Vatican City visa and entry requirements

The U.S. State Department says Vatican City is a city-state fully within Rome, Italy, with an open border agreement with Italy, so there is no passport control at its border with Rome. The Holy See says the formalities to enter Vatican City are set out in Law N. III of 7 June 1929 on citizenship and residence and in Regulation N. XXXVI of 27 September 1932 for entrance to Vatican City. Vatican City State's Law N. CXXXI of 22 February 2011 on citizenship, residence and access replaces the 1929 law in full. It says that, apart from the part of Vatican territory where access is free, people who are not citizens or residents must obtain a permit issued by the Governorate to enter, and that the permit may be refused for just reasons. No Vatican City or Holy See source we could read states which nationalities need a visa to enter Vatican City.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Sep 26, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Schengen short-stay visa

Fee
90 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

The EU Visa Code sets the fee at EUR 90; children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years pay EUR 45, and the fee is waived for children under six years.

When to apply: Apply to the consulate at least 15 days before the journey and no earlier than 6 months before it.

Documents the application asks for

  • Valid passport — Expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area (for a multiple-entry visa, 3 months after you leave the last country visited)
  • Photo — Meeting ICAO standards
  • Medical insurance — Covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, including in the event of death
  • Supporting documents — On the purpose of the stay, your financial means and accommodation, and your intention to return home
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 1(1) · archived copy

Schengen short-stay visa — Armenia facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Armenia visa facilitation agreement: the fee for processing visa applications is EUR 35, and it is waived for listed categories of persons, among them pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · EU–Armenia visa facilitation agreement (CELEX 22013A1031(01)), Article 6(1)

Schengen short-stay visa — Azerbaijan facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement: the fee for processing visa applications is EUR 35, and it is waived for listed categories of persons, among them pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement (CELEX 22014A0430(02)), Article 6(1)

Schengen short-stay visa — Belarus facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement: the fee for processing visa applications is EUR 35, or EUR 70 where the applicant has requested a decision within two days of submission and the consulate has accepted; it is waived for listed categories of persons, among them children under the age of 12. Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 suspended certain provisions of the agreement for members of Belarusian official delegations, of the national and regional Governments and Parliaments of Belarus, and of its Constitutional and Supreme Courts.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement (CELEX 22020A0609(02)), Article 6(1)

Schengen short-stay visa — Cabo Verde agreement

Fee
67.5 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended in 2021: the fee for processing visa applications is 75 % of the amount charged under the applicable domestic legislation; children who are at least 12 but below 18 years old are charged 50 % of that fee, and no fee is collected from listed categories, among them children under 12 years of age.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement (CELEX 22013A1024(01)) as amended by the 2021…

Schengen short-stay visa for Russian nationals

Fee
90 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

The EU Visa Code sets the fee at EUR 90; children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years pay EUR 45, and the fee is waived for children under six years. Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500 suspended the EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement in whole as regards citizens of the Russian Federation from 12 September 2022. The European Commission says Russian nationals will no longer be able to receive multiple-entry visas.

When to apply: Apply to the consulate at least 15 days before the journey and no earlier than 6 months before it.

Documents the application asks for

  • Valid passport — Expiring at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area (for a multiple-entry visa, 3 months after you leave the last country visited)
  • Photo — Meeting ICAO standards
  • Medical insurance — Covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, including in the event of death
  • Supporting documents — On the purpose of the stay, your financial means and accommodation, and your intention to return home
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 16(1)

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. Under the Schengen Borders Code, a third-country national's travel document must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(a)Compare every country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Required

Under the EU Visa Code, applicants for a Schengen visa must prove that they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance, with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000. No official source we could read states an insurance requirement for visa-exempt visitors.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 15(3) · archived copyCompare every country

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states that a return or onward ticket is required to enter Italy. The Schengen Borders Code says Annex I contains a non-exhaustive list of supporting documents a border guard may request from a third-country national, and that list includes a return or round-trip ticket.

Verified Oct 6, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(c) · archived copy

Proof of funds

Required

Under the Schengen Borders Code, third-country nationals entering the Schengen Area must have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or be in a position to acquire such means lawfully.

Verified Oct 6, 2026 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(c) · archived copy

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • EES — Entry/Exit System (at the Schengen external border) — The EU's Entry/Exit System website says that when you arrive at a border crossing point for the first time since the EES started, passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. The UK government's travel advice for Italy says there is no cost for EES registration. (at the schengen border on first entry) travel-europe.europa.eu
  • ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System (Italy) — The EU's official ETIAS website lists the 30 European countries that require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation; Italy is on the list and Vatican City is not. It says ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected, and that the EU will inform about the start date several months before its launch. (before travel, once etias starts) travel-europe.europa.eu
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · gov.ukCompare every country

Customs & currency

The EU says that if you plan to enter or leave the EU with €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies), you must declare it to the customs authorities in the EU country you are entering or leaving.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · europa.eu · archived copy

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Euro (EUR, €)
Safety — Generally safe
The UK's travel advice for Italy also covers Vatican City. It says crime levels are generally low but there are higher levels of petty crime, particularly bag-snatching and pickpocketing, in city centres and at major tourist attractions, and advises taking care on public transport, in crowded areas and in city centres.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk · archived copy
Emergency numbers
Police: 112 · Ambulance: 118 · Fire: 115
Time zone
UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)
International Driving Permit

The UN treaty records list the Holy See as a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (accession, 5 October 1953) and as a signatory of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (8 November 1968), with no ratification recorded.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country

Tips & warnings

The Vatican Museums say the only official site for purchasing tickets online is tickets.museivaticani.va, and warn of potential scams and websites that use domains similar to the official one, which may charge significantly higher prices.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa-free28 days
ColombiaVisa-free—
EcuadorVisa required—
KazakhstanVisa required—
MoldovaVisa-free90 days
RussiaVisa required—
TajikistanVisa required—
TurkeyVisa required—
Vatican CityFree movement—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 189 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Italy94 of 199 passports visa-freeSan Marino94 of 199 passports visa-freeMonaco94 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Vatican City?

The U.S. State Department says Vatican City is a city-state fully within Rome, Italy, with an open border agreement with Italy, so there is no passport control at its border with Rome. The Holy See says the formalities to enter Vatican City are set out in Law N. III of 7 June 1929 on citizenship and residence and in Regulation N. XXXVI of 27 September 1932 for entrance to Vatican City. Vatican City State's Law N. CXXXI of 22 February 2011 on citizenship, residence and access replaces the 1929 law in full. It says that, apart from the part of Vatican territory where access is free, people who are not citizens or residents must obtain a permit issued by the Governorate to enter, and that the permit may be refused for just reasons. No Vatican City or Holy See source we could read states which nationalities need a visa to enter Vatican City.

Do I get a passport stamp for Vatican City?

No official source we read describes a Vatican entry stamp. The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at Vatican City's border with Rome. The EU's Entry/Exit System website says that when you arrive at a Schengen border crossing point for the first time since the EES started, passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints, and your passport will not be stamped.

How long can I stay in Vatican City?

No Vatican City or Holy See page we could read sets a length of stay for Vatican City itself. The U.S. State Department says there is no passport control at its border with Rome.

Will I need ETIAS to visit the Vatican?

The EU's official ETIAS website lists the 30 European countries that require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation; Italy is on the list and Vatican City is not. Among those who do not need one it names holders of a passport issued by the Vatican City State or the Holy See. It says ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected, and that ETIAS will cost EUR 20.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source