Living the GOOD LIFE for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!
YOUR MOVE TO ITALY STARTS WITH AN ITALIAN VISA!
One you delve deeply into the details of the Italian Visa system, it’s beneficial to note what is offered, and what you can expect. You will be quite surprised to learn how welcoming the country is, and how easy it is to establish a residence in Italy. The rewards are many! But first the specifics…
If you are a Non-EU citizen, and are planning to visit Italy for LESS THAN 90 DAYS, you DO NOT need a visa. Just be sure that there are at least six months of validity remaining on your passport before you depart and request blank pages from your passport issuer if you do not have vacant pages.
UK nationals need a British passport in order to visit Italy, but no Visa is required for stays under 90 days.
Citizens of Canada must have a passport, but there is no visa requirement if you stay under 90 days.
If you are from a non-Schengen Area, including the U.S., Britain, and Canada, you will need to get a stamp in your passport when you pass through the Italian airport. This stamp is your official Declaration of Presence in Italy. If you do not arrive by air, and have not obtained a Declaration of Presence in Italy, you will need to request one from a local post office, trade union or municipality office, or your hotel, and file it at the same place of pick up within eight (8) days of your arrival. KEEP A COPY OF YOUR RECEIPT.
EU citizens DO NOT need a visa to enter Italy, regardless of their length of stay. However, if you are a Schengen Area citizen, you must request your Declaration of Presence from a local post office or your hotel within eight (8) days of your arrival and file it at the same location. KEEP A COPY OF YOUR RECEIPT.
Non-EU nationals who are married to an Italian citizen generally do not need a visa; the local post office will issue a Stay Permit valid also for work, based on proof of marriage.
There is a “process” involving several levels that must be followed in order to be allowed to stay in Italy for a period of time longer than 90 days:
After you have visited Italy as a “tourist” and have decided you want to live in Italy for an extended length of time, you must return to your home country and apply for an Elective Residency Visa at your local Italian Consulate. This Visa allows you to stay in Italy longer than 90 days. You will not be allowed to work with this Visa. Be sure you request that the term of the Visa be for at least one year.
Elective Residency Visa
Also known as the “Visto per Residenza Selettiva o Dimora” (See, you’re already learning the language!) this visa is generally requested by non-Italians who are retired and receive income from a retirement or pension plan. It is issued solely to those who are planning to move to Italy, but does not allow the applicant to work.
The following link offers the information needed to apply for the Elective Residency Visa:
http://www.esteri.it/visti/home_eng.asp
When you return to Italy, take your Extended Residency Visa to your local post office, trade union or municipality office and request a Permit to Stay (Permesso di Soggiorno).
Be sure you bring with you:
Your Residency Visa
Copy of your Passport
Original Birth Certificate, with Apostille
Copy of a deed for a house or a lease for where you will live.
It is possible to apply for your Permit to Stay electronically, but check with your local Italian Post Office to be sure they have the technology to do this.
The website
http://www.portaleimmigrazione.it
(click the "Inglese" button at the top, right)
provides more information about electronic submissions.
After you have received your Permit to Stay, you will go to the local Vital Statistics Bureau (Anagrafe of the Comune) to officially apply for your Residency. This will take several months to process.
The Permit to Stay is issued during your first six (6) years of residency in Italy. Pay attention to the dates for renewal.
After six (6) years of residency in Italy, you can apply for the “EC Residence Permit for Long-Term Residents,” formerly known as the "Carta di Soggiorno.” It is issued for an indefinite period of time, without renewals.
The new permit is permanent. You are entitled to apply for it only if you have been legally and continuously a resident in Italy for five years. You can apply either at the post office using the yellow kit that is supplied at the post office, or at a municipal office or trade union office. You will be requested to supply:
A copy of your valid passport or equivalent travel document;
A copy of your income tax statement bearing evidence that you have a minimum income higher than the social allowance ("assegno sociale").
Criminal records and pending charges;
Evidence of appropriate accommodation, if the application being submitted includes family members;
Residence and family certification
Your application may include your spouse and your children under 18 years. Your parents and your children aged 18 or over may also be included, but only if they are your dependants.
The EC Long-Term Residence Permit entitles you to:
enter Italy without a visa; it also gives you permission to:
Work;
Enjoy social benefits and social services supplied
by the Italian government;
Participate in local public (electoral) life.
Two major points to be aware of are:
You must be able to prove that you have adequate resources to enable your life in Italy – approximately $11,000US per adult, per year. And, all foreign residents (and this includes EU residents) who don’t qualify for medical treatment under the Italian National Health Service, must have private health insurance. If you are an EU National, you will need the correct form (E-121) from your home country and file it with your Permit to Stay paperwork
There are other commonly-issued Stay permits. They are:
Permesso di Soggiorno per coesione
familiare: (permit for the foreign spouse
and children of an Italian citizen)
Permesso di Soggiorno per lavoro: (work
permit for employees)
Permesso di Soggiorno per lavoro
autonomo/indipendente: (permit for self-
employed workers)
An EU citizen can apply for a Permanent Residence Card and it is issued to EU citizens and their immediate family and dependents. This is issued if you intend to stay in Italy longer than three months.
The applicant will receive a receipt for documents submitted. If all conditions are met, the residence card will be issued within 90 days; the immigration office will schedule a time for collection. The permit is valid for an unlimited period although the card will be subject to renewal after six years. This is a formality.
Family Visa
The Visto per Coesione Familiare is a visa for family members, applicable when the whole family is leaving and returning together and staying in Italy longer than three months. Besides the usual documents, you will need proof of the familial relations.
Student's Visa
A Student's Visa, or Visto per Studio, is the fastest and easiest visa to obtain and there is no applicable fee. It is valid for those students enrolled in an Italian university or in a foreign university or course held in Italy.