Residency In Italy

If planning to stay beyond 90 days, you have to apply for a residence visa (visto per ragioni di dimora) at an Italian consulate before leaving home. This acts as your temporary residency once you arrive, which is renewable for up to five years, when you can seek permanent residency. Find the consulate nearest you here.

The country’s immigration portal has information (in Italian) on all residency visas and their requirements.

The country has also put together a downloadable PDF booklet: “Staying in Italy Legally.”

The basic permit to stay in country (Permesso Di Soggiorno) allows non-EU citizens to enter the country and stay for the duration of its validity. It acts as your temporary residency once you arrive, and is renewable for up to five years. It’s possible to apply for this visa in country, but you must do so within eight days of arriving.

You will need to provide:

• A copy of your passport;
• Four photos;
• Proof of adequate financial means.

All documents must first be translated by a certified translator. More details on document authentication requirements available from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation here (in Italian).

Read more about application submissions on the immigration portal website.

The elective residence visa (Visto Per Residenza Selettiva O Dimora) is the option for anyone coming to live in Italy but not planning to work (those with self-sustaining income and assets, including retirees). Under this visa, you aren’t allowed to be employed in Italy, though you can continue any remote work or be self-employed—you just have to support yourself without taking anything from the Italian economy. The minimum income requirement for a single applicant is 31,000 euros a year, which works out to nearly 2,600 euros a month… more than most European countries require.

The visa costs 75 euros and is generally granted to those who wish to move to Italy.

You must apply in person at your nearest consulate and submit:

• Completed National (Italian) Visa Application Form, signed in the presence of a Consular Officer.
• Passport/travel document valid for at least three months beyond visa expiration date.
• Two recent passport-sized photos.
• Documented and detailed guarantee of substantial and steady private income (pensions or annuities) from property, stable economic and commercial activities, or from other sources.
• Proof of dwelling: a signed rental agreement or proof of ownership of a home.
• A letter specifying the reason for your stay in Italy, length of stay, place of residence, and the names of anyone accompanying your application (spouse and children). The signature on the letter must be notarized.
• Proof of private health insurance to cover you for your stay.
• Certified copy of marriage certificate and birth certificate(s) of children, if applicable.
• If you include dependents on your application, proof of adequate funds to support all on your application (if you apply for a family of three or four, annual income must be twice the annual amount of the social allowance; for a family of five or more, income must be triple the social allowance).
• Visa handling fee (ranging from 37.30 to 123.50 euros) to be paid in cash, money order, or cashier’s check made out to the Consulate General of Italy.
• A self-addressed (from and to yourself) pre-paid envelope (FedEx or Express Mail) along with this authorization form to have your passport mailed back to you.

All documents must first be translated by a certified translator. More details on document authentication requirements available from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation here (in Italian).