Free Italian visas for more applicants
To celebratethe Italy – Russia Tourism Exchange Year, Italian authorities carry on the
facilitation of visa application procedure for the Russians. Following the
promise to grant frequent travelers multivisas for up to two years, the European
country now intends not to give out free visas to those going to attend one of
the Exchange Year events held in Italy – the announced Italian General Consul
in Russia, Mr. Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini.
All one
needs to get a free visa is present an admission ticket to a concert,
exhibition or a theater festival from the official program while submitting his
documents to the consulate in Moscow and Saint Petersburg or to one of Italian visa
application centers throughout Russia. However, in case a tourist applies
through a visa center, he still has to pay the fee for its services. In both
cases, an applicant may expect to be granted a multiple-entry Schengen visa.
The easing
of visa formalities has already livened the tourist flow to the Apennine
peninsula. According to the consulate's data, the number of visas issued to
Russian citizens since the start of this year has reached around 590 thousand –
20% more compared to the same period of the previous year. That said, Mr.
Papadia was the one to bring up this summer's delays with processing of applications: "I recommend
Russian tourists wishing to take advantage of the Tourism Year to make their
travel plans beforehand. A schedule of the Year's events is available at the
Italian Embassy's website.