How to get your permesso di soggiorno (Italian residence permit)

What it is

The permesso di soggiorno is the residence permit that lets a non-EU citizen live in Italy legally for longer than 3 months: for work, study, family or other reasons. It's a plastic card issued by the police headquarters (Questura) of the province where you live.

Do you need this guide?

• Non-EU citizen with a national (type D) visa, staying more than 3 months? Yes.
• Coming on a work visa through the nulla osta process? Your first step is usually at the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (the one-stop immigration office) at the Prefettura. It tells you how to continue.
• EU, EEA or Swiss citizen? No permit needed. Register your residence at your comune instead.

Before you start

You'll need:

• Your passport with your visa, plus a photocopy of every page.
• Documents for your reason for staying: for example a school enrolment, an employment contract, or proof of your family relationship.
• Health insurance, if your permit type requires it.
• Proof of accommodation.
• 4 passport photos.
• Your codice fiscale, if you already have one.

Steps

1. Act within 8 working days of arriving in Italy.
2. Pick up the postal kit (kit postale, a large envelope with a yellow stripe) at a post office with a Sportello Amico desk.
3. Buy a revenue stamp (marca da bollo) at a tobacconist (tabaccheria) and stick it on the application form.
4. Fill in the forms in the kit and add photocopies of your documents. Don't seal the envelope: the post office checks it first.
5. Send it at the post office and pay the remaining fees there. The receipt (ricevuta) you get is important: it proves you've applied and works as a temporary permit. It also shows your user ID and password for following your application online.
6. Go to the Questura appointment given on your receipt (or sent later by text message or letter) for photos and fingerprints. Bring your original documents.
7. Collect your card at the Questura when it's ready. Check its status on the immigration portal or the Polizia di Stato website.

Cost

Several fees: a postal fee, a revenue stamp, the card itself and a contribution that depends on how long the permit lasts. The exact amounts are listed in the kit instructions.

Common pitfalls

• Missing the 8-day deadline. Apply as soon as you arrive. Late applications can be refused.
• Losing the receipt. Keep it with your passport. Until you have the card, it's your proof that you're legally staying.
• Sealing the envelope at home. The post office must check the contents first.
• Leaving renewal too late. Apply to renew before your permit expires, ideally around 60 days before.
• Travelling with only the receipt. Travel outside Italy on a receipt has restrictions. Check before you book.

When to ask a helper

If your Questura appointment keeps moving, your permit type is unusual, or you've been asked for extra documents, ask someone who got a permit at the same Questura.