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RESIDENCY PERMITS

‘Arduous process’: What to expect when applying for Italian permanent residency

When applying for your permanent 'permesso' in Italy, the process varies from place to place and person to person. American writer Mark Hinshaw explains why you should expect the unexpected.

'Arduous process': What to expect when applying for Italian permanent residency
"Italian residency permits are based on national immigration law, which should be consistently applied. But tell that to an officer in the provincial questura." Photo by Serge Taeymans on Unsplash

I am soon to pass a major personal milestone in Italy. After being a temporary resident for five years, I will be receiving the legal status of permanent resident.

This comes with a number of benefits, including being able to work, which the Elective Residency Visa (ERV) that I have does not allow. 

Another is that, in contrast to the temporary permesso, the permanent one does not need to be renewed for ten years (and then simply with a new photo). No more trips to the provincial questura clutching a sheaf of papers, waiting in lines, then waiting months for a message telling me to come pick it up. This also simplifies getting an annual national health card – the all-important tessera sanitaria

Back in 2017, securing the ERV from the Italian Consulate in San Francisco seemed to involve an arduous process. But upon arriving in Italy, we were confronted with a myriad of other complicated procedures, from applying for residency, to setting up a bank account, to getting utility services, to getting decent internet service. 

The number of steps is breathtaking. In the first year alone, we counted more than 150 discrete tasks – an average of three every week. Every process was confusing, daunting, frustrating, and of course all conducted in another language.

One might think that the permanent permesso process would be a snap, now that we have been through so many similar endeavors. But such was not to be. 

READ ALSO: Permesso di soggiorno: A complete guide to getting Italy’s residency permit

Its always hazardous to make generalizations based solely on one’s own experiences in Italy, as processes can vary hugely, even between adjacent towns. I reached out to ten other expats who have reached this same milestone, and everyone reported significant variations in what they had to do and what was required.

Residency permits – whether temporary or permanent – are based on national immigration law, which should be consistently applied. But tell that to an officer in the provincial questura and see how far that gets you. 

Each province can add requirements or interpret them differently. One expat reported that his province does not even offer a permanent residency permit. Another person reported having to return again and again with additional documents. 

Provincial officials have considerable discretion to read things into – or out – of laws. Those of us who were previously part of the British Empire were taught the importance of having a foundation in the ‘rule of law’. In Italy, that principle is a little less certain.

Essentially, immigration is administered at the local level, with different people at the helm. Some can be lenient; others can be strict. A few can be downright difficult. 

READ ALSO: From bureaucracy to bidets: The most perplexing things about life in Italy

One friend living in another part of the country sent me a list of the requirements given to them. It was impressive. Of course, it doesn’t help matters that countries like the US and UK have recently made it much more challenging for immigrants to enter. So perhaps it’s a bit of payback.

Large piles of paperwork are a fact of life in Italy, though the documents you’ll need tend to vary. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP)

One acquaintance reported that he was in the middle of his process when it was discovered that his visa didn’t allow him to apply for permanent residency. He had to return to his country to get a different visa and start all over again. Another person reported having to submit income tax forms for several years.  A police report is frequently required, ostensibly to make sure that Italy is not accepting criminals.

Virtually everyone reported confusing, conflicting, and often confounding directions from their questura. Having a smooth experience seems to be completely the luck of the draw.

Foreigners (stranieri in Italian) currently make up 8 percent of the population. That has been constant for years. Unlike the US, Italy is not exactly a ‘melting pot’ culture.

However, that percentage is high enough to worry some people in the government. Hence the effort to limit immigration, in part through difficult procedures.

If all this weren’t enough, the very name of the permanent residency permit keeps changing.

At one point it was called the ‘Carta di Soggiorno‘. But that name was used for another type of permit. Subsequently, it was renamed the ‘Permesso di Soggiorno UE per Lungo Soggiornanti’ – a phrase almost impossible to easily say. Recently, it’s been shortened, sort of. The present form is Permesso di Soggiorno Illimitata. The constantly shifting terminology and requirements can make grown people cry.

READ ALSO: Italian residency: Who needs to apply for a permesso di soggiorno?

Perhaps the main requirement that intimidates many newcomers is the one to pass an Italian language exam.

The applicant must demonstrate a proficiency level known as A2 – essentially an ability to conduct normal daily activities like requesting internet service repair, a skill that is necessary several times a year. Or, say, paying the annual garbage fee to one’s comune.

Prior to taking the exam, I was petrified. I had not taken a test in decades. My fears ran wild. What if I failed it? Would I be deported? Just how embarrassing is this exam going to be?

The exam I sat for had three parts. The first involved filling in blanks within written sentences so they make sense, selecting phrases from a long list. The second involved listening to a conversation and then being asked questions about it, with the answers given in Italian. The third required extemporaneously talking about an ordinary task from a list of options; I chose visiting the doctor.

READ ALSO: From visas to language: What Americans can expect when retiring in Italy

This test is just one of many steps in a multiple year long process that Italian immigration regulations refer to as “integration”. Others include taking an Italian civics class, which I found quite fascinating.

Another included a lengthy session of uniformed police taking “fingerprints” of every possible surface of both hands. Not so fascinating.

At this moment, I am awaiting an SMS message on my phone, as it has been more than three months since the in-person appointment. That was the method of notification at every previous stage of application and renewals. But I’m not holding my breath; one time it took six months. Then again, I might not get one at all.

So, the process of getting a permanent permesso is arduous, confounding, and varies from place to place and person to person – resulting in likely missteps, unexpected demands, and considerable angst.

Living in Italy is often like living with a gorgeous partner who plays tricks on you, every single day.

Mark Hinshaw is a retired city planner who lives in Le Marche with his wife. A former columnist for The Seattle Times, he contributes to journals, books and other publications.

Have you applied for permanent residency in Italy? We’d love to hear about your experience of the process in the comments section below.

Member comments

  1. Well that sound exhaustive!
    We went along to our local comune earlier this yeararmed with the documentation we thiught we needed and made some enquiries and two hours later we exited with our 10 year unlimited stay certificates to hand.
    Sounds like we had it easy compared to some others..It was by far the most straight forward of any of the necessary processes we have undertaken to date in Italy!

  2. Ah, Mark, you have it correctly here. I also started in San Francisco oh so many years ago. I started the process then known as Permesso di Soggiorno plain and simple. I must have had a hundred or more emails with San Francisco officials, and uncountable visits to my local questura in Lucca over a six year period. I was shocked by some of the officials’ attitudes related to their being in control of my future. I eventually made friends with the boss (Capo) of that office who went from being kind to being totally dismissive back and forth and I never knew which was coming next. I eventually won he and his team (temporarily) over by delivering a beautiful cake from Lucca’s best bakery, inscribed with “Thanks Boss and your team” in Italian to his questura office. But after starting the process over several times over the six years I undertook this dream, when the forms were denied for one (irrational to me) reason or another, I finally gave up. Is it possible that the Italian Bureaucracy could actually be this, well, uh, Bureaucratic? Though I passed the language test you wrote about, and had five years of this process under my belt, it became too stressful for the years worth of paperwork and feeling like I was not welcomed there, even though I had spent nearly half a million euros in purchasing and restoring a historic villa, employing 70 craftspeople and artisans who welcomed the work, volunteering, and generally being a decent neighbor and friend to my community. I still love Italy and my friends there, but would never recommend to anyone that they try for permanent residency, unless of course they have close ties to somebody in Rome where this whole process is controlled.
    Virginia Hubbell

  3. Next year I have been resident in Italy for 5 years. I don’t really see many advantages to me having permanent residency. So, what happens if I don’t take up this option and remain on my existing arrangement indefinatly?

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RESIDENCY PERMITS

EXPLAINED: Can you lose your right to residency in Italy?

It’s no secret that becoming a resident in Italy takes time, costs money and is full of bureaucratic red tape. But can residency ever be taken away from you?

EXPLAINED: Can you lose your right to residency in Italy?

There are many reasons for internationals to get Italian residency, from the practical – such as accessing healthcare, opening up bank accounts and not having your passport stamped – to feeling like you belong in the country you plan on calling home for the foreseeable future.

Not only does taking up Italian residency provide a sense of security, it’s also a legal requirement for those who live in the country for more than six months of the year largely due to tax purposes. According to Istat, in 2022 alone 3.7 million residency permits (permessi di soggiorno) were issued, almost 2.2 million of which were long-stay or permanent.

However, the Italian authorities can deny a request to renew your permit if you no longer satisfy the requirements or have been out of the country for too long a period, and you might have your permesso revoked if – in extreme circumstances – you’re considered a threat to public safety.

READ ALSO: Permesso di soggiorno: A complete guide to getting Italy’s residency permit

There are also a few circumstances in which your residency can be revoked on a local level by the comune (town hall) where you’re registered.

While getting struck off your comune‘s register won’t invalidate your stay permit or get you kicked out of the country, it can be a nuisance as you’ll no longer have an official registered address and you’ll have to re-register as a resident locally.

Let’s take a look at the reasons you might have either your Italian stay permit or your local residency registration revoked.

Being untraceable

Revocation of residency with your local comune can occur if a person is proven to be untraceable following repeated checks over the course of a year (which might happen, for example, due to a census).

The prerequisite for this type of revocation is when there is reason to believe the person has moved from their home of registered residence or when it’s deduced they are on their national territory.

READ ALSO: Do foreigners in Italy have to carry their residency documents?

When this happens a procedure is started making it difficult to obtain residency certification (which affects access to healthcare) and the possibility of losing any voting rights.

Failing to renew declaration of habitual residence

Foreign citizens not belonging to the European Union can also be automatically cancelled from a comune‘s register for failing to renew their habitual residence.

Current legislation says third country nationals have an obligation to submit a declaration of renewal of their habitual residence to their comune, together with a copy of the new permit, within 60 days of renewing their permesso.

Staying outside of the country for long periods

Under Italian law, all foreign citizens who move abroad or return to their country of residence must declare it to their comune.

However, it is important to remember if you have a residency permit of less than two years and are a non-EU citizen you can leave the country for six months continuously without declaring it, or for a continuous period of no more than half the duration of your permit if your permit is for two years or more.

Breaking this rule means the government could refuse to renew or extend your stay permit.

If you’re a Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiary and have resided in the country for less than five years, meanwhile, you can go abroad for a maximum of six months at a time.

If you have surpassed this time for reasons that do not include being sent abroad for work, study or health (in which you are allowed to leave for one year if you are a WA beneficiary), the government can refuse to renew or extend your stay permit.

No longer meeting the requirements for a residency permit

There are many different factors to take into consideration when meeting the requirements for a residency permit, a common one being aware of when to change your permit according to your needs. For example, you wouldn’t renew your student visa when you finished your studies two years ago, would you?

Then there’s making sure you continue to meet the requirements for an existing permit when it’s up for renewal.

READ ALSO: ‘Arduous process’: What to expect when applying for Italian permanent residency

If you’re in Italy on an elective residency visa, for example, you’ll initially need to renew your stay permit every one to two years. The minimum passive income threshold for this visa is around €31,000 per person per year (though the authorities can stipulate higher amounts in individual cases) – if your income falls below the threshold, your renewal application will likely be rejected.

Other requirements such as healthcare and salary must also be met. For instance, not having your health covered privately or by the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (Italy’s national health service) is a breach of residency terms. 

Committing a serious crime

This is rare, but having your Italian stay permit revoked on a national level due to committing a serious crime is a possibility under Article Nine of the Italian Immigration Law. The law states that the Italian authorities can refuse to renew a residency permit for those people who are “dangerous for public order or the security of the State.” 

Such crimes include mafia-related felonies or offences and threats against public bodies.

Of course revoking residency is a rare but often distressing procedure for all those involved. Whilst there have not been any cases that have been reported recently in the news, it’s always best to double check with your comune or a lawyer to check the specific terms. The Local cannot assist with legal inquiries.

If you or someone you know has had their residency revoked get in touch via the comments below or at [email protected]

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