General Visa Information
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website has information about obtaining a visa for those traveling to Italy. Citizens of many countries, including those in the European Union and of the United States, do not require a visa for business travel to Italy for up to 90 days. This site has links to websites for U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. The embassy and consulate websites have very helpful information about procedures, timelines, communities served, required documentation, and fees.

The Italian Embassy also has a helpful website designed to help non-EU residents determine additional documentation that you must submit with your visa application. The website is searchable by country of residence / passport and provides extremely detailed information. If you need a visa, it is highly recommended that you visit this site to avoid having your application returned.

If your government requires proof of international medical insurance for the period of your stay in Italy, most insurance companies will offer such coverage at a reasonable premium. Please check with your local insurance company to be sure.

Visa Support Letter Information
Attendees who require a visa support letter must be registered for both the conference and for conference housing through the CHI 2008 housing website.

To register for the conference, visit this link. To register for conference housing, visit this link. International registrants should be particularly aware and careful about visa requirements, and should plan travel well in advance. Please note that receipt of a visa letter takes approximately 3-4 weeks, so it is highly recommended that you submit your request early. Please also note that ACM does not issue formal “letters of invitation” to any of its conferences.

Requesting a Visa Support Letter (Non-Chinese Participants)
All visa inquiries must be handled by OIC srl, ACM’s local PCO located in Florence. Once you have received written confirmation of both your registration and your housing reservation, you may request a visa letter as follows.

STEP 1: Download and complete this form.

STEP 2: Fax your completed form along with a copy of your housing confirmation and your conference registration confirmation, to Ms. Martina Foniciello at +39 055 5001912. Forms received without proper supporting documentation will not be processed. You may also scan and email your original documents along with the completed form to m.foniciello@oic.it. Please include “CHI 2008 Visa Letter Request” in the subject line of the email.

STEP 3: Wait for your letter to arrive by postal mail. If you have not received your letter within 30 days of your request, please email m.foniciello@oic.it or call tel. +39 055 5035337.

Visa Support Letter (Chinese Passport Holders Only)
Italy has particularly stringent visa requirements for attendees coming from the Peoples Republic of China. We recommend that you visit the Italian Embassy's website to determine the additional documentation that you must submit with your visa application. The website is searchable by country of residence / passport and provides extremely detailed information. According to the Italian consulate in San Francisco the "Reason For Visit" should be specified as "Tourism."

It is highly recommended that you visit this site before you apply for a visa to avoid having your application returned.

All visa inquiries from Chinese passport holders must be handled by ACM HQ. Once you have gathered the appropriate documentation and registered for both the conference and conference housing, send your request for a letter in support of a visa application to Ashley Cozzi (acozzi@acm.org), and include:

Please note that receipt of a visa letter takes approximately 3-4 weeks, so it is highly recommended that you submit your request early. Once you receive your visa support letter, remember that you still need to apply for your visa. Please visit the Italian Embassy's website to determine the additional documentation that you must submit with your visa application.