Italy speeds up visa procedure

Italy has streamlined its visa procedure for Chinese, the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai said yesterday. Since the beginning of the month, five days are required for issuing a tourist visa — compared to eight before. For business visas, only two days are needed, as opposed to four days previously.

Between 2010 and 2012, the number of Italian visas issued to Chinese people in Shanghai doubled. Around 100,000 are expected to be issued this year.