Italy Temporarily Suspends Schengen Visa Applications Worldwide, Including Tunisia
Italy has ordered a temporary suspension of all activities related to Schengen visa applications and issuance worldwide, a measure that also affects applicants in Tunisia. This interruption, scheduled from February 12 to 18, 2026, is due to a major update of its visa information system (VIS-IT), which requires a complete shutdown of the platform for several days.
According to notices released by Italian embassies around the world, consulates and their external partners will not receive new applications, collect biometric data, or issue visas during this period. This suspension directly affects the activity of visa services in Tunis, where the embassy and its provider Almaviva have confirmed the halt of operations from 6:00 PM on February 12 to midnight on February 18, 2026.
The interruption is part of an urgent and scheduled technical intervention on the VIS-IT, considered the digital heart of Italian and Schengen visa applications. This system centralizes biometric and personal information of applicants and allows Italian diplomatic missions to manage short and long-stay visas.
A Necessary but Disruptive Pause
The suspension of Italian consular services due to technical maintenance of the VIS-IT system is a global measure, not limited to one region or a few representations. Several Italian diplomatic missions have published notices confirming that during the defined period for the system update, no visa applications can be received or processed, nor can any appointments be held, in their offices and partner centers. This has been reported by consulates in Manila (Philippines), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and other missions around the world.
Thus, during this period, no applications can be processed in Italian representations consulted in several regions, from New York to Manila, Johannesburg, and Ulaanbaatar, confirming that the suspension is indeed global and not limited to certain areas.
Consular authorities have also emphasized that already scheduled appointments may be reprogrammed just before or just after the maintenance period to limit disruptions, but they have advised travelers to submit their files before the shutdown to avoid delays.
This decision coincides with a high demand for Schengen visas for Italy, particularly in view of the spring and summer periods, which could lead to a backlog of unprocessed applications when services resume after February 18. Some experts also suggest that processing delayed files could take several additional days due to the accumulation of files during the pause.
What This Means for Tunisian Travelers
For applicants in Tunisia, this suspension represents a temporary administrative obstacle. Those who had planned to submit their applications during this period must either advance their procedures or wait until services resume. Travelers whose travel plans are close to these dates are invited to anticipate their visa procedures before the suspension or to provide a sufficient time margin to compensate for possible delays after the system resumes.
Consular officials also recommend regularly checking official communications from embassies and visa application centers, as any evolution or adjustment of the calendar could be announced depending on the progress of technical work.
Read also: Another Schengen country makes access to nationality more difficult
