Permanent residence permit in Italy (Carta di Soggiorno Permanente)

After living in Italy for more than five years with a temporary residence permit, you can apply for permanent residence in Italy.

This gives you similar rights to Italian citizens, such as the ability to live and work in other EU countries without a visa or work permit. You are also eligible to receive state benefits, such as maternity or disability benefits.

In addition, after living with an Italian permanent residence permit for ten years, you can apply for Italian citizenship.

Requirements for obtaining a residence permit 

There are four conditions that you should keep in mind if you want to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• You must be able to prove that you have lived in Italy for the last 5 years
• You must be able to present no criminal record
• You must pass an Italian language test confirming that you have at least A2 level of the language
• You must have sufficient income to support yourself and all family members.

How to apply for a residence permit in Italy?

As for other types of Italian visas, you must apply for it at the Italian embassy or consulate in your country. 

The application process is as follows:

The process of applying for a permanent residence permit is similar to that of applying for a regular residence permit. The application can be submitted at

• Local police department (questure)
• Local post offices (uffici postale)
• Individual municipalities

If you choose a post office, you can pick up a free yellow application kit (kit giallo). They will process your application and make an appointment for you at the immigration office (Ufficio Immigrazione) at the local police station. There you must provide a photograph of yourself and be fingerprinted. Minors under the age of 12 do not have to be fingerprinted.

To apply, you will need to submit the following:

• Valid passport or identity card
• Italian tax number
• Proof of residence during the qualifying period (e.g. residence permit)
• Proof of sufficient income (e.g. bank statements or tax returns)
• Certificate of no criminal record
• Certificate of passing the Italian language test
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of payment

Usually, the application is processed within 60 days, but it can take up to six months. If you are successful, you can request and make an appointment to receive an electronic identity card (Carta di Identità Elettronica - CIE).

You can register on the Immigration Portal (Portale Immigrazione) to manage and track your application.

Requirements for obtaining a family visa to Italy

Family visa for Italy is a type of Italian long-term visa, also known as national or D-visa. It allows the holder to enter Italy for a stay of more than three months and join a family member already residing in Italy.

After your family member receives a family reunion visa to Italy, they can enter the country and apply for a residence permit in Italy. This is a permit that allows them to legally reside in Italy with you.

Who is eligible to join you with a family visa to Italy?

You can apply for the following family members to join you in Italy with an Italian family visa:

• Spouse.
• Children under the age of 18. Your spouse's children are also taken into account, as well as children born out of wedlock, if the other parent agrees.
• Dependent children over the age of 18 who are unable to provide for themselves for health reasons.
• Parents over 65 years of age who are dependent on you and have no other children to take care of them.

How to apply for a family visa to Italy?

Your family members must apply for a family visa to Italy at the Italian embassy or consulate in their home country.

Get a Nulla Osta authorization.

However, before they can apply for a visa, you must obtain a permit in Italy that will allow them to join you.

This is called Nulla Osta and it is basically a permission from the competent Italian authorities allowing your family members to join you in Italy. You must apply for a Nulla Osta at the Italian Immigration Service (Sportello Unico per l'immigrazione). If the immigration service issues a permit, they will send it electronically to the relevant Italian embassy or consulate, where your family members will apply for a visa.

Requirements for obtaining a family visa to Italy

When applying for a family reunion visa, you and your family members must provide several supporting documents. You must also be able to fulfill several conditions regarding residence and financial income if you want to bring them to your place in Italy.

When your family members apply for a family visa to Italy, they must provide:

• Original and copy of the Nulla Osta.
• A copy of the residence permit (or identification card if you are an Italian citizen) and passport.
• A completed and signed application form for a long-term visa to Italy.
• Passport-size photographs.
• Passports that are valid for at least three months after the visa expiration date and have at least two blank pages.
• A statement from you (an Italian resident) stating that you want to bring your family members with you and that you meet the requirements for family reunification established by Italian law.
• Proof of family relationship.
• Proof that you have sufficient necessary funds and suitable accommodation to host your family members.
• Receipt of the paid visa fee for Italy.
• Confirmation of booked airplane tickets.
• If the minor is traveling alone: written permission from the other parent authorizing the child to travel to Italy.
• If you are bringing your parents to Italy:

1. Original birth certificates.

2. Proof that your parents are dependent on you (e.g. money transfers).

3. A written statement from your parent(s) stating that they are dependent on you.

In addition, there are several other conditions that you must fulfill to be eligible to bring your family members with you.

Financial requirements for a family visa to Italy

Financial needs cannot be lower than the annual social assistance amount. You must earn at least €5,830.76 per year and then have 50% of this amount for all family members who will join you in Italy. So, if your spouse and one child join you, you must have 11,661.52 euros.

You must also have an apartment big enough to accommodate all your family members.

Time to apply for a family visa to Italy

As for the visa itself, the processing time ranges from three weeks to several months. However, this can be affected by various factors. For example, if there are no available appointments, your family members may not be able to apply immediately. Furthermore, if there are any missing or incorrect documents in their application, they will have to resubmit them, so the processing time will be delayed.

Add to this the time it takes to obtain the Nulla Osta (which can vary from 4 to 12 months), and it may take about a year for your family members to be able to join you in Italy.

After obtaining a family visa to Italy

Once your family members receive their family reunification visa from the relevant Italian authorities abroad, they have six months to enter Italy. Once they arrive in Italy, they have eight days to apply for a residence permit in Italy (permesso di soggiorno). They can do this at the local police station (Questura), where they will receive an application kit with all the necessary forms.

An Italian residence visa by choice is a type of Italian long-term visa. This is the type of Italian visa you should apply for if you want to move to Italy permanently and have enough funds to support yourself. These funds cannot be obtained from active work during your stay in Italy, but rather from savings, investments or pension.

This means that if you are applying for an Italian residence visa, you cannot take up any job in Italy.

After obtaining your visa, you can enter Italy, where you will need to immediately apply for an Italian residence permit. This is a permit that actually allows you to live in Italy for longer than 90 days.

Requirements for obtaining a residence visa in Italy

When you apply for a residence visa in Italy, you must have a package of documents confirming your eligibility. The requirements for documents to obtain an Italian residence visa are as follows:

• Proof of sufficient financial resources to support yourself without work. You must have a minimum of 31,000 euros per year if you are applying alone and 38,000 euros if you are applying as a married couple. This amount is increased by 20% for each dependent coming with you. Remember that you are not entitled to work with the chosen residence visa, so you must prove that you can support yourself in other ways, for example, through a pension, rent, property income, income from participation in equity or a share in a company, etc.
• Proof of housing. Before moving to Italy, you need to find a suitable place to live. You can prove that you have sufficient housing in Italy either by means of a rental/lease agreement or a document confirming the purchase of housing.
• Proof of health insurance. You must purchase international health insurance before you apply for a visa. It must cover 30,000 euros per year and all medical expenses in each EU member state.
• A valid international passport. It must be valid for at least three months after the visa expiration date and have two blank visa pages.
• Visa application form for a long-term visa to Italy. Duly completed, dated and signed.
• Passport size photographs. They should be 35 mm x 45 mm, on a white background, and your face should occupy 70-80% of the photo.
• Civil status documents. For example, a birth or marriage certificate, depending on the circumstances.
• Certificate of no criminal record from your home country.

How to apply for an Italian visa for selective residence?

As in the case of other types of Italian visas, you must apply to the Italian embassy or consulate in your country. The application process is as follows:

1. Make an appointment at the Italian embassy or consulate in your country that is responsible for your jurisdiction.
2. If there is no Italian embassy or consulate in your country, you can apply at the embassy/consulate of another Schengen country with which Italy has concluded a visa outsourcing agreement or at a visa application center.
3. Download, fill out and sign the visa application form for a long-term visa to Italy.
4. Gather all the necessary documents.
5. Show up on the appointed day in person and on time, having all the necessary documents with you.
6. Pay the visa fee.
7. Wait for your visa to be processed.
8. If your visa is approved: Travel to Italy and apply for a residence permit.

Temporary residence in Italy on the basis of a visa for selective residence

Within eight days of your arrival in Italy, you must apply for a temporary residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). The process of applying for a residence permit in Italy is as follows:

1. Obtain a set of documents for applying for a residence permit from the local post office where you will live.
2. Fill out the application form and submit it (along with photocopies of all required documents) to the post office. There you will receive a receipt and make an appointment for the next stage of the residence permit application process - to the Questura.
3. Go to the local Questura (police headquarters) and provide the originals of all required documents. You will also be fingerprinted and asked a few questions.
4. Wait for the processing. The Questura will inform you when your residence permit card is issued.
5. Receive your Italian residence permit card.

You are eligible for an Italian investor visa if you are a non-EU citizen and are over 18 years old.

You can apply for an investor visa by investing

• 250,000 euros in an innovative startup
• 500,000 euros in a limited liability company
• EUR 2,000,000 in government bonds, or
• make a charitable donation of 1,000,000 euros or more

The process of applying for an Italian visa

1. Obtaining a Nulla Osta

Firstly, you will receive a nulla osta - a certificate of no obstacles issued by the Italian Visa Committee for Investors, the legislative body of the Italian Golden Visa. 

You will receive the certificate within 30 days after submitting the completed application.

To apply for this certificate, you need to fill out several forms online and attach the required documents to the platform. You will do this by scanning them. 

The documents can be in Italian or English. If all your documentation is in English, you will not need to make official translations or apostilles. 

The documents you will need to submit are as follows

• Passport, for your personal identification.
• A certificate stating that the funds you intend to invest in Italy are your own and have been acquired legally.
• CV (European version of a resume).
• A police clearance certificate confirming that you have no final or pending criminal charges.
• A description of your chosen investment method (maximum 1,000 words) and confirmation that the intended recipients have given their consent, for example, the startup's stakeholders have agreed that you will invest in their company.
• A statement that you are indeed going to invest the required minimum amount.
• A statement about which municipality you would like to settle in after arriving in Italy.
• You will need to set up an electronic signature so that you can send your application. There are instructions on the platform on how to take care of the electronic signature.

The Investor Visa Committee will then check your documents and evaluate your application. 

2. Obtaining a Golden Visa for Italy

The next step is to apply for and receive the actual Golden Visa to Italy. 

Keeping in mind that nulla osta is valid for six months, you must apply for a visa within this period. 

Find the nearest Italian embassy or consulate and submit the following documents to obtain an investor visa:

• A copy of your nulla osta.
• Proof that you have accommodation in Italy. A confirmed hotel reservation is sufficient.
• An income statement for the previous fiscal year. You must have enough money for yourself and your family. Currently, the amount per person per year is approximately 8,500 euros.
• Passport photo.
• A valid passport.
• Proof of residence in your country.

Again, all these documents must be in Italian or English. 

3. Obtaining a residence permit 

The main purpose of the investor visa is to obtain a residence permit, and once you have the visa, you are free to enter Italy and apply for residence. 

The visa is valid for two years, so you should plan to obtain a residence permit in Italy during this time. 

After you arrive in Italy, you will need to visit the local police station, called Questura, to apply for a residence permit on an Italian investor visa. This must be done within eight business days of arrival. 

You will need to pay approximately $100 USD, present a passport photo and all the usual identification documents. It is a simple process. 

This permit will be valid for two years, and the time will start counting from the day you legally enter Italy with your visa. 

Once you have applied for your residence permit, it is time to fulfill your obligation and make an investment. 

If you fail to do so within three months, your visa will be revoked and you will be required to leave Italy. 

Visa extension

You will need to apply for an extension, provided you have kept your initial investment in full. 

If you do not, your residence permit will be canceled and it will be impossible to renew it. You will have to go through all the procedures again. 

After renewal, your permit will be valid for another three years. 

In general, after five years you will be able to obtain a permanent residence permit. And if 10 years have passed, you will technically become eligible for citizenship through naturalization.

Italian citizenship by marriage or civil union

Articles 5-8 of Law no. 91 of 1992 on Italian citizenship regulate the acquisition of citizenship through civil union or marriage. The process of obtaining Italian citizenship by marriage is also known as "Jure Matrimonii".

A nonItalian spouse of an Italian citizen is eligible for Italian citizenship after two years of marriage or civil union, provided that the couple has been living in Italy. If the couple has children under the age of 18 - biological or adopted - the waiting period is one year.

Couples residing outside the country must wait three years from the date of the civil union or marriage before the nonItalian spouse can apply for Italian citizenship by marriage. This period is reduced to 18 months in the case of biological or adopted children.

In 2016, Italy recognized same-sex civil unions, and they are granted the same protection as heterosexual married couples.

New citizenship requirement

Law No. 32 of December 1, 2018 introduced a new requirement for applications for Italian citizenship submitted after December 4, 2018. Any applicant wishing to obtain Italian citizenship must have a sufficient level of Italian language proficiency and a B1 certificate, which must be certified by the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR) or the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) as a result of studying at an approved educational institution.

Other prerequisites

In addition to the time requirements, a spouse who is not an Italian citizen must register with AIRE (if he/she is not in the country) or have a record of a foreign marriage, same-sex marriage or civil union registered with the local Italian consulate. If you wish to obtain Italian citizenship by marriage, the couple must have a marriage/civil union registered in a comune.

There are three things to do before submitting an application:

• Make sure that there is a record of the marriage in the Italian commune
• Make sure that the Italian spouse is duly registered with the AIRE
• The consulate records show the current address of residence

Where to apply for citizenship

Couples living abroad must apply for Italian citizenship by marriage at the local Italian consulate. If you reside in the country, you can apply at the local Prefuttura.

Citizenship of a spouse by naturalization

If you want to obtain Italian citizenship by naturalization, the spouse of an Italian citizen can start applying for citizenship after he/she has lived in Italy for at least 10 years. Citizenship by naturalization is most likely to be granted if the applicant has adequate financial resources and no criminal record.

To obtain citizenship by naturalization, the requirement for residence in Italy is reduced to 3 years if the foreigner's grandparents were Italian citizens and if the foreigner's place of birth is in Italy. Citizens with ties to European Union member states must reside in Italy for 4 years. Stateless persons, such as refugees, must wait 5 years. If an Italian citizen adopted someone when they were a child, this person must live in Italy for 7 years.

The process of obtaining Italian citizenship by marriage

When applying for citizenship by marriage, you must meet certain requirements. There are two steps to obtain Italian citizenship through marriage or civil union:

Step 1: Submitting an online application

In the first step, applicants must fill out an online application on the website of the Italian Ministry of the Interior and upload copies of the required documents. Applicants must register on the ALI portal and create an account on the Ministry of the Interior website. Currently, the ALI portal is available only in Italian.

Italian law requires that applicants for Italian citizenship by marriage or civil union provide the following information:

• A copy of the extract from the marriage certificate from the Italian municipality where the Italian spouse is registered with AIRE
• Certificates of no criminal record from the applicant's place of residence since the age of 14 
• Certified copy of a foreign birth certificate
• Special note 1: All police clearance certificates and marriage certificates are valid for six months. Thus, the application for citizenship must be submitted within six months after the issuance of the first document. Be sure to contact your local Italian consulate for additional information or clarification.

All foreign language documents must be translated into Italian, and local Italian consulates must certify these translations.

Step 2: Visit to the consulate to finalize the citizenship application (includes verification of all documents and signatures)

After the documents are legalized and translated into Italian, applicants can proceed to step 2 - submitting the documents online and the final meeting with the consulate. Since the documents for Italian citizenship are submitted online, there is no need to make an appointment with the Jure Matrimonii at the consulate.

You can make an appointment at your local consulate/prefecture to review your application. You will be sent an invitation with the date and time to submit the original documents.

What documents do I need to bring to the interview?

• Bank transfer receipt in the amount of 250 euros
• Application form
• List of residents
• Original and copy of the Italian passport
• Original and copy of the state identity card and passport of the spouse who is not an Italian citizen
• Original and copy of the certificate of residence from the consular office
• Signed declaration (the parties agree that they are still married)
• Apostilled and translated into Italian copy of the birth certificate of the spouse who is not an Italian citizen - the applicant must provide the full text of the birth certificate and its certified Italian version translated into Italian. The certificate must contain all relevant information, such as the applicant's place of birth, date of birth, birth name and surname. The same information must be provided about the applicant's parents. If any of the required information is missing from the birth certificate or is inaccurate, the applicant must apply to the diplomatic and consular office of his/her country to issue an affidavit containing all the necessary information about him/her. The Italian consulate or embassy of the country that issued the certificate must legalize it. If the birth certificate has been translated into Italian by an Italian translator and apostilled, the Italian embassy or consulate of the country that issued the birth certificate must certify the translation of the birth certificate.
• Original marriage certificate from an Italian city
• The original certificate of no criminal record for countries where the applicant has lived since the age of 14 must be apostilled and translated into Italian
• Money order to pay the consular fee for legalization of translated documents

NOTE: You may hear or read two terms that you should know

• Estratto per riassunto is a certification that contains basic information about the document
• Copia integrale is a copy of the original record that lists all the data of the original record.

After the consulate receives all the necessary information, it is transferred to the consulate of the Ministry of the Interior for processing.

How long does it take to process?

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is how long does it take to obtain citizenship? According to the Law of October 4, 2018 No. 113, the Ministry of the Interior has 48 months to process applications for citizenship (previously this period was 730 days). Applications related to descent are processed within two years, but can be processed faster.

Due to the large number of requests that the Ministry has to consider, the processing time is quite long. Although it can take up to three years, the Ministry of the Interior office often processes these applications much earlier than the statutory deadline.

If the four-year period expires, the Ministry of the Interior is obliged to respond to the applicant. The applicant may submit an official notification letter (Diffida) demanding an immediate response. These letters often accelerate the processing of applications, as the Ministry is reluctant to engage in litigation, as it has to cover the legal costs incurred.

Usually, the "Diffida" is sent by a lawyer on behalf of the applicant, but it can also be sent by the applicant himself. Keep in mind that the Diffida prepared by a lawyer is more important than the one sent by the applicant. If the deadline for filing your application is approaching or has already passed, please contact us for legal assistance.

If you are divorced, your marriage has been annulled or dissolved, or your Italian spouse dies during the application process, the process is interrupted. If the consulate/prefecture cannot contact the applicant for any reason, the process is also interrupted. Make sure that the consulate is informed of any change of address.

Approval of the application and the oath

If the consulate approves an applicant's request for Italian citizenship by marriage (Jure Matrimonii), civil union or descent, notification is sent via a message on the web portal. The notification informs the applicants of the citizenship ceremony, which is to take place six months after the date of citizenship. It is not necessary to be married in an Italian church or in the Vatican to apply for citizenship.

The spouses (husband/wife - Italian citizen and now recognized Italian citizen) must be present at the ceremony and sign a statement confirming that they are still legally married and have not filed any applications for annulment, divorce or divorce.

The Consul General of Italy (or an acting representative) will read out the verbale di giuramento statement at the ceremony. After that, the applicant will have to take an oath of allegiance, saying the following words: "GIURO DI ESSERE FEDELE ALLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA ED AL SUO CAPO E DI OSSERVARE LEALMENTE LA COSTITUZIONE E LE LEGGI DELLO STATO".

Cittadinanza italiana: how to obtain Italian citizenship

Let us briefly describe the main advantages of an Italian passport:

• The right to permanent residence, employment, business, education and other benefits available to Italian citizens;
• the right to visa-free border crossing of EU countries as a citizen of the European Union, visa-free entry to Canada, the USA, Korea, Japan, Israel and several dozen other countries;
• the right to reside and work without a residence permit in any of the EU countries;
• the right to register with the National Sanitary Service SSN (Servizio sanitario nazionale) and use the best medicine in Europe at the expense of state subsidies;
• the possibility to enjoy Italian diplomatic protection, to form a state pension, to receive assistance and to use other social programs for citizens;
• the right to vote.

Naturalization and obtaining Italian citizenship

The main task of a person wishing to obtain an Italian passport is to reside in Italy for 10 years on legal grounds. These are temporary or long-term residence permits. 

Requirements:

• You must present valid proof of income for the last three years prior to the date of application for citizenship.
• You must be able to provide income tax return documents to prove that you are a regular taxpayer.
• You must be fluent in Italian and pass the Italian language test at the B1 level. This language test is conducted by many well-known institutes in Italy, including the Dante Alighieri Society and the University for Foreigners in Roma Tre, Perugia, and Siena.
• Another important document is a certificate of no criminal record in Italy and related countries of residence during the period of stay. This document proves that you have complied with Italian law. The certificate must not be older than 180 days and it must have a sworn translation into Italian before being notarized.
• Proof of residence: In order to meet the residency requirements, you will need documents from your city that confirm your place of residence and how long you have been a legal Italian resident in that jurisdiction.

Citizenship application

After living with a permanent residence permit for a sufficient amount of time, a foreigner has the right to apply for citizenship. This can only be done by submitting an application through the electronic service of the Ministry of the Interior.

Applications submitted in paper form are not accepted.

After submitting the application, the following documents must be additionally attached to obtain Italian citizenship

• the applicant's birth certificate
• foreign passport of the foreigner;
• certificate of no criminal record (cumulative penale del Paese di origine e di eventuali Paesi terzi di residenza, debitamente tradotto e legalizzato, secondo le indicazioni contenute nel modello domanda di), together with a certificate of no criminal record on the Italian territory, as well as no criminal prosecutions and no outstanding convictions;
• a certificate of family composition;
• a document on registration at the place of residence in Italy (cumulative storico di residenza);
• a copy of the residence permit in Italy;
• a copy of the income tax return for the last 3 years;
• a receipt of payment of the state duty in the amount of 250 euros.