Italy, with Rome as its capital, lies on the Mediterranean Sea. Around 59 million people live in an area of 301,338 square kilometres. In addition to the Mediterranean Sea, Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. There are also the enclaves of San Marino and Vatican City. Italy also shares a maritime border with Croatia.
A brief history of Italy
Italy's history dates back to ancient times. The city of Rome was founded by Romulus in 753 BC. It quickly became one of the most powerful civilisations in history. The Roman Empire reached its peak in the 2nd century AD. It conquered much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Roman culture and law had a great influence on the conquered territories.
In the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire disintegrated and was conquered by various Germanic tribes. In the 11th century, several city-states emerged, such as Florence, Genoa and Venice. These were centres of trade and culture. In the 14th century, Italy became a centre of humanism, where ancient ideals were rediscovered and given new life. Important artists of this period were Michelangelo, Raphael and above all Leonardo da Vinci.
The 19th century saw the beginning of the unification of Italy, a process known then as the Risorgimento. The driving forces were the politicians Guiseppe Garibaldi and Camillo Benso di Cavour. The Kingdom of Italy was founded in 1861.
The Italian system of government
Italy has been a parliamentary republic since 1946. The Italian Constitution entered into force on 1 January 1948. .
The Council of Ministers forms the government, headed by the Prime Minister.
The legislature consists of two chambers, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies consists of 400 deputies elected every four years. The 200 senators are elected at the same time as the deputies, but at state level. Each of Italy's twenty regions has a certain number of senators, depending on the size of the region.
The head of state is the president, who usually has only representative duties. However, he can also dissolve parliament, which gives him an important key role. He can also refuse to sign a law, which at least means that it will not come into force immediately.
Italy's highest court is the Court of Cassation. The Constitutional Court is responsible for the Constitution.
Entering Italy with ETIAS
If you want to travel to Italy in the future, you will need an ETIAS. This can be completed quickly and takes only a few minutes. According to the latest information, you will need a computer, laptop or other internet-connected device. When filling in the form, all the information from the passport will have to be taken. It will probably be necessary to upload the passport. If you want the system to read the data automatically, you will still need to transfer the data, as this does not always work correctly. The security questions must then be answered truthfully. However, answering 'yes' may result in the application not being approved or at least requiring a time-consuming manual check, resulting in a delay.
If you do not have one of the above terminals or an internet connection, it is best to contact a good friend, neighbour or agency. They will take care of the application for you.
The application itself will be approved within a few hours if there are no problems. Otherwise, it may take a few hours or days longer. In the worst case, the application will be refused. This rarely happens, but if it does, the traveller can appeal. If the application is still not approved, the only option is to go to the consulate to obtain a visa.
ETIAS makes travelling to Italy safer for everyone
ETIAS may be a nuisance for many travellers and disrupt travel preparations, but it is important. There have been and continue to be terrorist attacks, including on Italian soil. Some of these attackers come from abroad and have been able to enter the country without a visa. This will no longer be possible. Those who come from a specific country that is considered safe will be able to enter with ETIAS, all others will need a visa.
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Italy, with Rome as its capital, lies on the Mediterranean Sea. Around 59 million people live in an area of 301,338 square kilometres. In addition to the Mediterranean Sea, Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. There are also the enclaves of San Marino and Vatican City. Italy also shares a maritime border with Croatia.
A brief history of Italy
Italy's history dates back to ancient times. The city of Rome was founded by Romulus in 753 BC. It quickly became one of the most powerful civilisations in history. The Roman Empire reached its peak in the 2nd century AD. It conquered much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Roman culture and law had a great influence on the conquered territories.
In the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire disintegrated and was conquered by various Germanic tribes. In the 11th century, several city-states emerged, such as Florence, Genoa and Venice. These were centres of trade and culture. In the 14th century, Italy became a centre of humanism, where ancient ideals were rediscovered and given new life. Important artists of this period were Michelangelo, Raphael and above all Leonardo da Vinci.
The 19th century saw the beginning of the unification of Italy, a process known then as the Risorgimento. The driving forces were the politicians Guiseppe Garibaldi and Camillo Benso di Cavour. The Kingdom of Italy was founded in 1861.
The Italian system of government
Italy has been a parliamentary republic since 1946. The Italian Constitution entered into force on 1 January 1948. .
The Council of Ministers forms the government, headed by the Prime Minister.
The legislature consists of two chambers, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies consists of 400 deputies elected every four years. The 200 senators are elected at the same time as the deputies, but at state level. Each of Italy's twenty regions has a certain number of senators, depending on the size of the region.
The head of state is the president, who usually has only representative duties. However, he can also dissolve parliament, which gives him an important key role. He can also refuse to sign a law, which at least means that it will not come into force immediately.
Italy's highest court is the Court of Cassation. The Constitutional Court is responsible for the Constitution.
Entering Italy with ETIAS
If you want to travel to Italy in the future, you will need an ETIAS. This can be completed quickly and takes only a few minutes. According to the latest information, you will need a computer, laptop or other internet-connected device. When filling in the form, all the information from the passport will have to be taken. It will probably be necessary to upload the passport. If you want the system to read the data automatically, you will still need to transfer the data, as this does not always work correctly. The security questions must then be answered truthfully. However, answering 'yes' may result in the application not being approved or at least requiring a time-consuming manual check, resulting in a delay.
If you do not have one of the above terminals or an internet connection, it is best to contact a good friend, neighbour or agency. They will take care of the application for you.
The application itself will be approved within a few hours if there are no problems. Otherwise, it may take a few hours or days longer. In the worst case, the application will be refused. This rarely happens, but if it does, the traveller can appeal. If the application is still not approved, the only option is to go to the consulate to obtain a visa.
ETIAS makes travelling to Italy safer for everyone
ETIAS may be a nuisance for many travellers and disrupt travel preparations, but it is important. There have been and continue to be terrorist attacks, including on Italian soil. Some of these attackers come from abroad and have been able to enter the country without a visa. This will no longer be possible. Those who come from a specific country that is considered safe will be able to enter with ETIAS, all others will need a visa.