination. The company’s portal will automatically integrate Italy’s new e-visa workflow once it comes online, giving applicants and corporate mobility teams a single dashboard for real-time status tracking and compliance updates. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/italy/
At the same time, Italy’s border police (Polizia di Frontiera) will expand the network of e-gates already in use at Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa to 18 additional international airports and three ferry ports. Third-country nationals over age 12 with a biometric passport will be able to self-process arrival and departure checks once they have enrolled fingerprints and facial data. The move is designed to align with EU Regulation 2017/2226, which makes electronic registration of every external-border crossing mandatory from April 2026.
For corporate mobility managers the changes have several implications. While end-to-end digital filing promises faster adjudication, the technical rollout will initially create dual workflows: legacy paper applications will run in parallel until 31 July, requiring close tracking of which consulates have switched. HR teams should also budget for incremental lead-time as first-time travellers queue for biometric enrolment during the summer peak. Conversely, repeat travellers who clear the one-time registration will benefit from shorter airport dwell times and, eventually, lighter passport-stamp requirements once EES is fully live.
Italy’s decision signals momentum after several delays blamed on procurement disputes and integration testing with the EU’s shared EES central system at eu-LISA. It also raises pressure on fellow Schengen members lagging behind the timetable; airlines and airports have warned that uneven adoption risks bottlenecks at hub gateways. For now, businesses should monitor consular websites for the go-live dates of the e-visa portal and start briefing travellers on the new biometric capture steps.
