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Vatican visa resources

Who Is Eligible to Enter, Reside In or Belong to Vatican City

Eligibility depends on purpose: visitors follow Italy's Schengen rules, while residence and citizenship are tied to service to the Holy See or the State.

Official guidance Regularly updated

Important

This information is for general guidance only. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee your application will be approved.

For visitors, eligibility to reach the Vatican is simply eligibility to be in Italy under Schengen rules, which depends on nationality. There is no separate Vatican tourist test.

For residence and citizenship, eligibility is narrow. Vatican citizenship is granted almost exclusively to those who serve the Holy See or the State — cardinals resident in Vatican City or Rome, Holy See diplomats, and persons resident by reason of their office or service — with spouses, children and papal grantees admitted at discretion. Swiss Guard service is limited to unmarried, practising Catholic Swiss men who meet the corps' criteria.

Next steps

  1. Check the documents you’ll needView documents
  2. How to applyStart here
  3. Choose your visaFind a visa

Official sources

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.

Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.