Any non-EU national who wants to stay in Italy for longer than three months must apply for an Italian long-stay visa and an Italian Residence Permit. In addition, you must apply for a residence permit for Italy regardless of the reason you want to live there, like work or study.
Immigrating to Italy implies applying for permanent residence before acquiring Italian citizenship. However, if you are interested in immigration to Italy and want to apply for one of the visas available for foreigners, our lawyers can guide you.
Permesso di Soggiorno translates to “permission to stay” because it is the document you need to obtain to stay in Italy long-term.
The Italian residence permit card is electronic and contains a microchip and magnetic stripe (similar to a credit card), which can access your digitally-stored personal information.
Who can Apply for Italian Permanent Resident
Technically, anyone who fulfills the entry requirements into Italy can apply for Italian residency.
If you are a non-EU national, you need to apply for an Italy long-stay visa in your home country, allowing you entry to Italy.
It would be best if you had a long-stay visa because the Italian residence permit can only be applied for when you are already in Italy.
However, if you are in Italy for tourism purposes (with an Italy short-stay visa or without a ticket if you are exempt), you cannot apply for an Italian residency. Furthermore, you can only use it for a permesso di soggiorno if you have received an Italy long-stay visa beforehand.
Permanent residence for non-EU citizens is also available under the Golden Visa Scheme; however, this program targets wealthy individuals who want to move to Italy based on investments. The residence by investment program in Italy offers various advantages to the applicants.
Types of Italian Residence Permits
Two types of residence permits can be obtained in Italy: the temporary residence permit and the permanent residence permit. However, it must be noted that to obtain permanent residency in Italy; a temporary residence visa must first be obtained.
The temporary residency visa must be obtained by non-EU citizens when first arriving in Italy. EU citizens must only register with the police department in their city without being required to apply for a temporary residence permit. However, both categories of individuals must live for a minimum of 5 years before applying for permanent residence in Italy.
The residence permit can also be acquired by:
· the spouse of the applicant;
· the parents of the applicant;
· the minor children of the applicant;
· children above the age of 18 if they can support themselves.
In other words, the applicant is entitled to bring family members when relocating to Italy. However, the applicant must prove they have sufficient financial means to support themselves and their dependents and submit proof of their relationship with the dependents. In addition, only permanent residence permits can lead to Italian citizenship.
The Best Ways to Obtain a Permanent Residency in Italy
Several conditions are imposed on EU and non-EU citizens interested in obtaining permanent residency in Italy. Apart from living for five years in this country, they must also prove they earn sufficient money to support themselves, speak Italian fluently, and know the national customs. They must also have clean criminal records.
There are several ways in which Italian permanent residency can be obtained:
· Based on a work permit which entitles the applicants to live and work in Italy before applying for permanent residency
· Based on a residence permit for entrepreneurs, which allows foreign citizens to start their own business here;
· Based on an investment in a specific domain of interest acknowledged by the Italian government.
· Based on a self-employment visa which allows the foreigner to act as a sole trader in Italy.
Requirements for an Italian Permanent Residence Permit
The requirements for an Italian residence permit include the following:
· Four passport-size pictures in line with Italy visa photo
· Documents related to why you are in Italy, such as a work permit or school enrollment.
· All the documents that you submitted when you applied for your long-term Italian visa in your home country
· Proof of health insurance: In some cases, you may be eligible for free health service. While in others, you may have insurance by registering at your Local Health Agency
· the criminal record and the application form issued by the Italian authorities.
· Proof of means of self-sustenance (bank statement, tax returns, payslips issued by the employer).
Restrictions for certain applicants for permanent residency in Italy
There are also categories of persons who cannot apply for permanent residence permits in Italy. These are usually students who come to Italy based on visas that permit a limited stay. In the same category, enter those who come for scientific purposes or vocational training in Italy. Also, asylum seekers who are in the process of obtaining recognition as refugees cannot apply for permanent residence until their status is clarified.
Those who enter Italy for humanitarian reasons seeking temporary protection cannot apply for permanent residency in Italy.
Those who have valid temporary residence permits and have not met the 5-year living requirement are also restricted from applying for permanent residency until the last requisite is fulfilled.
Applying for a permanent residence permit for non-EU citizens in Italy
Non-EU citizens must follow specific procedures when applying for permanent residence in Italy. Those who want to immigrate to Italy must enquire with the Italian embassy or consulate in their countries and ask for information on the documents needed.
Non-EU citizens must first apply for a temporary residence permit. It is issued for five years, followed by the Italian permanent residence permit application. In other words, a non-EU citizen must live in Italy for five years before applying for permanent residence.
Residence permits in Italy for corporate situations
Foreign investors who want to open a company in Italy can obtain a residence permit in specific cases. Foreigners may set up an Italian limited liability company following the legal procedures. At the same time, they may register a branch office or a representative office of a foreign company.
Investors may also obtain startup residence permits established under local legislation to register startup companies that provide innovative products or services. In this case, the minimum investment is based on EUR 50,000.
Persons who want to enter the Italian workforce can apply for a European Blue Card. This is issued to workers with high skills in a designated activity specialization. In addition, the applicant should provide evidence on a university graduation certificate.