What do they say on the phone at the visa centre? They used to always help both over the phone and in person — I’m wondering if that’s still the case.
Judging by what’s written on their websites, they’re no longer accepting requests without a solid reason, and it’s probably the same by phone. If you have a specific question, try emailing them directly — the phone is usually just for general info. If there’s a large flow of inquiries, there’s likely a system where any operator can see your request history, but the Italian consulate may well still work the old-fashioned way.
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They used to always help on the phone, but now I’m reading that they don’t even reply to emails without a good reason. Has anyone managed to get through by phone recently — is there a live operator or just general information?
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On the visa center’s website it says that for specific questions you should use email — the phone is only for general information. I emailed them — they replied after four days; my question was about the list of documents for a national visa. Maybe there is a live operator on the phone, but they won’t tell you anything specific.
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There is someone there, but nothing concrete — the same happened to me; I sent it by email.
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The consulate and the visa center are different offices with different rules. Some consulates explicitly state on their website that they only accept applications through the visa center; others don’t have that restriction and you can contact them directly. If the visa center won’t tell you anything concrete over the phone, check your consulate’s website — sometimes it’s easier to reach a real person there.
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When we called the questura, they answered normally and explained that the documents had been accepted and to wait for an SMS. We had to call back twice before someone picked up, but they explained things to the point. Maybe it depends on the specific office and the nature of the question — after all, it’s a different setup than the visa office.
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In Genoa, sending PEC to their PEC sometimes works — they didn’t reply to us, but another woman in the same batch got an answer quickly. And the Questura has information days — you go, take a paper ticket, and at least a real person explains things properly, instead of just fobbing you off to the website. I phoned the visa office twice myself — both times they only gave general information; the specifics were sent by email.
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At the Turin Questura there is a walk-in queue from 12:00 to 15:00, Mon–Thu — 50 numbered tickets per day.
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At the Komi kvestura (квестура) you never get anything concrete over the phone — only showing up in person helps.
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When I applied to VMS, they had me sign a paper saying they wouldn’t give any specific deadlines.
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If they’ve been sending letters for six months via a lawyer’s office and there’s no response, that’s already a dead end — letters won’t help. An in-person appointment is the only thing that actually works. At the Questura in Turin they hand out 50 numbered tickets a day from 12:00 to 15:00; in other cities it varies, so check the specific website.
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