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Italy Business Visa from Türkiye: Applying for Milan Trade Fairs as an Exhibitor or Visitor
Applying for an Italian Schengen business visa from Türkiye for a trade fair or meetings: where to apply, the invitation letter, documents and timing for Milan.
- Author
- Seda Turizm
- Published
- Reading time
- 6 min read
This guide is for people who live and work in Türkiye on a residence permit and need to get to a trade fair or meetings in Italy. Visa applications are handled by the Italian mission that covers the province where you live, so a foreign manager based in Istanbul applies in Istanbul, the same as a Turkish colleague. If you live elsewhere, apply to the Italian mission in your own country of residence, whose list may differ from the one below.
The general Schengen rules, such as which country to apply to and the 90/180-day limit, are in our Schengen business visa guide. What follows is specific to Italy.
Who applies on a business visa
The Istanbul consulate has no separate trade fair category. Exhibitors and visitors both follow the business visa checklist. This is where Italy differs from Germany, which asks for different documents from exhibitors, visitors and stand builders. Our Germany trade fair visa guide covers that split.
Stand builders are a grey area, since their work is physical. If you are sending a build crew, describe the work to the consulate in writing before anyone applies.
Where residents of Türkiye apply
Italy has three missions in Türkiye that issue visas, each covering a set of provinces:
| Mission | Example provinces | Provinces in total |
|---|---|---|
| Consulate General, Istanbul | Istanbul, Bursa, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Trabzon, Samsun, Erzurum | 34 |
| Embassy, Ankara | Ankara, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Van | 27 |
| Consulate, Izmir | Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Konya, Kayseri, Mersin, Muğla | 20 |
Each mission publishes its full list. Applications are lodged with iDATA, the private company authorised by all three, and booked on the iDATA website or call centre. The Istanbul area has iDATA offices in Gayrettepe, Altunizade, Bursa and Trabzon, and the Izmir area in Izmir, Antalya and Adana. The processing fee is paid in Turkish lira, in cash, at the iDATA office. The decision stays with the consulate. Fees change, so we confirm the amount with iDATA on the day.
The invitation letter and documents from the Italian company
Italy does not accept a free-form invitation. The inviting company fills in the consulate's own "Lettera di invito per affari" form, in Italian, on its headed paper. The company's legal representative signs and stamps it. The form states the dates, the purpose of the trip and who pays for travel and accommodation.
The Italian company also sends:
- a copy of the inviter's EU identity card or residence permit
- its Chamber of Commerce certificate (the "visura camerale"), issued within the last six months
- any invoices that show trade between the two companies
The six-month limit on the visura camerale catches people out. A certificate sent for last year's trip will not do.
Documents from your employer in Türkiye
Your employer writes a visa request on headed paper, in English or Italian, signed and stamped by an authorised signatory. It gives your job title, start date, salary, destination, purpose and length of stay, and confirms that the company covers the costs. Add your social security (SGK) registration and barcoded service record, plus your last three payslips signed and stamped by the employer.
From the company: its chamber registration, a copy of the tax certificate, the Trade Registry Gazette showing its current structure, and three months of company bank statements stamped and signed by the bank. Owners add their personal bank statements.
Everyone also needs the signed application form, one 35x40 mm photo, a passport valid for at least three months after the visa ends, and a copy of the residence permit. Bring flight and hotel bookings and travel health insurance with at least €30,000 of cover. Our travel health insurance guide explains what the policy must include.
Timing your application around the fair
You can apply up to six months before travel and no later than 15 days before. The standard decision time is 15 calendar days. Appointments get harder to find before big fairs, so aim for six to eight weeks ahead.
Salone del Mobile, for example, runs from 13 to 18 April 2027 at Rho. Asking for the invitation in January and applying in February leaves room for delays. Check your own fair's dates with the organiser, as some shows only run every other year.
Getting to Fiera Milano and where to stay
Most of Milan's large trade fairs take place at Fiera Milano in Rho, north-west of the city. Rho Fiera is the last stop on the red M1 metro line, and suburban lines S5, S6 and S11 stop there too. From Malpensa, take the Malpensa Express to Cadorna and change to the M1. From Linate, take the M4 to San Babila and change to the M1.
Hotels near Rho fill up quickly in fair weeks. A hotel in the city on the M1 line gives you more choice and easier evenings. Book before you apply, because the reservation goes into the visa file. We can hold rooms through our international hotel booking service.
Frequently asked questions
Should a fair visitor apply for a tourist or a business visa?
Business. The purpose of the trip is work, so you apply with the Italian company's invitation and your employer's documents.
Does the invitation letter have to be the original?
The checklist does not say. It asks for the consulate's form on headed paper, signed and stamped by the legal representative. We ask the consulate whether a scanned copy is accepted before submitting.
Can a fair ticket replace the invitation letter?
No. A ticket supports your purpose, but it is not listed as an alternative to the invitation. The invitation comes from an Italian company you are meeting at the fair, or from the company that organises the fair, on the consulate's form.
How long does an Italian business visa take?
The standard time is 15 calendar days. Files that need further checks can take longer.
Can I use another Schengen country's visa to visit a fair in Italy?
Yes, if it is a valid multiple-entry visa. Visas are issued for the main destination of the first trip, though, and using one only for Italy without ever visiting the issuing country can raise questions at the border.
What happens if the visa is refused?
You can appeal to the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio in Rome within 60 days of being notified. For most companies, a new application that fixes the stated reason is quicker.
Send us the names of the people going to Milan and the fair dates. We will line up the invitation form, the iDATA appointment and the hotel on one timeline. Checklists for other countries are on our visa services page, and the rest of the fair trip is on our international trade fairs page.
