I am a US permanent resident and a hold a Singapore passport.  I would
like to go to Italy and Ireland for 2-3 weeks in August.  What are the
tourist visa requirements, and what documents do I need to support the
visa application?  I know they'd probably ask for my return ticket - I
have an eticket but not a physical ticket.  Will I need a paper
ticket?

Hi there,

Neither Ireland nor Italy requires you to obtain a visa if your stay
is less than 3 months.

Also, once you are in the EU, you can basically travel about without
being hassled at its internal borders.
http://www.europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l14008b.htm

The Italian Ministry of Affairs says:

If you enter through any of Italy's internal borders (France,
Switzerland, Austria) you will not be checked.
http://www.esteri.it/eng/foreignpol/italstra/vistieng/borders.htm

The "Conditions for the entry of aliens into Italy" does not mention
onward tickets, but does require proof of financial means and of the
purpose of the visit.
http://www.esteri.it/eng/foreignpol/italstra/vistieng/condition.htm

Two-thirds down this page is a list of countries that require a visa
to visit Italy. Singapore and the USA are not mentioned. It also
includes a table for calculating the required financial means.
http://www.esteri.it/eng/foreignpol/italstra/index.htm

This information is contradictory to the Italian Embassy in Singapore,
which appears to indicate that you need a visa. In my opinion, it will
be a case of their website being out-of-date.
http://www.italyemb.org.sg/visa.htm

If you want to know for sure, phone your nearest Italian embassy,
listed here:
http://www.esteri.it/lafarnesina/indirizzi/list.htm

The Embassy of Ireland in the USA says:

You do not need a visa - Singapore and the USA are listed as being
exempt.
http://www.irelandemb.org/howto.html

There is no mention of onward tickets being required for entry into
either country at any of the above sites. I made a thorough search of
the Internet and found a few mentions of possible problems with
e-tickets:

This from Smarter Living, an online travel agent:
"Customs agents require that you have proof of your scheduled return
in your possession. So, if you travel internationally with an
e-ticket, be sure to have a copy of your full itinerary with you."
http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/real/column.php?id=2824

Travel Secrets has some general advice on e-tickets, including several
reasons why paper tickets are superior:
http://www.travelsecrets.com/secrets/Travel%20Secrets_files/#eticket

A printed itinerary from your travel agent should suffice. In the
unlikely event of problems at a border, they can easily confirm the
information with your airline.

I trust that this answers your query. Feel free to request
clarifications on any aspect of my response.

Best wishes,
from robertskelton-ga