If you plan to stay in Italy longer than three months, then you must make an application for residency. This includes migrant workers and students and, although you won’t receive a certificate of registration, you will get an extended Permesso di Soggiorno document. It is purely a case of making the authorities aware of your extended stay in the country.
If you plan to stay indefinitely and make Italy your home, then within three months of your arrival you must make a formal application for residency at the local comune (council) offices of the town you have chosen to reside in.
The application is relatively easy and, with a minimum of Italian language skills, you can organise this yourself without seeking and paying for outside assistance. The criteria that must be met to qualify for residency is:
- You must have recognised proof of identity, usually your passport.
- Documented evidence of employment including any self-employment.
- If you are retiring or below pension age and have no work, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support your stay.
- Students must provide documentary evidence pertaining to the courses and places of study.
- You must also have proof of sufficient health insurance.
Currently, to qualify, the funds required for a single person stands at €5,349, and for a couple this increases to €8,024. If you have two or more dependents below the age of 14, then you will require an additional €10,699.
For all EU citizens, it is then just a case of filling out the application form and paying the required fees, which amount to €72.12, which is for recorded delivery of your identity card and certificate of residency, processing and administration, and the electronic stamp. Your documentation will be forwarded to you from the local comune anagrafe (register) office.
Non-EU citizens will require a visa initially to enter the country and will have to make the authorities aware of their stay in Italy. This is usually done via your hotel and the local police station, however once you have a bank account, a tax code and own property in Italy, the process of residency is pretty much the same as for EU citizens.
One thing you must remember is that once you have obtained your residency you must, when out in public, carry your identity card (carta d'identità) at all times.
