Everything You Need To Know About A San Marino Visa
British
passport holders, planning a trip to San Marino, must first be aware of the
country’s entry requirements. But the best part is that if you are a UK
resident, you do not need a visa to enter San Marino.
Non-members
of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) would need to apply
for an Italian Schengen visa to enter San Marino since you can travel to this
country only through Italy.
But of course, citizens of the countries from the
EU and EEA do not need a Schengen visa when they visit any nation within this
area.
Even
citizens of countries that fall under the Schengen visa waiver program do not
need a visa to enter San Marino.
To
summarize, if you hold a valid British passport, you can enter San Marino
without a visa when traveling for tourism or business purposes. You can stay
here under the visa-free regime for a maximum period of up to 90 days.
Requirements to be granted visa exemption to San Marino
Your passport needs to be valid for the intended period of stay in San Marino. But since you will be transiting via Italy, it is strongly recommended that the passport holds a minimum validity of 6 months from your entry date into the country. It should also have at least two blank pages for necessary stamping at entry and exit points.
Remember to carry onward or return tickets. Additionally, please ensure that you have all the required documents which ensure you entry to the next destination.
Sometimes, immigration authorities may ask you to produce proof of sufficient funds that shall cover your stay period in San Marino. You can present this in the form of bank statements, cash, or cheques.
Finally, if your itinerary has overseas connecting flights, make sure that you read the individual transit requirements for each country. Also, contact your airline before your travel dates and confirm if they allow boarding without a visa.
Registration
When you enter San Marino and book your stay in an official residency such as hotels or resorts, and your visit period is less than 1 month, you do not need a ‘permesso di soggiorno turistico’.
On the other hand, if you have booked a private residence, you do require to report your stay to the Ufficio Stranieri aka Foreigners’ Office of the local Gendarmerie within 24 hours of arrival.
Again, you can enter San Marino under the visa-exemption facility when your purpose of travel includes income-generating work. After you land in the country, you have to apply for a work permit or a ‘permesso per motivi di lavoro’.
Stay permits
You need to obtain a stay permit when you plan for a long-term stay in San Marino, up to one year. These temporary permits can be renewed at the request of the holder.
You can apply for a stay permit for purposes such as tourism, work, family reunification or cohabitation, education, sports, medical treatment, health assistance, rehabilitation and rest, religion, humanitarian reasons, international volunteering, and working holiday schemes.
Stay permits are issued in three types: for tourism, ordinary permits, and special permits.
An ordinary permit can be obtained from the State Congress if you intend to work in San Marino -- with or without a work contract. It is issued for various validities/maximum stay periods, as per the applicable laws and your requirements.
A tourist stay permit is issued by Gendarmerie and comes with a maximum validity of 3 months. It allows you to stay in San Marino for tourism, school, health or leisure. It does not offer you the facility to travel for health-related purposes. You can renew or extend it further through the Gendarmerie for another maximum length of 90 days.
A special stay permit is classified as either continuous or seasonal. A continuous permit is applicable and is granted by the State Congress when you travel to San Marino on a work contract that is valid for an indefinite period of time.
A seasonal permit is issued if you are on a job contract spanning a maximum length of 10 months. You can apply for this document at the Foreign Office of Gendarmerie if the Commission of Jobs confirms that your work is not included in the official list of jobs for skilled personnel.
There is also a study stay permit issued to applicants wishing to attend a primary school, secondary school, or university in San Marino. The study period should span at least a term of one year. You can apply for a study permit at the Passport Office.
Residence permit
The maximum allowable validity and period of stay in a residence permit is up to 5 years. It is issued for special documented purposes. Of course, this permit will only be approved if you can prove that your stay in San Marino will not include any interruptions. Additionally, there should be no pending procedures and important reasons of public order against you.
Once the State Congress gives its approval, the following organizations can issue a residence permit: the Permanent Commission for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Immigration, Information, Transport and Tele-communication, Police and Public Order.
A residence permit is applicable for UK nationals seeking family reunification with a San Marino citizen, establishing a business venture in San Marino, or holding the status of a management professional in institutes and companies in San Marino.
An elective residence permit can be obtained if you are planning to establish residence in San Marino. It is also applicable when you want to execute any financial investment in the country.
While staying in San Marino on a residence permit, foreign citizens need to possess an insurance policy and are prohibited from working in the public sector. They cannot avail any benefit from State contributions. After a period of 10 years, an elective residence permit can be changed into a registered residence permit.
UK Emergency Travel Documents
The immigration department of San Marino accepts UK Emergency Travel Documents at points of entry and exit from San Marino.