What is the Permesso di Soggiorno?
- The Permesso di Soggiorno is your permission to stay in Italy, legally.
- It’s your official registration with the police/questura in your region.
- It’s an identification formality & a physical ID card that you’ll need while staying/living/residing in Italy.
Terms which are frequently used instead of “Permesso di Soggiorno”
Permission to Stay – Stay Permit – Residence Permit
Who?
- Everyone is required to apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno – EU and Non-EU Citizens
When?
- It’s required that you submit your application for the Permesso di Soggiorno within 8 days of arriving in Italy.
- As an EU citizen, you aren’t obligated to register with the Questura if your stay in Italy is less than 3 months/120 days.
- Personal comment: I wouldn’t go to extremes to attempt to submit the application within 8 days if you have other necessary priorities to take care of. If you submit it within first couple of weeks, you should be fine. I know when I arrived, my head was spinning. I needed to find a market for the basics, get internet connection and honestly, I didn’t know what the process was. It was all very unclear when I arrived. So – don’t freak out, but you do need to do this very soon after your arrival.
Where?
- Step 1: Poste Italiane (Post Office – submitting the ‘Kit’) and
- Step 2: Questura Appointment (formalization of application: acceptance/rejection, fingerprinting, a brief interview)
- When you turn-in your application at the Poste Italiano (Post Office), you will receive an appointment date & time to meet with the Questura (Police Headquarters)
Why?
- Because it is the law!
- It is possible to get fined or extradited if you are caught in Italy without your Permesso.
